Why I Chose a Certificate in Women’s Mental Health
By Shadena Natty – Serving Clients in Pennsylvania and Maryland
Women’s mental health is often misunderstood, underdiagnosed, and under-supported. While mental health affects everyone, women experience unique challenges shaped by hormonal changes, reproductive health, life transitions, trauma, and societal expectations. I chose to complete a certificate in Women’s Mental Health to provide specialized, informed, and compassionate care for women across Pennsylvania and Maryland.
Many mental health conditions—such as ADHD, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, perinatal mood disorders, and serious mental illness—often present differently in women and are frequently minimized or misdiagnosed. This training strengthened my ability to recognize these patterns and provide evidence-based care tailored to each woman’s stage of life and individual needs.
Women with ADHD, for example, are commonly diagnosed in adulthood after years of internalized symptoms like chronic overwhelm, emotional dysregulation, difficulty with focus, anxiety, and self-criticism. Understanding these differences is essential for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.
Women’s mental health is also deeply influenced by trauma, caregiving roles, relationship dynamics, unequal domestic labor, and experiences of intimate partner violence. A trauma-informed approach acknowledges these realities and supports safety, empowerment, and long-term emotional well-being.
This certification also emphasized critical areas such as perinatal mental health, fertility challenges, hormonal and reproductive health conditions like PCOS, eating disorders, sexual well-being, and menopause—each of which can significantly affect emotional health and require sensitive, non-judgmental support.
At Shadena Natty Counseling, I provide specialized women’s mental health counseling informed by advanced training and years of experience working with women across diverse backgrounds and life stages. My goal is to offer empathetic, trauma-informed care that honors the complexity of women’s experiences and supports meaningful healing at every stage of life.
