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Patrece Hairston Peetz, PsyD
Co-Founder,
Executive Director
Kristin Aaker
Co-Founder,
Director of Operations
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Adrianne Sloan, PhD
Health Psychologist
Emely Romero, LCSW, CLC, PMH-C
Bilingual Mental Health Facilitator
Kristin's professional experience spans education, community development, and nonprofit leadership.
Kristin collaborates with stakeholders, healthcare providers, and families across the state to ensure that every family has access to the necessary support and resources for mental health and wellness during the perinatal period and beyond.
Kristin lives in Denver with her husband and two children and enjoys running, cooking, baking, and being with her family and friends.
Patrece is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist whose professional background spans public policy, non-profit and community engagement, integrated primary care, philanthropy, academia, and community health. She holds various leadership roles within the perinatal mental health space including as founder of the Colorado Chapter of the Perinatal Mental Health Professionals of Color Alliance
Patrece is passionate about providing support, clinical tools, and increasing access to emotional wellness services to mothers and birthing people.
​Patrece is also a mom of two and also an aspiring urban homesteader who loves long walks, spending time with family and friends, true crime podcasts, reading before bed, listening to her kid's, massages, and any kind of activity that regulates her nervous system.
Adrianne is a licensed clinical health psychologist with over 20 years of experience in a variety of settings supporting people struggling with cancer, chronic health conditions and she specializes in nutrition and mental health, and in the treatment of sleep disorders and insomnia through the use of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I).
Adrianne believes that mental health is not as simple as examining our thoughts and emotions, but is quite complex, and involves how and what we eat and the nutrients we provide our bodies, and also the state of our microbiome, how and what we do with our bodies (movement), time outside and exposure to nature and sunlight, and our spiritual well-being/connecting to source.
Adrianne is a mom of three and she loves to travel, socialize with friends and family, and maintain an active lifestyle.
Emely Romero is an English and Spanish speaking Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with a Perinatal Mental Health Certification (PMH-C) through Postpartum Support International and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).
As a first generation Mexican American, Emely is passionate about supporting the individuals within her community and providing culturally responsive care.
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Emely is a mom of two and enjoys watching anime, weight lifting, and reading.
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Tatiana Turo-Handy, PsyD
Psychologist/ Bilingual Mental Health Facilitator
Melissa Adams, LPC, PMH-C
Birth Squad
Program Director
Kisori Thomas, MA
Birth Squad
Prenatal Program Associate
Ana Perez, LCSW
Bilingual Mental Health Facilitator
Leslie Caballero
Bilingual Peer Mental Health Specialist
Coming Soon!
2026
Tatiana is an English and Spanish speaking licensed clinical psychologist who has supported birthers both during and after their perinatal period to work through a range of issues including anxiety, depression, and a wide range of other symptoms.
Tatiana wants to decrease stigma and promote the importance of perinatal mental health support because she believes quality support can be life-changing.
Tatiana is a mom of two and loves spending time with her family, hiking, camping, and planning activities to do with her kids.
Melissa is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Perinatal Mental Health Certified (PMH-C) therapist serving as Program Director of The Birth Squad/Colorado Perinatal Mental Health Project.
She is passionate about expanding mental health support to underserved families across Colorado.
What I love most about this work is empowering pregnant and postpartum folks—especially those in underserved communities—to access the care and support they deserve during one of life’s most vulnerable and transformative times.
Coming Soon!
Leslie is currently completing a B.A. in psychology and has nearly a decade of experience in healthcare as a Certified Nursing Assistant and she has also spent the last couple of years exploring the world of Early Childhood Education as an afterschool provider.
Leslie's mission is to support mothers like herself, especially those with access to fewer resources, to overcome the many barriers that come with parenthood and navigating structural inequality.
Leslie is a mom that loves spending time with her son and family and she has a passion for photography, art, and the outdoors.
Kisori (pronounced key-SHORE-ree) grew up in Colorado and holds a master’s degree in Psychology, with experience in research administration. She is a certified childbirth educator, community birth doula, and Child Passenger Safety Technician, and currently working toward her Lactation Educator certification.
After becoming a mom to two amazing children (ages 3 and 5) she developed a deep passion for maternal and child health and reproductive justice.
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What she enjoys most about working with pregnant and postpartum individuals and families is providing evidence-based education that supports informed decision-making and compassionate care that honors an individual’s intuition.
Ana is an English and Spanish speaking Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Colorado. Her background is in providing trauma informed mental health services to the immigrant and refugee communities. She specializes in supporting individuals as they navigate medical related stressors.
As a first generation Mexican-American, she is passionate about supporting people of color in their journeys across life. She came to join the Birth Squad through her own experience and participation in the pilot prenatal classes with her first pregnancy. Through the support of the prenatal classes, she gained the validation and guidance needed to navigate what felt like one of the scariest moments of her life.
Since becoming a mother many of her priorities have shifted but one thing that remains is her passion for supporting others through their different journeys in life and she is so excited to now have the opportunity to do that alongside The Birth Squad.
Natalie Mohan
Board Chair
Laurel Hicks, PhD, LCSW, PMH-C
Board Member
Jennifer Harned Adams
Board Secretary
Chelsea Walker Mao
Board Member
Natalie Mohan is a licensed clinical psychologist who has worked in community mental health, pediatric primary care, private practice, and schools supporting children and families.
After completing a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in infant and early childhood mental health and working in a pediatrician’s office providing support to caregivers beginning at their baby’s newborn visit, Natalie felt naively well-equipped with knowledge. Then she began her own parenting journey in 2018 with the birth of her son—and quickly realized that no amount of schooling truly prepares anyone for the enormous life shift of becoming a parent. Humbled and grateful for the “village” that carried her, she found her passion reinvigorated: ensuring all birthers and caregivers have access to support through peers, professionals, and the reassurance that they are not alone.
Natalie is thankful for the work of the Perinatal Mental Health Project and is honored to serve on the board. She loves going to the park with her now-5- and 7-year-olds, snuggling with her dog, and has a secret mission to learn how to do "the shuffle" dance with her partner. Shhh...don't tell!
Coming Soon!
Laurel Hicks is a Research Scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder in the Renée Crown Wellness Institute focusing on perinatal mental health and is founder of the Emotion Alchemy Collective, a holistic therapy practice in Colorado. She has worked with people in the perinatal period for over 20 years, first as a prenatal yoga teacher and labor doula and later a therapist and researcher.
With a background mindfulness, yoga, psychotherapy, somatics, and integrative approaches to healing, Laurel is passionate about supporting parents through the profound transitions of pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood. She was drawn to serve on the Colorado Perinatal Mental Health Project Board to help strengthen systems of care and ensure that all families have access to compassionate, evidence-based support during this tender time.
Outside of her professional work, Laurel loves creating ceramics inspired by nature, spending time in the mountains with her family and friends and cultivating beauty and connection in all she does.
Coming Soon!