FAQs

Although I specialize in reproductive mental health, my office is open to anyone who thinks we may be a good fit! Feel free to email me or call/text me at 316-302-4104 to discuss your specific needs and how I can help. I can always provide referrals if you choose to go elsewhere 🙂

Nope! The impact of the perinatal period affects everyone, whether you are a birthing individual, a non-birthing partner, a husband, a wife, a mom, a dad, or a step-parent. Everyone can be at risk for perinatal mental health disorders no matter your income status, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, family structure, etc.

Anyone who experiences a life change due to reproduction is welcome in my office. (And yes – this especially includes foster and adoptive parents!)

Perinatal mental health refers to the emotional well-being of individuals who are trying to conceive, currently expecting, newly postpartum, experienced an infant or pregnancy loss and beyond. The perinatal period doesn’t stop simply because your baby turned one. Being postpartum (even if you are the non-birthing parent!) is a lifelong journey.

What defines a traumatic birth experience is whether or not the parents feel like it was traumatic.

Trauma is subjective. The only people who can say whether the experience was traumatic are the individuals who experienced it. If you are a new parent, even if you are the non-birthing partner, and you feel emotionally disturbed after labor and delivery, you may be experiencing the effects of birth trauma.

Click here to learn more about birth trauma therapy in Kansas.

WITHOUT A DOUBT.

You are welcome here regardless of your gender identity or sexual orientation.

Of course!!

Absolutely!! I don’t mind you meeting your baby’s needs at all—in fact, I encourage it!

That said, if you come to an in-person appointment and prefer a private spot to breastfeed or chestfeed before or after your session, you are allowed to use the group room inside our office building. I will make you acquainted with the space and ensure you have the supplies (and the comfortability) you need to feed that baby!

If you would like privacy during a telehealth session, we can talk about your options, such as moving the camera angle or turning it off while tending to baby’s needs. I want therapy to work FOR YOU!

Therapy might be a good option for you if you:

• Are open to change and learning more about yourself
• Have been trying to improve your mood but nothing seems to be working
• Experience difficulties day-to-day with your mood, remembering your trauma, or in your relationships
• Think or worry about the same thing for over an hour multiple days per week
• Are struggling to take care of yourself or your baby
• Are embarrassed or scared to talk about the issue with family or friends
• Can never sleep
• Rarely get out of bed
• Have lost interest in things you previously enjoyed
• Experiencing anger or irritability that’s uncharacteristic of you
• Want to talk through a specific topic or situation

People start therapy for a number of reasons, and there’s no “right” or “wrong” reason.

If you are in Kansas and ready to start therapy, click here.

Mental health care can be impactful for anything — from coping with a traumatic experience to increasing your self-confidence.

A few of the topics I treat include:

• birth trauma
• relationship struggles
• postpartum depression, anxiety, OCD, or bipolar
• identity changes
• prenatal depression or anxiety
• abortion
• termination for medical reasons (TFMR)
• substance use, especially as a parent
• unpacking childhood trauma
• agreeing on parenting decisions
• the nuances of foster or adoptive parenting
• navigating the world of parenting a special needs child

The decision to terminate a pregnancy is a personal decision that should be based on your desires and/or your medical team’s expertise. While I can’t help you decide, we can use therapy to process your beliefs about termination, how emotions shape decision-making, the impact of outside influences, and more.

Therapy after an abortion or termination might involve:

• Discussing how to make a self-care plan
• Understanding the complex emotions around your abortion
• Unpacking the social stigma behind it
• Balancing the both/and of complex emotions
• Couples therapy to discuss your individual experience of abortion
• Processing the fear of getting pregnant again
• Understanding how your beliefs or attitudes towards abortion might have changed after experiencing one
• Building a support network for you

Therapy can benefit your life in a variety of ways. It can:

• Enhance your communication skills
• Develop your emotional regulation
• Help you do better at work
• Be a better partner or parent
• Think more positively
• Express your emotions more clearer
• Develop coping mechanisms
• Increase your confidence or self-esteem
• Work through a difficult issue or life stage
• Help you understand yourself and those around you

Attending therapy as a parent helps you improve your own emotional well-being. Being able to pass down emotional regulation skills and communication skills can be a valuable asset. By improving yourself, you are also improving your child’s life.

It also helps you become more clearer of who you are as a person, honing in on your goals, values, and beliefs. This helps you raise your child with a firm grasp on who you are and what you want your family to believe.

Babies and toddlers can join therapy, too! In the therapy room (both virtually and in-person), we can practice attachment activities between you and your child. Your partner can also join! This can help with people who want to grow closer to their baby or who do not feel bonded yet to their baby. Both are normal!

Therapy can help your relationship if:

• You want to feel closer emotionally
• You keep fighting the same fights
• You feel like your partner doesn’t hear you – or vice versa
• You disagree on parenting choices
• You want to improve your sex life
• You are avoiding talking about a touchy topic
• You want to rebuild trust
• You want better communication

And no — couples therapy isn’t just for people who are married!

I have extensive training, experience, and passion regarding the field of reproductive mental health. In addition to serving as the Communications Director for the Kansas State Chapter of Postpartum Support International, I run the informational website Postpartum Brain, which focuses on perinatal mental health.

Click here if you want to learn more about how my training can serve you.

To make an appointment, fill out the contact form on the website. You are also welcome to call/text 316-302-4104.

You can always schedule a free 5 minute free consultation with me to see if we’re a good fit, too!

I accept cash, debit cards, all major credit cards, HSA, and FSA cards.

I charge $150 per 50-minute session. In certain circumstances, you may qualify for a lower fee, so please ask.

I am in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield, Ambetter, Aetna, ProviDRsCare as well as Kansas Medicaid (Sunflower Health Plan, Aetna Better Health, and UnitedHealthcare).

Based on how our schedules align, we can generally get you scheduled for your first session within 1-2 weeks.

Are you ready to schedule? Fill out the contact form on the website.

For your first session, I will show you the office, point you to the bathroom and the group room (it has a changing table!), and ask you to complete a few forms. These forms include assessments, which are helpful to quickly gather information. We will talk through them together.

Then, we will talk through what brought you to therapy. I might ask you what your current struggles are, what symptoms you are experiencing, as well as questions about your relationships, family of origin, strengths, and your goals for therapy.

All of this information will be helpful in how we treat you moving forward. It is a collaborative process, and I am excited to start it with you!