Medical gaslighting refers to when a healthcare provider downplays or ignores your symptoms and/or complaints. Studies show that women, people of color and people who identify as LGBTQ are less likely to be correctly diagnosed with medical conditions related to heart disease or pain disorders among others.  Some signs that your provider may not be […]

“I didn’t want to upset my loved ones, but I couldn’t carry this alone.”  ― Julie Flygare For many of us, the story of our journey toward parenthood is a highly anticipated tale of love, excitement, and joy. We have visions in our heads of how that story will unfold and the happiness we will […]

What makes a mother? Are you a mother if you gave birth? If you had a C section? If you lost a child? If you had a miscarriage?  Are you a mother if you needed donor egg? If you needed donor sperm? If you needed a gestational carrier?  Are you a mother if you froze […]

7 foods to support Endometriosis By Kriszta Tiwari Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women through their reproductive years. It is a complex chronic inflammatory disease with a myriad of symptoms ranging from mild to severe, often even debilitating. Common symptoms: Painful periods, severe enough to disrupt your life: missing work, school etc. Long periods (longer […]

By Tonya Wood, PhD Dr. Wood is a licensed psychologist who provides consultation, evaluation and psychotherapy. She is also on the faculty at Pepperdine University. Her academic scholarship focuses on reducing healthcare disparities and improving quality of care for communities of color. For more information about Dr. Wood visit her website at www.tonyawood.com. Having spent […]

It has been well established that a daily gratitude practice is strongly associated with improved overall happiness. When beginning a practice like this, it is important to avoid generalizing. The most effective way to ascertain the positive effects of gratitude is to tangibly write down very specific items, interactions, relationships or accomplishments that you are […]

By: Tonya Wood, Psy.D. While for many, the beginning of the new calendar year signals the opportunity to start fresh and set new goals, the start of the new year comes with mixed emotions for those engaged in the family-building process. In keeping with the social norms of making New Year’s resolutions, it is common […]

By: Marissa Nelson Marissa Nelson is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT) and AASECT Certified Sex Therapist (CST) and Sexuality Educator (CSE) who helps couples experiencing infertility to learn the specific psycho-emotional skills to break free from isolation, shame and fear, and start enjoying deep connection on their path to parenthood.  Meeting with family […]

Studies have shown that 90% of women have reported depression while experiencing fertility struggles, with 42% reporting feelings of suicide. Even with these staggering numbers being reported, we continue to silo our healthcare services and create fragmented care for patients. Providers need to recognize that fertility struggles require more than just medical attention. Patients need […]

By: Kriszta Tiwari, Kindbody Holistic Nutritionist With fall already here and winter just around the corner, it is super important to eat healthy in order to best support our immune system. During this time of the year we often crave rich soups, stews made out of hearty vegetables and it’s for good reason! Our bodies […]