Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Joanna Greenbaum. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Joanna, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

The biggest risk I’ve taken was following a gut feeling. I went to graduate school in my 30s to become a therapist which in and of itself was a leap. During clinical training I was pulled to follow an ache in my stomach that was leading me down a less common path. I didn’t know if the ache was nerves, anxiety, or me realizing I was about to face my fears. In hindsight it was all of the above.

This gut feeling was telling me to speak up and use my voice in my professional work. Previously I was always a hard worker but was more comfortable behind-the-scenes keeping the peace among everyone. I wasn’t used to using my voice. But here I was for the first time in my life admitting I had a lot to say. My big ah-ha moment was realizing I wanted to specialize in menstrual health and its impact on mental health. For the record, this isn’t really a thing therapists specialize in. In all of graduate school no one mentioned menstruation once. How was this possible? On my own personal mental health journey, tracking my cycle helped me uncover so much about myself. It allowed me validate my emotions and take care of myself in much more effective ways. This left me energized to speak up and ask, “Why were periods not being clinically discussed?”

The risk here was two-fold. First, no one is a “period therapist.” Menstruation is rarely academically discussed and as a clinical speciality could be seen as a fad or possibly a topic that belongs in a doctor’s office not a therapy room. The second risk was marketing. The word menstruation alone is very taboo, it has so many euphemisms that enable people to be more comfort self identifying with it in public: “time of the month”, “lady flu”, “a visit from aunt flo” — from a marketing perspective how could I talk about a topic when the word alone garners so much discomfort?

So far though the risks have been worth it. I am using my voice to speak the unspoken and it feels liberating. Not only for me but for those listening and joining me in conversation.

I had a professor say to me, “This career requires a lot of faith” which may sound passive but resonated for me that you have to trust the process, get comfortable with the uncomfortable, and settle in for the long haul.

Joanna, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT 129002, Supervised by Dr. Justin Shubert, PSY 23766) working with adults and couples in private practice. I support people working through anxiety, depression, processing difficult emotions, and wanting to move forward on their path towards living a more authentic, intentional life. While I work with all genders, I specialize in working with women who want to feel more empowered and comfortable in their current life stage.

In addition to my clinical work, I provide education on the menstrual cycle and mental health. I run an instagram account @inflowwithjo, teach workshops, and train therapists on the how to clinical understand menstruation. This upcoming year I will be releasing an education journal for individuals to learn about their cycle and its connection to mental health. This will be my first product offering as part of my initiative to empower menstruators to build a stronger connection to their mind and body.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

In my field the biggest thing you can do for the work is to be yourself. The more you can be authentic and genuine, the more you can show up in the room with clients. This is something that can’t necessarily be trained. For some it comes easily, for others it takes time.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

That suffering is required for growth. Although this is true sometimes, it isn’t true all the time. Sometimes growth is slowing down, resting, celebrating yourself, saying no to something, or having something serendipitously fall in your lap and not be afraid to say yes and run with it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.joannagreenbaum.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inflowwithjo/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-greenbaum-0a445b13/

Image Credits
Portrait Photography: Mikaela Hamilton Inflowwithjo Instagram Artwork: Joanna Greenbaum