About Joelle
Background
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I’m a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with over 18 years experience helping adults of all ages improve their relationships, overcome problems and get in touch with their values, hopes and dreams. As a proudly feminist, anti-racist and LBGTQ-affirmative* therapist, I’m passionate about hosting therapeutic conversations that explore the ways that culture impacts our experience. My work is influenced by Narrative Therapy, a trauma-informed therapy rooted in social justice values.
I’ve been a member of the Mental Health Professional Group of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine for over 12 years and have taught and presented on topics related to infertility and third party reproduction. From 2020-2021, I was a member of the MHPG Task Force on Diversity and Antiracism and went on to chair the MHPG Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-racism Committee in its first year. In 2024, I presented at the ASRM annual congress on the topics of gamete donor selection and LGBTQ family building, as part of a postgraduate course for mental health professionals. I currently serve on the Medical Advisory Board of The Sperm Bank of California.
I’m available to consult with mental health professionals and other health care providers on the psychosocial aspects of infertility, assisted reproduction and third party family building.
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When I'm not working, I enjoy movies, art museums, hiking the Oakland Hills and reading fiction.
*The term “LGBTQ affirmative” has been used to identify therapists who support LGBTQ people, in opposition to the antiquated (and repugnant!) notion that LGBTQ identity is pathological. I strongly believe in going beyond “affirmation” and enthusiastically celebrating LGBTQ identities.
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Education Highlights:
BA from Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY
MFA from the School of the Arts, Columbia University in the City of New York
MA in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University Los Angeles
Professional Affiliations:
California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists
East Bay CAMFT
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Mental Health Professional Group
Resolve: The National Infertility Association
Association of Family Therapists of Northern California
The Sperm Bank of California
Therapy as Meaning-Making Conversation
I think of therapy sessions as structured conversations — a different kind of conversation than you might have with a friend. When we first meet, we'll take time to understand what you're struggling with and discuss your hopes for therapy. My style is very interactive. I'll ask you questions and share my thoughts and reflections. My hope is that I’ll ask you a question or two that you’ve never been asked before and that these questions will begin to open up new ways of thinking.
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A Narrative Lens
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I was introduced to Narrative Therapy in graduate school and was immediately drawn to its focus on flattening power dynamics in the therapy relationship and deconstructing dominant discourses about the right way to live. Narrative therapy is a non-pathologizing form of therapy, grounded in social constructionist theory. It begins with the idea that we make meaning of our lives through stories and that our stories are influenced by everything around us, from the families and communities we grew up in to the messages we receive from the broader culture. In our conversations, we'll explore your stories, their roots and influences, and strive to create new stories that align with your values and intentions.
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Reproductive Justice
Coming of age in the late 1980s, I have long identified as a pro-choice feminist. In recent years, I’ve become aware of the privilege inherent in thinking about reproductive rights only as “choice.” The Reproductive Justice movement, started by women of color, goes beyond choice, to look at how reproductive rights are deeply intertwined with the right to access quality health-care, healthy food, and to raise our children in a safe and just world. I strive to align my reproductive counseling work with reproductive justice values.
My Approach
