With over thirty years of experience in the field, Donna is an expert in reproductive mental health. She is available for speaking engagements on a variety of topics within women's mental health, with a specific interest and expertise in the perinatal period and menopause. She is committed to reimagining women's physical and mental healthcare and supporting equity and inclusion efforts in the workplace.
See below for some of the recent projects she has had the opportunity to take part in. Please be in touch with a brief description and timeline of the event or project you are working on. Payment rates are negotiable depending on the scope of the project.
NYU Work Life with The Wrinkle Project (Workshop)
Circling the Drain (Podcast)
Bossa Bar (Insta live)
At 52, Donna was diagnosed with estrogen-positive breast cancer. The surgeries that followed launched her into menopause and she began to drown in symptoms—hot flashes, exhaustion, irritability, brain fog, and heart palpitations. She was disheartened that even her gynecological oncologist failed to offer any medical guidance around medically or surgically induced menopause. But Donna knew that she needed help and she knew how to get it. She assembled a support system to address her physical, psychological, and emotional needs. In the process, she grew increasingly aware of how important—and how uncommon—such support is for women, regardless of how they enter menopause.
Envisioning a world in which menopause is broadly understood and comprehensive care is standard, Donna co-founded Let's Talk Menopause (LTM). LTM is a nonprofit invested in changing the conversation around menopause so women get the information they need and the healthcare they deserve. Please visit LTM's website to learn more about common menopausal symptoms, to access current offerings, or to find a provider.
Brooklyn Counseling provides therapy for women through every stage of life, specializing in reproductive mental health. Donna Klassen is the owner and primary therapist at Brooklyn Counseling. Donna is a graduate of The NYU Silver School of Social Work and a licensed clinical social worker with more than 30 years of experience. Her areas of practice include trauma, infertility, perinatal loss, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, and menopause. Donna is trained in evidence-based therapies including CBT, DBT and ACT.
Before starting Let's Talk Menopause, Donna served as admissions and clinical director at The Motherhood Center of New York, a treatment center for new and expecting mothers. She has also held supervisory roles at SUNY Stony Brook, the Jewish Board of Children and Family Services, and Safespace. Whether working with families after 9/11, teenagers struggling with self-esteem, women navigating infertility, the perinatal period, or menopause, I feel lucky to have the opportunity to work with amazing individuals at crossroads in their lives.
