My Story

Amanda (Mandy) knew she was passionate about pregnancy from a young age. A bit of a nerd in high school, she would go to the library and check out all the books she could find about pregnancy (and gave her mother a heart attack when she found them in the closet and had to ask, "Mandy, is there something you need to tell me??"). After working in Labor and Delivery as a nurse, she was quickly disappointed with some of the care she witnessed. She went back to school at University of Illinois at Chicago and began working as a Certified Nurse Midwife in Rockford, Illinois in 2012.

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It was during this time that Mandy encountered the glaring gap in mental health support for her patients, propelling her back into academia. In 2020, she emerged as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, driven by a desire to integrate her expertise in both Midwifery and Psychiatry. Acquiring additional certification in Perinatal Mental Health, Mandy founded the Dahlia Center, with a mission to enhance outcomes for her patients and their families.

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Mandy champions a collaborative, trauma-informed, patient-centered approach to care, drawing on her intimate understanding of pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum experiences. With specialized training in perinatal mental health and a Fellowship in Reproductive and Integrative Psychiatry, she offers a comprehensive treatment model encompassing natural and holistic interventions alongside medication.

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When she's not immersed in her professional endeavors, Mandy finds solace in the company of her supportive husband and spirited 4-year-old on their farmette. Their bustling homestead is home to an array of animals, including a horse, miniature donkey, lambs, ducks, chickens, two dogs, and two cats.