she worked at the university of maryland hospital as a clinical assistant professor in the department of psychiatry beginning in 1974. she was also an assistant professor at howard university hospital. after several years, she was offered the position of adjunct associate professor of psychiatry at the university of maryland. she held this position from 1980 to 1984. she and her former husband, jay haley, founded the family therapy institute of washington, d.c., and the family therapy center of maryland where she served as the director until their divorce in the 1990s.