About the practice

A thoughtful clinical partnership, built around discretion and change.

Learn about Dr. Tomlinson, the evidence-based approach, services, and the principles that shape her practice.

About Dr. Tomlinson

Dr. Megan Tomlinson is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in trauma, moral injury, suicidality, sleep, and psychological assessment. Before opening her private practice, she served as a staff psychologist at the U.S. Air Force Academy, where she provided evidence-based care for cadets and active-duty service members. Prior to that, she served as a staff psychologist with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Colorado Springs. She completed her doctoral internship at the Durham VA Medical Center, receiving advanced training in combated-related PTSD, military sexual trauma, and primary care.

As the spouse of an Army Green Beret, Dr. Tomlinson also brings a personal understanding of the unique challenges military service places on service members and their families. Today, she combines this professional and personal experience to provide compassionate, evidence-based care tailored to each individual’s needs.

In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Tomlinson has maintained an active commitment to research and scholarship in the field of traumatic stress. Her research has focused on the intersection of trauma exposure, moral injury, posttraumatic stress, and suicide risk, culminating in an award-winning doctoral dissertation. Earlier in her career, she served as a Clinical Research Coordinator in Stanford University’s Suicide Prevention Research Laboratory and held research positions investigating trauma, resilience, and military mental health. She continues to contribute to the scientific community as a peer reviewer for the Journal of Traumatic Stress, helping evaluate emerging research in one of the field’s leading journals.

This combination of advanced clinical expertise and ongoing engagement with the scientific literature allows Dr. Tomlinson to integrate the strongest available evidence into compassionate, individualized care tailored to each patient’s goals and circumstances.

Credentials

Clinical training informed by service and scholarship.

Education

Doctor of Psychology, PAU–Stanford PsyD Consortium, 2023.

Master of Science in Human Development, Virginia Tech, 2018.

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, University of California, Santa Cruz, 2012.

Research

Doctoral Dissertation

Mediating Influence of Moral Injury and PTSD on the Association of Trauma Exposure and Suicide Attempts

Awarded the Cheryl Koopman Dissertation of the Year Award

Master’s Thesis

The Relationship Between Pre-Deployment Experiences of Interpersonal Violence and Combat-Related Moral Injury: The Moderating Role of Post-Deployment Social Support

Clinical Internship

Doctoral Internship, Durham VA Medical Center, 2022-2023.

Evidence-based approach

Grounded in science, responsive to the individual.

Evidence-based practice is the foundation of Dr. Tomlinson’s clinical work. This means drawing upon psychological treatments that have been rigorously studied while integrating clinical expertise and the individual needs, values, circumstances, and preferences of each person.

For trauma-related concerns, treatment may incorporate established approaches such as Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), and other cognitive-behavioral interventions, depending on the individual’s presentation and goals. Work involving sleep may similarly draw from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) and other behavioral sleep interventions.

But evidence-based care is not synonymous with rigidly following a manual. People rarely arrive with a single, isolated concern, and effective care requires understanding how trauma, sleep, relationships, identity, occupational demands, physical health, and life circumstances interact. Dr. Tomlinson uses evidence-based treatments as tools within a broader clinical formulation rather than forcing every person into the same treatment pathway.

Her style is collaborative, thoughtful, and direct. Treatment begins with developing a clear understanding of what is happening, why it may be happening, and what meaningful improvement would look like. From there, Dr. Tomlinson and the individual establish goals and periodically evaluate progress, adjusting the approach when necessary.

For people accustomed to operating in demanding environments, this approach can be particularly important. The objective is not simply to reduce symptoms, but to help people understand and address patterns that are interfering with their lives while preserving the strengths, values, relationships, and sense of purpose that matter to them.

Fees and insurance

Clear information, considered from the outset.

Understanding the practical and financial aspects of care should not be difficult. Dr. Tomlinson aims to make fees, insurance participation, and practice policies clear before care begins so that individuals can make an informed decision about whether the practice is right for them.

Private Pay

Individual appointments, 50 minutes in length, are $250 per session. Psychological assessment fees vary depending on the purpose and scope of the evaluation and are discussed before scheduling.

Private payment can provide greater discretion regarding how psychological care is documented and whether information is submitted to an insurance company. For individuals whose careers involve security clearances, military service, sensitive professional responsibilities, or simply a strong preference for privacy, this may be an important consideration.

Insurance

Dr. Tomlinson is pending approval to accept TRICARE East and West.

For individuals with other insurance plans, the practice can provide documentation that may be used to request out-of-network reimbursement when those benefits are available. Coverage varies considerably by plan, and individuals are encouraged to verify their benefits directly with their insurer.

Good Faith Estimates

Individuals who are uninsured or choose not to use insurance are entitled to receive a Good Faith Estimate of the expected cost of care in accordance with federal law. Fees and relevant financial policies are reviewed before beginning services.

Questions about fees or insurance can also be discussed during the initial consultation.

Telehealth and privacy

Secure, discreet care from a setting that works for you.

Services are provided through secure telehealth, allowing individuals to meet privately from a location that works for them. Dr. Tomlinson is licensed in Virginia and holds authorization through PSYPACT, allowing her to provide telepsychology to eligible individuals located throughout most of the United States.*

For military and national security professionals in particular, a private telehealth practice can also offer greater separation from workplace-based systems of care. Dr. Tomlinson’s experience with these communities informs practice policies designed to prioritize discretion, privacy, and clear communication about the limits of confidentiality.

*PSYPACT States are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands