Over the past decade, I’ve developed a deep passion for maternal mental health. This includes supporting women who are trying to conceive, pregnant, postpartum, or navigating the broader challenges of the childbearing years. There is a significant need for increased support—not only for mothers and their partners, but also in educating the community to better recognize the signs of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Reducing stigma is essential so that women feel safe and empowered to seek help during this critical time. One in seven women experience depression or anxiety postpartum, often accompanied by shame and guilt during a time that’s expected to be joyful. My goal is to create a compassionate space where these women feel seen, supported, and understood.​

 

I’ve also developed a strong interest in supporting women and couples facing infertility—an experience that can carry deep feelings of shame, grief, and isolation for both partners. Many struggle with a sense of failure, questioning their identity or feeling “less” womanly or manly. There can be profound grief over the loss of the dream of having a biological child. It’s not uncommon to feel a mix of pain, jealousy, guilt, and sadness—especially when surrounded by pregnancy announcements or friends growing their families. With 1 in 4 couples now affected by infertility, this is an increasingly important area where compassionate, informed support is essential.

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Further, I have an interest (you could even say a "soft spot") in working with individuals who have a tendency toward perfectionism, are highly self-critical, struggle with asserting their wants and needs, experience guilt and shame, and generally struggle to identify who they are, who they want to be, and what is important to them.  I am fascinated as well by how our families shape who we are, how we present ourselves to others, and the choices we make.  We may not be able to control what is passed down to us genetically, or what we even learned in our environment; we do have control over what we do with that information once we have it. 

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I believe in the importance of all individuals learning and growing, and feel fortunate that my work allows me to do this, not simply through education, training, and reading, but in the experiences of my clients.  They are my biggest source of knowledge.  Through their stories of pain and growth, I also grow, both personally and professionally.