INTRODUCING FLORA FAMILY HEALTH
After a long season of pandemic induced work-from-home, I have settled myself in an office in my new state of Rhode Island and am excited to share with you the resources available through this collaboration with some amazing women! This post will give you a peek into my process of going back to an in-person office as well as a listing of the providers I now call colleagues and would recommend to anyone seeking their specific services.
To begin, when I moved to Rhode Island in the spring of 2023, I didn’t have plans to look for an office space. Most of my clients actually prefer telehealth due to the convenience and time saver that it is. I see you, Seattle commuters! However, I came across a woman who was looking to rent out space in a house and I figured I’d take a peek, truly not expecting it to turn into anything. Needless to say, the day I visited the space, I knew it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.
The building that my office is located inside of is called Flora Family Health and is a beautiful house full of independent female business owners working in various categories of healthcare, many of which serve perinatal women. I am a reproductive therapist so this seemed too good to be true. Working among a perinatal doctor, a midwife, a childbirth educator, a lactation consultant, a perinatal psychologist and psychiatrist is truly a dream for me. I’m hoping it will also be a major benefit to my clients. It’s a one stop shop for all your pregnancy and postpartum needs. Who could ask for more? Even on days when I see every one of my clients via telehealth, I’m so grateful to be in the space, to connect with newfound friends and colleagues, and to have better boundaries between work and home. Maybe I’ll do a different post soon on my advocacy for getting back to the office. It’s so much healthier, despite the time it adds to our days.
Ok, without further ado, I’ll introduce you to the incredible team at Flora Family Health:
Family Medicine, Pregnancy, and Lactation
Ashley is the founder of Flora Family Health and an incredible doctor working in direct primary care. She cares deeply about each of her patients and has a passion for serving pregnancy clients and their little ones. She’s a powerful person and physician.
Lisa Gendron, LM, CPM, ASM, BFA
Midwife
Lisa is an incredible midwife and has also worked as a pregnancy and postpartum doula. She emits maternal love and care. Pass her in the hallway and you’ll catch it, I promise. She’s the loveliest. You’d be lucky to have her as part of your team during your pregnancy.
Women’s Reproductive Psychiatrist
Laura specializes in pregnancy, postpartum, infertility, PMDD, perinatal loss, perimenopause and sexual health and dysfunction. She helps women with medication management and lifestyle coaching. She’s so smart and maintains a small practice to offer the best care to each of her patients. If you need medication support surrounding a perinatal concern, she’s your gal!
Clinical Psychologist
Shannon is a psychologist serving women in many US states. She specializes in dialectical behavior therapy and women's mental health, including perinatal mood and anxiety disorders with a particular interest in perinatal OCD. Shannon strikes a beautiful balance between thoughtful and witty, bringing a welcome levity to her interactions.
Osteopathy
Dr. Levi is an osteopathic doctor, specializing in manipulative medicine. She is trauma informed in her treatment practices and comes with a host of diverse experiences that direct her collaborative approach with each patient. Kendra is such a calming, non-judgmental, and curious person. She epitomizes gentleness and cares for you holistically.
Bodyworker
Allie works as a massage therapist and a health and wellbeing coach. She has particular interest in the wisdom of each unique body, pain management, lifestyle coaching, and movement modalities. She is energetic and joyful in her approach, bringing knowledge and laughter to her interactions.
Integrative Certified Nurse
Sherri is a nurse and one of few IBCLC lactation consultants in the state of Rhode Island. Her focus is on serving folks who are pregnant, birthing, or breastfeeding. Sherri is curious and enthusiastic in her approach.
Doula, Childbirth Educator, and Yoga Instructor
Kaeli is the founder and director of Open Circle, an organization serving pregnant and birthing families with education and a variety of wellness services. Open circle is community focused and inclusive in their approach to providing accessible services to all birthing people in Rhode Island.
Margaret McComiskey, MSW, LICSW
Psychotherapist and Success Coach
Margaret is the most recent addition to Flora Family Health. She works as a psychotherapist and success coach, serving high achieving individuals. She is also a trauma therapist passionate about serving women in identifying what they need to thrive. She is an excellent addition to our team at Flora.
Rachael Alba, MA, LMHC, PMH-C, ISTTC
Psychotherapist and Parent Coach
Last but not least is myself. I’m a reproductive and trauma therapist with certifications in perinatal mental health and somatic trauma therapy. I also serve individuals and couples facing infertility, pregnancy or infant loss, and termination of pregnancy. It is my great passion to work with women and mothers. I work particularly well with those who are eager to make progress, are active in their approach to life, and desire to have a collaborative working relationship with me as their therapist.
There you have it; a comprehensive list of the amazing variety of professionals and services ready to be of help at Flora Family Health. I know some of these women better than others but I would recommend each and every one for the services I have outlined above. We are highly educated, experienced, and better yet, curious women with a passion to serve our clients from a place of deep care. Gathering often, we are committed to navigating the complexities of women’s healthcare and changing systems as best we can. We are better as a collaborative and hope to see you in whatever capacity best serves you.
Wishing you well! – Rachael