Dr. Rutherford has been in private practice since 1992, where her practice began in Dallas, Texas.  When she moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas, she has maintained that practice until the present.  She specializes in treatment of adults with anxiety, trauma and depression. She also sees many couples for marital or relational work.  She has further been trained in hypnosis by national experts such as Dr. Michael Yapko and uses hypnosis regularly in her practice.

While in graduate school at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School at Dallas where she received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, Dr. Rutherford was chosen to serve as Chief Intern at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas.  She has served locally in many non-profit organizations, and has been President of the Board of three: Ozark StageWorks, ArtsLive, and TheatreSquared, now voted one of the ten best semi-professional theatres in the United States.  Other achievements include her award in 2009 for the Arkansas Private Practice Practitioner of the Year Award by the Arkansas Psychology Association for her work to establish a Volunteer Mental Health Network for the Northwest Arkansas Free Health Center.  Along with a full private schedule, Dr. Rutherford continues to volunteer as the NWA Free Health Center’s Mental Health Coordinator and as a provider of individual services on their campus.  She also serves as an Adjunct Professor on the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences Faculty on the Northwest Arkansas campus.

Dr. Rutherford has also within the last year ventured into the world of blogging, and has created the term “NestAche” for “empty nest”.  She writes regularly on her blog and is continuing to look into new and exciting avenues by being both creative and helping  others through tough times, whether that’s empty nest, mid-life, or just needing a little support. She is married, with one son.