about Dr. Amanda Medrano
Hi, I'm Amanda, a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in fertility challenges, pregnancy loss, postpartum mental health, and the transition to parenthood.
As both a mother who has personally navigated some of these challenges and a psychologist who has supported many others through them, I recognize how differently these experiences can unfold from what we imagined. What I find especially meaningful about this work is helping people make sense of what they're going through, including the questions these experiences can raise about who they are, their relationships, and the lives they envisioned.
My approach to therapy considers not only what you're experiencing in the present, but also how your life experiences, relationships, and cultural influences shape the way you understand and respond to your circumstances. I bring curiosity, compassion, and an appreciation for the complexity of each person's experience to this process.
Together, we can explore these connections so you can begin to feel less weighed down by what you're experiencing and find a greater sense of balance and connection in your life.
my therapeutic approach
There are certain experiences we spend years anticipating, like building a family, becoming pregnant, or settling into parenthood. We naturally form expectations about how these experiences will feel and what they'll mean for our lives. When reality looks different from what we imagined, it can be difficult to make sense of the emotions and questions that arise.
My approach is collaborative, attachment-focused, family systems-informed, and trauma-responsive.
In everyday terms, that means I don't look at your emotions or challenges as though they exist in isolation. Our histories, relationships, and beliefs influence how we respond to stress, relate to others, and understand ourselves, particularly during major life transitions.
In our work together, we'll look at what you're experiencing now while also making space to understand the larger context of your life.
Depending on your needs, that might include:
Understanding your emotional responses: Exploring what contributes to feelings of anxiety, grief, resentment, overwhelm, or disconnection and finding ways to respond with greater awareness and care.
Processing difficult or traumatic experiences: Making space for pregnancy loss, reproductive trauma, birth experiences, or other events that may continue to affect how you feel and navigate your present circumstances.
Exploring your relationships: Looking at patterns in communication, emotional connection, boundaries, and how you and the people close to you respond to stress or change.
Reconnecting with your sense of self: Understanding how fertility challenges, pregnancy, loss, and motherhood may have affected your identity, self-trust, needs, and priorities.
Navigating uncertainty and decisions: Exploring complicated feelings and difficult choices when life isn't unfolding as you hoped or expected.
Therapy is an opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of yourself, recognize patterns, and make meaningful changes in how you feel, relate to others, and navigate everyday life.
Experience that informs how I understand and support you.
For more than a decade, I've worked with individuals and families navigating trauma, loss, and significant life transitions. My experience spans hospital and integrated healthcare settings, including work with those navigating high-risk pregnancies, difficult birth experiences, medical emergencies, and unexpected health challenges.
This background has given me a deeper understanding of how medical experiences, emotional well-being, and family relationships influence one another. It allows me to bring specialized clinical knowledge and a broader perspective to our work, particularly when you're navigating circumstances that feel complex or difficult to make sense of.
Education & Specialized Training
Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (PsyD), California School of Professional Psychology, San Francisco
Advanced training in perinatal, infant, and early childhood mental health through the UCSF Infant-Parent Program
Specialized family therapy training through UCSF's Intensive Family Therapy Reflecting Team training
Teaching & Professional Involvement
I serve as a Volunteer Clinical Professor with the UCSF Department of Psychiatry, where I provide training and supervision to psychiatry fellows.
I also provide professional training and consultation focused on attachment, trauma, and relational approaches to care.
California Licensed Psychologist | PSY26669
Getting Started
Finding the right therapist is a personal decision, and feeling comfortable with the person you choose matters.
I offer a free 15-minute consultation to learn more about what brings you to therapy, discuss what you're hoping for, and explore whether working together would be a good fit.