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You are not alone.
You are not to blame.
With help, you will be well.
                                 -Postpartum Support International 

My interest in supporting new and expecting families began as early as I can remember. However it was working in a childbirth education center in Boston, Massachusetts in my early 20s that solidified my deep passion for wanting to better support the life changing  transition from preconception through birth and postpartum. I witnessed the stark absence of available mental health support for issues relating to fertility, pregnancy and loss, prenatal and postpartum anxiety, birth trauma, and postpartum depression among many others.

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In an effort to deepen my understanding of how to best support the emotional needs of new and expecting parents I began looking for graduate programs that focused on the developmental stage of preconception and pregnancy planning through the postpartum period and into parenthood. I was lucky enough to discover a small specialty counseling psychology graduate program in southern California that offered the only PhD program in the world with a concentration in Pre-Perinatal Psychology.  The faculty of professors during my tenure was made up of leaders in the field of prenatal and perinatal psychology and health including midwives, doulas, MDs, psychologists, sex therapists, and somatic healers. 

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I identify as an ally of the LGBTQ+ community and have specialized training in the area of transgender and gender non-binary clinical issues. Prenatal and postpartum mental health services are often lacking in providing gender neutral inclusive treatment approaches and I strive to provide a therapeutic environment that affirms the experience of members of the transgender and gender non-binary community. 

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It is also a joy of mine to work with new and expecting fathers as they transition into the phase of parenthood. When my second child was born our male obstetrician who had delivered my daughter made a point of stating upwards of 20% of men will experience postpartum depression. This common yet highly under recognized condition can have adverse impacts on early attachment leading to feelings of depression, anger/ agitation, and isolation. 

Currently in the US postpartum depression affects approximately 1 in 7 new parents and the resources available to support this common diagnosis are in short supply.  My deepest wish as a clinician is to provide a therapeutic space where you feel safe and supported; a place where you can begin to move in a direction towards finding relief. A challenge I witness in my work is how often new and expecting parents experience shame and guilt about their mental health symptoms, and are at an even greater risk of not seeking care because of societal stigmas.  My job as a clinician is to first and foremost remind you that you are not alone, and help you normalize your perinatal experience and transition(s) to parenthood. Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders encompass a number of symptoms that can look different for everyone. As a mother of two young children I understand on a deep personal level the joy and also the overwhelm that comes from the shift into parenthood, and I'm here to help.