DR. AMBER J. PENN, PSYD, HSP, PMH-C
No matter where you are in your family building or parenting journey, I am here to help.
I’m a Louisville-based doctoral-level psychologist, certified perinatal mental health professional, and member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s mental health professional group with over a decade of experience in the mental health field. I am passionate about helping women find strength, confidence, and peace throughout all of the challenges of the reproductive years. I provide therapy and third party reproduction psychological services to individuals residing in Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, and all 40+ PSYPACT participating states.
HOW I WORK
At the core of my approach to therapy is a deeply held belief that we are all capable of living a joy-filled life - sometimes we just need a little help getting there.
I bring to every session a style that is warm, authentic, interactive, and down-to-earth. I will help you develop coping strategies, improve your relationships, increase your confidence, and change the patterns that have been keeping you stuck.
In sessions with me, we will take our work together seriously (but sometimes laugh together too) and you’ll walk away from each session with new insights and tangible strategies for change. Clients say by the end of our work together that they feel more present, joyful, flexible, and connected to the things in their lives that matter most to them.
THERAPY WITH ME IS…
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During our first few sessions together, we will discuss your goals for treatment and collaboratively develop a plan tailored to best fit your needs. Rather than taking a cookie-cutter, “one size fits all” approach, we will use the most effective and current evidence-based and neuroscience informed approaches to help you get relief quickly.
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I believe that an important part of healing is taking an honest look at our lives - even the parts that are tough. In sessions with me, I won’t be afraid to share honest, yet empathetic feedback. We will work together to help you explore without judgement the patterns keeping you stuck.
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Have you tried therapy before, but left the sessions asking yourself why you paid money for a conversation you could have had with a friend for free? Therapy with me is different. Each session is interactive and focused on moving you towards your goals through active participation from me, exploration of your thoughts/feelings/behaviors, and learning practical strategies you can use in your daily life.
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So many of my clients come to me because they feel overwhelmed and stuck. I will help you harness your strengths, break out of patterns no longer serving you, quiet your inner critic, and reconnect with the parts of your life that matter most to you.
more about me
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Master of Arts (MA) in Clinical Psychology from Spalding University in 2016
Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Clinical Psychology from Spalding University in 2019
APA-Accredited predoctoral internship at North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System from 2018-2019
APA-Accredited postdoctoral fellowship at VA Puget Sound, American Lake Division from 2019-2020
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Prior to starting my private practice, I worked for nearly 5 years as a psychologist for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs where I specialized in the treatment of anxiety-related disorders, trauma, and reproductive mental health. I served as the Louisville VA Medical Center's Women's Mental Health Champion and Perinatal Psychologist, where I provided education on reproductive mental health to healthcare providers and hospital leadership, as well as clinical care to female veterans experiencing infertility, pregnancy loss, birth trauma, and depression, anxiety, OCD, and PTSD during pregnancy and postpartum.
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Licensed Psychologist and Health Service Provider in the state of Kentucky - License #263092
Licensed Psychologist in Michigan - License #6301019518
PSYPACT Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT) in PSYPACT participating states - APIT #14892
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A part of what we do in our first session together is decide what treatment approach(es) would be the best fit for you, while always leaving the door open to incorporate other approaches or pivot if needed later on. All of my therapy comes from an interpersonal neurobiology framework, meaning that all of my interventions are rooted in attachment- and brain-based science. I usually integrate a combination of science-backed treatment modalities to best fit my client’s unique needs.
Here are a list of treatment modalities that I frequently incorporate into my work:
Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)
Internal Family Systems (IFS) & Ego-State Approaches (“parts work”)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) & Mindful Self Compassion (MSC)
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD
Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT) for OCD
Eye Movement and Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR)
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Certified in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C) through Postpartum Support International (PSI)
Certified in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) (an evidence-based treatment modality for trauma-related distress) through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Level B Certification in Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Reproductive Mental Health (IPT-RMH) through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the IPT Institute
Certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), with specialized training in the application of this treatment to perinatal trauma through the Touchstone Institute
Currently an EMDRIA approved EMDR consultant-in-training (CIT) under the mentorship of Dr. Mara Stein of the Touchstone Institute
Trained in Ego-State Approaches for Perinatal Mental Health through The Touchstone Institute
Trained in Perinatal OCD through the OCD Training School
Trained in Inference-Based Cognitive Behavior Therapy (I-CBT) through the OCD Training School
Trained in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for anxiety disorders and OCD through The Knowledge Tree
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Adjunct faculty and clinical supervisor in Spalding University’s Graduate School of Professional Psychology
Organizational workshop facilitator on topics such as reproductive mental health, communication skills training, trauma-informed healthcare, health behavior change, and employee burnout
Approved supervisor for psychology doctoral students, interns, postdoctoral fellows, and licensed psychological associates (LPAs) in Kentucky
Current member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s (ASRM) Mental Health Professional Group (MHPG)
Previous member of the board of directors for the KY Chapter of Postpartum Support International (PSI), as well as their advocacy and education/training subcommittees (2023-2025)
Previous committee member of Mind the Gap Kentucky, an advocacy organization committed to improving access to and quality of perinatal mental health care in Kentucky (2023-2025)
WHERE I CAN HELP
Virtual services available to over 40 U.S. states/territories
I am able to see clients virtually for services as long as they reside in Kentucky or a PSYPACT participating state. To see the full list of PSYPACT participating states, please click here for an updated PSYPACT map.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Health Service Provider in Kentucky - #263092
Licensed Psychologist in Michigan - #6301019518
PSYPACT Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT) - #14892