Areas of Practice

We cannot always control life’s challenges, however, we can learn more about how our mind and body process difficult events in order to resolve trauma and improve quality of life. PTSD may develop when certain symptoms are left unattended or ignored, but we have strong evidence that psychotherapy can successfully address and reduce these symptoms. Trauma symptoms created by past experiences may also resurface during pregnancy and birth, particularly if the birthing experience is incredibly stressful or traumatic.

Gender issues can have a profound impact on our emotional wellness and coping styles. Whether it is juggling multiple life roles, managing a gynecological or other health concern, or dealing with relationship conflict, therapy is a great place to clarify your needs and work toward your goals.

About 15% of heterosexual couples experience infertility. LGBTQ+ couples may face additional barriers to building their families. Navigating treatment options takes a lot of energy—both physical and emotional. Therapy is a helpful place to process your fertility journey, manage any stress or feelings of being overwhelmed that may arise, and emotionally prepare for treatments or interventions.

Pregnancy can be a time of great excitement! In addition to the excitement, it’s important to attend to emotional wellness during this busy and hopeful time. Prioritizing mental health during pregnancy is one of the most important things birthing parents can do for their own and their baby’s health.

About 15 to 20% of postpartum women experience serious symptoms of depression or anxiety beyond “the baby blues.” Other symptoms that can be seen in the postpartum period are mania, psychosis, obsessive or intrusive thoughts, and compulsions or repetitive behaviors. These experiences can develop during pregnancy or even up to one year postpartum. While these can feel very scary, it’s important to know that they are not your fault and you can feel better with therapy and treatment.

Pregnancy loss is devastating and there is no one “right” way to grieve or feel about this experience. Therapy can be a healing place to process this experience in a way that feels comforting and authentic to the individual person without forcing any particular path.

There are endless, valid, personal, or medical reasons why pregnancies are terminated and this is a difficult decision that should be approached with care and non-judgment. Individuals should be allowed safe spaces to process any array of emotions that arise before or after a pregnancy termination.

Introducing a new family member represents a big transition for everyone. Major challenge that comes up during this time include changes in identities and relationships. Working through these changes in therapy can ease the transition your family is going through.

Though I specialize in trauma, reproductive health and perinatal issues, I was trained as a generalist psychologist and can assist individuals with a wide range of concerns such as depression, anxiety, relationship issues, life transitions, coping with chronic medical conditions, anger and stress management, and personal development.