Welcome! I’m Joanna, a licensed clinical psychologist (PSY35213) specializing in women’s health and behavioral medicine. I’m deeply passionate about supporting women with problems that affect their physical and mental health, and I specialize in insomnia, eating disorders, trauma/PTSD, chronic pain and illnesses, and challenges related to pregnancy and postpartum. These concerns can take a toll on every aspect of our lives, but you don’t have to battle them alone. Together, we can create a collaborative and safe space to understand your story, find ways to get out of unhelpful cycles, and expand your toolkit to better cope with challenges that come with life. 

After completing my bachelor’s degree at UC San Diego, I dedicated my research and clinical training to understanding and treating eating disorders and earned my master’s degree and PhD in clinical psychology at Drexel University. I completed my internship and fellowship at the UC San Diego/VA San Diego Consortium, during which I pursued further specialization in sleep, trauma, and reproductive mental health. Before joining Palmetto, I worked as a women’s health psychologist at VA San Diego, where I found my passion in supporting women with a wide range of concerns such as depression, anxiety, insomnia, sexual trauma, perinatal trauma and losses, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and adjustment to major life transitions.

My therapy approach is collaborative and client-centered, with consideration of how cultural factors and systemic pressures impact our physical and mental wellbeing. I draw from evidence-based treatments, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), cognitive processing therapy (CPT), and prolonged exposure (PE). I believe the purpose of therapy is to both gain a better understanding of your challenges during each session and turn insight into action in order to make lasting changes in your life. My hope is to help you become your own therapist over the course of our work together, and maintain the gains from therapy long after therapy ends.