She is a psychologist at East Central Regional Hospital (ECRH) through its partnership with Augusta University. Dr. Merkey received a B.A. in Psychology from the University of South Florida and received both her M.A. and PhD. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi. Dr. Merkey completed her predoctoral internship and postdoctoral training at Wyoming State Hospital in Evanston, Wyoming. Her primary areas of interest include dialectical behavior therapy, emotion regulation, terror management theory, and aggression.