Meet the Instructor:

Rachel L. Dyer, PhD (she/her) is a scholar-clinician working primarily at the intersection of abortion and mental health. An Assistant Professor at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin and mental health therapist with Integrated Counseling, Rachel’s work focuses on how dominant sociocultural narratives impact pregnancy and family-building desires, decisions, and experiences, as well as how mental health and other care providers can better support clients/patients around these experiences. Rachel’s work has appeared in the top academic journals of her field (American Psychologist, Psychology of Women Quarterly), in popular press (Los Angeles Times, ELITE Daily, various podcasts), and in a Brooklyn art gallery. She is also an educator and trainer, regularly providing lectures and training on abortion and mental health for laypersons, college students, graduate students, and mental health professionals. Her current projects include a book chapter on the mental health impacts of abortion stigma and co-writing the American Psychological Association’s first-ever professional practice guidelines on sex and reproduction. From 2021-2023, Rachel was also the Executive Director of Exhale Pro-Voice, a nonprofit organization providing nonjudgmental, research-driven support to people who have had abortions.