President
Camille is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has over 10 years of experience working in non-profit, government, and private practice. Her roles have varied in program development, case management, and mental health. The different populations she has worked with are homeless/low-income families, domestic violence survivors, individuals recovering from severe medical, substance abuse, and mental health issues. Camille received her BA from Eugene Lang College the New School for Liberal Arts with a concentration in Urban Studies and a minor in Urban Education in NYC. Camille completed her MA in Counseling Psychology at National University at the Costa Mesa, CA campus. Camille has a passion for working with women, children, and families. Camille’s passion for PHA comes from years of working with mothers from pregnancy to postpartum. Camille had her daughter several days before the Pandemic began and not having any support as a first-time mom, was diagnosed with postpartum depression. Camille’s midwife referred her to PHA where she was able to find help to navigate being a mother during this uncertain time. In her free time, Camille loves traveling, cooking, trying new restaurants, spending time with her daughter, cat, family, and friends.
Secretary
Treasurer
With almost a decade of experience within the entrepreneurial realm, Alexa currently serves as Controller at Correlation Ventures, where she oversees various aspects of the fund's finances and operations. Alexa acts as a liaison between the firm and its diverse community of portfolio companies as well as its limited partners. Alexa holds an MBA from San Diego State University and a BA from The University of Michigan. Alexa is drawn to PHA's mission after herself struggling with postpartum depression after the birth of her first child. Armed with information, resources, and support, her experience after the birth of her second child was tremendously different. Her goal is to help other parents find the support they need to navigate their own journeys into and through parenthood and to reduce the stigma surrounding perinatal mood disorders.
Grants and Development Co-Chair
Jaren Soloff is a Registered Dietitian and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) who serves as an expert in women’s health. In her private practice, Jaren combines her expertise as a skilled nutrition therapist and lactation consultant to support mothers in nourishing themselves and their babies with confidence.
As a mom who has navigated the postpartum space and experienced both the physical and mental challenges that come alongside it, Jaren is passionate about helping to support other women and mothers in the community.
Outside of private practice, you’ll find Jaren walking the beautiful beaches of San Diego with a Lofty Coffee in hand alongside her daughter and adorable pup, Khloe.
Grants and Development Co-Chair
Membership Chair/ Past President
Prior to entering the mental health field, Jen started her career gaining a background in education and non-profit management with Junior Achievement, an international organization dedicated to serving K-12 students through hands-on experiences that demonstrate financial literacy, work-readiness, and entrepreneurship. As a program manager, she spent years developing curriculum, leading trainings, and stewarding corporate volunteers and donations.
In 2010, Jen made a career switch and proceeded to obtain a Master's degree in Marital & Family Therapy from the University of San Diego. She completed most of her clinical training at the UCSD Reproductive Mental Health Clinic working alongside physicians, midwives, and psychiatrists to provide a unique collaboration on the screening and treatment of perinatal mood disorders affecting women and their partners during pregnancy and the postpartum period. She also has experience counseling youth and military families while working for the Coronado SAFE Foundation.
Jen is currently in private practice in Point Loma and enjoys supporting couples as they transition into parenthood. She has specialized knowledge in the areas of maternal mental health, attachment & bonding, birth trauma & loss, infertility struggles, and adjusting to parenthood while preserving your marriage.
In her free time, you can find Jen spending time at the beach or in the desert with her husband and 3 children.
Equity and Inclusion Co-Chair
Divya Reddy, MD, MPH, is a board-certified Family Medicine physician who provides primary care to infants and children, and adults and seniors. She has advanced training in obstetrical care, provides prenatal care and delivers babies at UC San Diego Health. Women's health has been an important focus for her throughout her career.
She has the unique opportunity to not only care for women during their pregnancy and be present during the very vulnerable time of labor, but she also sees them several times postpartum as she continues to care for the newborns. What drew her to PHA was seeing firsthand how difficult those early postpartum times can be and wanting to get more involved in helping women through those times at a community level, while she continues to provide direct patient care. She hopes to bring further awareness to health disparities and work to narrowing those gaps in her role as Equity Chair.
Community Education Chair
Kristen is a Licensed Psychologist in private practice who is passionate about supporting women during difficult life transitions. Kristen specializes in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, trauma, and sleep. She has completed advanced training in Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders through Postpartum Support International and is trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia and Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD.
Kristen's social justice values align with PHA's mission to increase access to support for new mothers who may feel overwhelmed. She wants new moms to know that they don’t have to brave it alone and they deserve support. Kristen has two young children who keep her busy when she’s not working with her clients.
Community Partnership Co-Chair
Dr. Maria Elswick is an OB/GYN specializing in Perinatal Depression and Anxiety at Kaiser Permanente. Maria has been an OB/GYN for 24 years, and about halfway through her career, it became clear to her that there are not enough resources for moms and families struggling with PMADs. Having struggled herself during the early years of parenting, as Maria's practice developed, she found that she very much enjoyed working with patients who were struggling or have struggled in the past. Maria continues to find supporting perinatal individuals, a population in which her life experience and career experience came together, to be very fulfilling.
Community Partnership Co-Chair
Melissa Nefalar is a second-generation Filipino-American and native San Diegan. Melissa is a mom to three kids, has a spouse in education, and is passionate to work with parents and their families utilizing mind-body and holistic approaches. As a licensed marriage and family therapist, Melissa runs a full-time private practice specializing in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, brain spotting, children/teens, and grief/loss. As the PSI liaison co-chair, Melissa is also currently serving on the board of directors for PSI California as their social media chair.
Social Media Chair
Kristine holds a doctorate in clinical forensic psychology with a background in assisting youth in juvenile detention. Becoming a mom shifted her focus back home and to spending time with her inquisitive and energetic tiny human. Not having an easy transition into parenthood herself, Kristine is passionate about increasing awareness and access to support for those living with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.
In her free time, Kristine enjoys camping with her family, dog rescue, and developing her photography skills.
PMADs 101 Training Chair
Events Co-Chair
Events Co-Chair
I've been practicing as an herbalist for over 10 years, utilizing natural remedies to support people wishing to improve their health. My focus has primarily been on women's reproductive and mental health, blending my role as Birth Doula and Herbalist. Being very trauma-informed from years working in the Sex Assault Treatment Program at the YWCA of Kauai and volunteering for years at Shakti Rising's transformative recovery program for women, I often aid others in their own trauma recovery journey. I was asked to join PHA and immediately knew it was a great fit to continue my service to women's mental/emotional health, especially as it relates to their motherhood experience. In my free time, I am very devoted to my hula practice, being creative with my young son, attending fun social events, and enjoying nature.
PSI National Liaison Chair
Board Member at Large
Carly Mahon is an associate clinical social worker and has been working with youth and families for 15 years. By combining mindfulness, therapeutic inquiry, and somatic healing, Carly aims to help a generation of moms experience guilt-free motherhood. She was drawn to the mission of PHA as a survivor of postpartum depression, rage & OCD. To be in a community with other parents, professionals, survivors, and advocates that are all focused on creating a community in San Diego and beyond that challenges the norms of perinatal care and strives to make sure that no family feels alone in their mental health journey- no matter what it might look like.
Board Member at Large
Norma is a bilingual Spanish/English Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She has been providing mental health services for families, children, adolescents, and adults for over seven years. She has worked with victims of crime, survivors of trauma, child abuse, domestic violence, and sexual assault.
Norma is a wife and mother of two children. After experiencing postpartum anxiety and depression after the birth of each of her children, she developed a special place in her heart and a deep connection with women who experience the same.
Norma is currently in private practice specializing in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. She is especially passionate about helping mothers and couples navigate the transition to parenthood. She has completed advanced training in Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders through Postpartum Support International and is trained in EMDR to
treat trauma.
Program Manager
Natalie holds a B.A. from the University of San Diego and her background is in Secondary Education. Natalie's years as a classroom teacher ended when she started a family, however her passion for teaching has only grown exponentially. Now as a mother of three, and Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant and Postpartum Doula, Natalie carries her skills from her teaching career into the motherhood realm, educating new parents on infant development and sleep fundamentals, and helping families develop sustainable routines with their babies so that everyone stays well rested during a time that can be extremely exhausting and overwhelming.
Natalie first became involved with PHA in 2018 after finally taking control of her own PMADs, realizing there was an arsenal of resources available to new parents that she only wished she had known about as a new mom.
Website Volunteer/ Past Board Member
Renata is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and mom of two young boys. Born and raised in San Diego, Renata received her undergraduate degree at San Diego State, and her Master in Children and Family Therapy at the University of Houston - Clear Lake. For over a decade, Renata specialized in working with children and adolescents who have undergone significant trauma at various San Diego non-profits; such as, New Alternatives, Mental Health Systems, and San Diego Youth Services.
In 2013, Renata's own transition into motherhood opened her eyes to the glaring lack of support, and unrealistic social pressures/expectations, parents received during the postpartum period. In 2016, Renata officially pivoted her focus and practice to Maternal Mental Health and has since received extensive experience and training in Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs), perinatal loss, and the maternal transition/experience within the postpartum period and parenthood.
In between picking up legos and making PB&Js for her boys, Renata runs a private practice that exclusively focuses on providing supportive and educational wellness groups for new moms. Her mission to ensure all moms have a trusted space to navigate the complexities of their role, thus she is ecstatic to join PHA and honored to be a part of an organization that continues to promote the importance of Maternal (and Paternal) Mental Health.