Ann Diamond Weinstein, Ph.D.
Preconception, Prenatal, & Early Parenting Specialist
Ann Diamond Weinstein’s knowledge, research and experience have provided her with a profound understanding of the importance of the preconception and prenatal environment—both inside and outside of women’s wombs—and the way it shapes children’s development in the prenatal period and over their lifespan.
Dr. Weinstein’s work with women and families spans over three decades. The origins of her current work as a Preconception, Prenatal and Early Parenting Specialist began with her work as a Certified Childbirth Educator for 13 years, and later a Birth Doula. During this time she provided education and support to women and their families through their experiences of pregnancy, birth and the early postnatal period. As an educator and coach Dr. Weinstein focuses on stress management and issues relating to preconception, pregnancy, birth, and early parenting experiences.
While Dr. Weinstein has a doctorate in Clinical Psychology, Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology, and has received training in energy psychology, she is not licensed in the state of California as a psychologist or as any other licensed health care provider and does not provide psychotherapy services.
Dr. Weinstein’s recent book, Prenatal Development and Parents’ Lived Experiences: How Early Events Shape Our Psychophysiology and Relationships, offers knowledge, research and theory about the earliest developmental period—from conception to birth, which holds even greater consequences for the health and development of the human organism than was previously understood.
Doctorate and Research
Dr. Weinstein was inspired to complete a doctorate in Clinical Psychology, Specialty Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology by her interest in understanding how our life experiences impact our transition to parenthood.
Her doctoral dissertation, The Experiences of Women Who Received Reproductive Endocrinology Treatment for Infertility, explores the multidimensional impacts of infertility treatment on the lives of women with and without traumatic stress and/or dissociative symptoms. Dr. Weinstein presented her research at the Association for Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health’s XIV International Congress (2009) and the Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement’s conference, Mothering and Reproduction (2012).
She is deeply grateful to the women who shared their experiences with her. This sharing deepened her compassion for all who face the challenges of the preconception through early parenting period and inspired her to seek out additional training to support her work with women, families and professionals.
Additional Training
Dr. Weinstein received specific training in Strategies to Assist Pregnant Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse in Preparing for Birth, which emphasized the unique needs of women and girls who’ve had these experiences and the kinds of support and environment that can be most helpful during birth and the early postnatal period.
She is also trained in several energy methods based on the newly emerging field of energy psychology. Dr. Weinstein provides self-help tools to assist women, the individuals who support them, and the practitioners who care for them in cultivating nurturing environments that best support children’s healthy development before and after birth. Dr. Weinstein has received Comprehensive Energy Health Practitioner training with the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology, and Tapas Acupressure Technique (TAT) training from TATLife. She also received training in Healing Prenatal and Perinatal Stress Patterns Utilizing Energy Psychology Tools.
In addition, Dr. Weinstein received training in breath practices to support stress reduction in Breath-Body-Mind seminars with Richard Brown, M.D. and Patricia Gerbarg M.D.. She has also trained in mindfulness practices specifically designed for women during the preconception, pregnancy and early parenting period through the Mindful Motherhood Course for Professionals.
Dr. Weinstein also participated in a year-long weekly workshop reviewing and analyzing films of mother-infant interactions with clinical psychologist and researcher Beatrice Beebe, Ph.D.
Additional Education and Certifications
Dr. Weinstein holds a M.S. in Special Education, Specialty Learning Disabilities and a B.A. in Elementary Education. Her experience as a special education teacher with learning disabled children and as a preschool teacher sparked her curiosity about how children’s earliest experiences, before and after birth, shape their development, behavior and relationships.
Dr. Weinstein is permanently certified by the New York State Education Department to teach Health Education, Special Education, and Nursery, Kindergarten and Grades 1-6.
Awards
Association of Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health Research Contribution Award, APPPAH 20th International Congress: December 1, 2017, San Diego, CA.
Earlier Work
Prior to her pursuit of her doctoral degree, Dr. Weinstein was the Development Director of the Parent-Child Home Program, Inc., a national early childhood parenting and literacy program based in Garden City, NY, that provides home visits to families across the country. Earlier, she was the Director of the School Based Health Program at Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn, NY, that provides on-site medical and mental health services to children in New York City Public schools.