services
Perinatal mental health
Pregnancy, postpartum, lactation - Anxiety, depression, OCD, ADHD, bipolar, rage, intrusive thoughts
Evaluation, medication, talk therapy
Assessment of current medications in the setting of planning to conceive, pregnancy, and planning to breast/chestfeed - Let us help you evaluate the safety of your medication and create a plan that you feel safe with, whether that involves continuing on your current medication, transitioning to another, or deprescribing.
Perimenopause & menopause
Hormone therapy
Assessing general wellness and mental health to aid in a gentler transition
Women’s mental health
Anxiety, depression, OCD, bipolar, rage, PMS, PMDD
Evaluation, medication, talk therapy
ADHD evaluation and prescribing that takes into account the unique experiences of girls and women, how the menstrual cycle affects our mood and emotional regulation, and how motherhood can challenge our ability to hold it all together.
We have different lived experiences, hormonal phases, and societal circumstances than men, so it is only fitting that our mental health care be guided by someone who understands how puberty, menstrual cycles, PMS, PMDD, the maternal mental load, and perimenopause/menopause affect our mood and our medications. Women may experience differing efficacy and side effects than men, we may need different doses, and in some circumstances even dosing only during certain parts of the menstrual cycle.
but why a specialist?
Why a women’s mental health specialist?
Because our bodies are significantly different than men’s bodies, even though research has long treated us as just smaller versions of men. Women go through hormonal transitions that are rarely acknowledged as factors in mental health. Pubescent and adolescent girls, women, and mothers have a unique experience, with distinct hormonal shifts, with different societal expectations, variations in mood based on menstrual cycles, and medication efficacy and side effects that differ from men. Tapia brings to The Hive over a decade of experience as a nurse practitioner and enjoys partnering with women to find solutions that fit their lives. She loves to approach things holistically and explore options, so that clients can make decisions with the best information at hand.
Why a perinatal mental health specialist?
Because you deserve someone who understands the intersection of mental health and motherhood. All too often obstetric clinicians lack training in prescribing mental health medications and psychiatric clinicians lack training in how the medications they prescribe interact with pregnancy and postpartum or lactation. Tapia witnessed the impact the lack of crossover between obstetrics, gyn, and mental health had on women’s lives and the families they cared for. She went back for a post-graduate as well as getting certified in perinatal mental health specifically to better serve the pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women of Alaska.
Why would women’s ADHD be different?
Women with ADHD have long been overlooked, underdiagnosed, and undertreated. As with so many other diagnoses, ADHD can look different in women. ADHD can be influenced by women’s menstrual cycles and hormonal transitions, like puberty and perimenopause. For too long, the classic picture of ADHD included symptoms most commonly attributed to young boys, excluding symptoms that we see more commonly in girls and women. Additionally, pregnant and breastfeeding women were often taken off their medications without having discussions about all the risks and benefits. Tapia can help you explore the symptoms you are concerned or wondering about, the factors in your life that may be contributing, and explore solutions that work in the phase of life that you are in.
Why do I need a specialist for hormones?
Most healthcare programs do not cover hormone therapy and many clinicians are uncomfortable with discussing or prescribing hormone therapy or hormone replacement. Tapia has pursued additional training in hormone therapy, so as to better serve Alaskan women journeying into midlife. She prioritizes education, consent, and thorough follow up. You deserve to discuss these changes with someone who will listen, who took the time to learn the intricacies of prescribing hormones, and that is available for the follow up that comes with tailoring your program.