Jessica Latin, Co-Chairman
As a licensed professional counselor specializing in perinatal mental health, she brings a wealth of expertise to support individuals navigating the challenges of parenthood. Her personal journey as a mother of two and a devoted spouse amplifies her compassionate approach, stemming from her own experience as a survivor of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and perinatal loss. Moreover, her dedication extends beyond her counseling private practice. As a co-facilitator for PSI’s Birth Trauma Peer Support group, specifically catering to BIPOC birthing individuals, she plays a pivotal role in fostering a safe space for support, empathy, and healing within this community. Her commitment to advocating for mental health within the perinatal period reflects her passion for empowering others through shared experiences and professional guidance.
Courtney Malveaux, Co-Chairman
Courtney H. Malveaux is a graduate of Nicholls State University, affectionately known as “Harvard on the Bayou” where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor and Certified Perinatal Mental Health Professional in the State of Louisiana. She specializes in perinatal mental health and provides supervision for individuals seeking licensure. After working in community mental health servicing children and families for 9 years, she decided to embark on the journey of private practice establishing The Balanced Mama Counseling Services for the past two years. She is passionate about helping as many mothers/birthing persons struggling to make sense of the transition of parenthood. Though her passion is helping mothers name feelings and increase self-awareness in the postpartum period, she is a wife and mother of two beautiful babies. She is elated to join PSI-Louisiana Board serving as the Co-Chair to help further accessibility and educate the community on maternal/perinatal mental health.
Bess Hart, LCSW-BACS
Bess Hart, Vice-Chair
Bess is a reproductive mental health specialist who has been working with PSI for 10 years. She has a passion to see new moms and families thriving. She has worked as a social worker for 15 years and has specialized training in reproductive health, grief, perinatal mood & anxiety disorders, and as a doula. She lives and works in New Orleans with her 3 kids.
Laura Stryjewski, Co-Liason
I bring years of clinical experience to my private practice having worked closely with individuals and their families on anxiety, depression, classroom behavior, suicidal ideation, self-harm, withdrawal, ADD/ADHD, restorative justice, LGBTQ+, college application process, career exploration, standardized test preparation, academic portfolio development, and a host of other issues.
As a survivor of hyperemesis, a rare disorder characterized by severe and persistent nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, I am committed to supporting female identifying individuals and their families as they navigate through the challenging perinatal phase of life. I am a board member of the Louisiana Chapter of Postpartum Support International, and I dedicate a substantial amount of my time to advocacy work in the field of women’s health. I am also current on research and best practices as it relates to reproductive mental health.
Katie Croft, Co-Liason
Katie is a former School Psychologist, and current mom of three. She is currently volunteering with PSI as a Peer Mentor in addition to her role as Co-Liaison for the Louisiana PSI chapter. Katie is passionate about helping connect mothers with resources that will support them through the postpartum period, and is working towards her postpartum doula certification.
Jackie Ball, Co-Secretary
Dr. Jackie Ball is a licensed psychologist who specializes in the treatment of trauma-related disorders, depression, anxiety, emotion regulation difficulties, and associated symptoms. Dr. Ball received her graduate training at Louisiana Tech University and completed her predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the New Orleans VA hospital. She currently sees patients for outpatient psychotherapy in both individual and group formats in the Ochsner Health System at both the main campus and Baptist locations.
Additionally, after becoming a mother of two boys, she developed a strong interest and training in treating Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders, as well as traumatic birth and perinatal loss. She is a member of Postpartum Support International and certified in Perinatal Mental Health by this organization.
Dr. Victoria Williams, Co-Secretary
Dr.Victoria Williams has had a lasting beneficial impact on the globe, and she has no intentions to stop anytime soon. She serves on the board of the local Postpartum Support International (PSI) chapter, Louisiana Community Health Outreach Network (LACHON), and Louisiana Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review (LaPAMR). Furthermore, Victoria is working tirelessly on initiatives to improve birth outcomes for Louisiana residents: she is on pace to release exceptional birth outcome results for families across the state through training programs, establishing community support, and providing support services.
A passionate wife and a mother of three girls, Dr. Williams holds a doctorate in Healthcare Administration and is a Licensed Master Social Worker, Doula, Maternal Child Health Consultant, Perinatal Community Health Worker, and advocacy/Outreach Lead. She has an extensive background in each of these fields. She thoroughly enjoys supporting, guiding, and enriching the lives of families within the community so they can live prosperously during such transformational times.
Joy Couvillion Louis, Treasurer
Since 2000, Joy Couvillion Louis has been working in the Louisiana community serving children, families, and adults in a multitude of clinical settings as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. After graduating with her MSW from Tulane University School of Social Work, Mrs. Louis also completed a Fellowship in Infant Mental Health from Tulane University. She also has a certification in perinatal mental health via Postpartum Support International. Mrs. Louis has a private practice, Joyful Thoughts LLC., which includes therapeutic services with individuals, children and families as well as clinical supervision. Her clinical interests include postpartum/ perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, combined somatic and cognitive therapy in the form of Advanced Integrative Therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, infant mental health, and mindfulness.
Dawn V. Collins, Alliance Representative
Dawn V. Collins is a Wife, Mother and Doula. She is a native of California where she met her husband, Terryl L. Collins who is a proud retiree of the United States Air Force. They have three brilliant, beautiful adult daughters. The Collins Clan has made Louisiana home.
Dawn is the Founder of Birth Matters b/c Family Matters LLC, which was established to provide nonjudgmental, perinatal support through advocacy, compassionate care, education, and evidence-based information. She supports and advocates for clients and community.
Dawn believes establishing reliable interprofessional relationships is essential to sustainable change for the well-being of our communities, parishes, regions, and state.
In addition to her primary job function as CEO and Doula of Birth Matters b/c Family Matters LLC she is a Louisiana Healthy Birth Ambassador (HBA), a Pregnancy and Infant Loss (P.A.I.L.) Advocate, a Louisiana Count The Kicks Ambassador, the first Chairperson of the Inaugural Louisiana Doula Registry Board, a member of the Geaux Far Louisiana Steering Committee, the Louisiana Breastfeeding Coalition (LBC) Secretary, an Evidence Based Birth® (EBB) Instructor, the Postpartum Support International Louisiana Chapter (La-PSI) Board Alliance Representative and a member of the Louisiana Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review (La-PAMR) Committee.
It brings Dawn great joy to witness the process of education, and empowerment of families during one of the most vulnerable seasons in life.
Whitney Storey, Advocacy Lead
Whitney (she/her) is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) whose passions and clinical practice revolve around the concepts of authenticity and acceptance. A passionate learner and educator with a background in psychology, counseling, and the arts, Whitney has a knack for communicating information in a way that holds attention, connects research to everyday life, and reaches folks from a variety of backgrounds and in a variety of settings. She has a deep love for people that leads her to help them live more authentic value-driven lives in order to reach their full potential.
Whitney’s specialty areas in practice are in perinatal mental health, neurodivergence, and identity. An Autistic mother of at least one neurodivergent child (the jury’s still out on the second), Whitney finds herself naturally drawn to womxn who consider themselves to be a little bit weird. Additionally, she has over a decade of experience in working with incarcerated parents. Whitney has been an advocate for pregnant incarcerated people and their children in the local jail system, working as both a criminal justice counselor and also as a prison doula. Whitney has a way of helping marginalized and forgotten parents find their own place of freedom, flexibility, and healing.
Outside of work and parenting her own kids, Whitney is the partner of a musician husband, a lover of nature and science, and cares for her two dogs and an assortment of the weirdest plants and creatures (including carnivorous plants, a Brazilian pygmy short-tailed opossum, and a jumping spider).
Samantha Rauber, Outreach Coordinator
Samantha Rauber, LPC-S, NCC, PMH-C is in private practice and is also the founder of Baton Rouge Perinatal Counseling, a network of perinatal mental health specialists serving Louisiana. Sam is passionate about the treatment of perinatal women and their families, providing advocacy, training, education, and supervision in the field.She serves as the outreach coordinator for the PSI-LA Board.
Ashley Sabido Magee, Social Media Chair
Ashley is the owner of Re:birth Counseling, LLC, in Metairie, Louisiana, where she also works as a perinatal mental health counselor. She has her Perinatal Mental Health Certification from Postpartum Support International and works with birthing people to address mental health issues starting from conception to postpartum mood and anxiety disorders. She is passionate about her work and her clients, and has a special interest in helping people who have experienced pregnancy loss, those experiencing postpartum anxiety and/or depression, as well as assisting clients into the often difficult transition into new parenthood. Ashley is also an advocate outside of her professional work for women’s reproductive health.
In her free time, Ashley enjoys reading, traveling with her husband, hiking, playing with her Blue Heeler, Penny, and is looking forward to becoming a first time mom in winter of 2024.
Maria Klaffky, At-Large
Maria lives in New Orleans with her husband and two little girls. She works as a PLPC at Re-Birth Counseling LLC specializing in perinatal mental health and as a yoga instructor at FireFlow Yoga Studio.
