Meet Our Contributors

Medical Experts

Dr. Lora Shahine, joined Pacific NW Fertility after completing her fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Stanford University. During her time at Stanford, Dr. Shahine served as a Clinical Instructor in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, contributed several research publications in women’s health and infertility, and trained in one of the few Centers for Recurrent Pregnancy Loss in the United States.

Dr. Lorna Marshall, has been a practicing specialist in Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility in the Seattle community for over 25 years. She is currently serving as Medical Director of Pacific NW Fertility, which she co-founded. She is also a Clinical Professor in Obstetrics & Gynecology at University of Washington Medical School.

Dr. Lilla DiFlorio is a naturopathic doctor who specializes in fertility. Her own experience with pregnancy loss inspires her work and fuels her search to find the cause of sub-fertility. She earned her Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University and she is based in Seattle and Los Angeles.

Tamara Tobias is a Certified Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner who has been offering care in reproductive medicine since 1997. Tamara battled her own infertility for eight years and recently published Fertility Walk: A Fertility Nurse’s Guide Along Your Journey.

Mental Health Experts

Dr. Lina Kaplan is a licensed psychologist in Los Angeles with over 20 years of diverse clinical experience. She specializes in working with the emotional aspects of infertility and perinatal losses with an emphasis on mind-body integration.

Kim Kluger-Bell is a licensed marriage and family therapist. She consults with major fertility clinics nationwide and provides counseling and assessments for egg donors, gestational carriers and patients using these procedures. She is the author of Unspeakable Losses: Healing from Miscarriage, Infertility and Abortion, as well as a series of books for donor conceived children entitled The Pea That Was Me and a surrogacy series called The Very Kind Koala.

Joanna Flemons is the owner of Highlands Ranch Counseling and Coaching and has been in the field since 1998. She is a Licensed Psychotherapist and Social Worker specializing in infertility counseling.

Judith Becerra is a Licensed Professional Counselor with over 25 years experience in grief and loss, infertility, trauma, mood disorders and adoption. She is the supervisor of Counseling Department at Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine in Lone Tree, Colorado. Judy has written numerous articles on mental health issues and has been a national speaker on grief and loss.

Ivy Margulies, Psy.D. is a clinical psychologist, death midwife (aka bereavement doula), reiki healer, shaman and funeral director. In addition to her private practice, Dr. Margulies has founded Angels Born Still, specifically focused on reproductive and maternal mental health. She specializes in infertility and pregnancy loss which can include selective termination, abortion, miscarriage, stillbirth and infant death.

Lindsey Henke is the founder and Executive Director of Pregnancy After Loss Support. She is also a writer, clinical social worker, wife and mother of three children. You can find Lindsey writing about her personal journey through grief at her blog Still Breathing.

Acupuncture and Nutrition Experts

Laurie Binder, Doctor of Acupuncture, uses Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and her extensive background in Western medicine to provide the highest standard of health enhancement. Her wealth of experience over the last 20 years range from a labor and delivery nursing to OB/GYN nurse practitioner specializing in women’s health and fertility. Her acupuncture practice specializes in fertility, women’s health, pregnancy and pain management.

Judy Simon is a registered dietitian nutritionist who provides medical nutrition therapy in Bellevue, Washington. Her private practice, Mind Body Nutrition, specializes in reproductive nutrition. Simon often lectures at the University of Washington Nutritional Science department.

Danica Thornberry is a molecular biologist – turned acupuncturist and author of Stick It to Me, Baby!~ Inserting Spirit Into the Science of Infertility. After successfully applying her gifts to her own infertility to overcome Premature Ovarian Failure and Endometriosis, she now teaches women around the world how to heal infertility using the methodology laid out in her online course, The Seed Fertility Program.

Surrogacy Experts

Deb Levy serves as the Director of Surrogacy for ConceiveAbilities. Deb is a parent via gestational surrogacy, a former IVF patient, Licensed Counselor and Marriage and Family Counselor. She has published research and spoken widely on third party reproduction and served on various committees within the Mental Health Professionals Group of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

Melissa Brisman is an attorney and owner of Reproductive Possibilities, LLC, an agency that facilitates gestational carrier arrangements and Surrogate Fund Management. She first started helping couples become parents via gestational carriers in 1996. She was her own first client, she and her husband are the parents of three children carried by gestational carriers.