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Autoimmune Mental Health
A unique resource for patients, caregivers, and clinicians navigating the intersection of the immune system and the mind.
Autoimmune Mental Health was created to fill a critical gap in care: the need for clear, compassionate, evidence-informed guidance for people who are experiencing changes in their immune system which can affect their mental health. For many, symptoms fall between specialties. Patients and caregivers feel confused or unseen. Clinicians want reliable resources that integrate emerging scientific understanding with practical, whole-person care. We built this space to bring those worlds together.
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A Growing Field, A Human Need
Autoimmune and immune related mental health conditions—such as multiple sclerosis, lupus, Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, Still's disease, autoimmune hepatitis and type 1 diabetes, and inflammatory-driven mood or cognitive changes—are increasingly recognized by researchers and clinicians. Yet for patients and families, information can be fragmented, overwhelming, or hard to interpret without clinical context. Autoimmune Mental Health aims to bridge that divide by offering:
  • Accessible education to help patients and caregivers understand symptoms, testing, and treatment options
  • Clinically grounded insights reflecting the latest research and multidisciplinary perspectives
  • Supportive guidance to help individuals feel heard, validated, and better equipped to advocate for their care
  • Resources for clinicians seeking to expand their understanding of immune-mediated psychiatric presentations
  • A compassionate, stigma free environment where complex symptoms are taken seriously
Where Care and Science Meet
Our approach combines the clarity of patient friendly education with the rigor of clinical expertise. We believe that true healing requires both:
Understanding
Clear explanations that demystify complex conditions
Validation
Recognizing lived experience and acknowledging the emotional toll
Collaboration
Encouraging communication between patients, families, and clinicians
Compassion
Seeing the whole person, not just a diagnosis

Autoimmune Mental Health is built on the conviction that no one should navigate this alone—not patients, not caregivers, and not clinicians facing challenging diagnostic puzzles.
Meet Nicoletta Skoufalos, PhD
NICOLETTA SKOUFALOS, PHD, is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice in New York City where she works with adults and couples. Dr. Skoufalos received her PhD from Fordham University and trained in multiple New York City hospitals and institutions where she had opportunities to work with patients who had various medical conditions. She currently specializes in working with people who live with chronic medical illnesses, primarily autoimmune diseases and gynecological conditions.
After receiving her license, Dr. Skoufalos began giving talks on the topic of the experience of living with chronic illness and has also had the privilege of participating in speaking engagements, including webinars with the Northeast Division of the Lupus Foundation of America. She has also been interviewed and quoted by various magazines and organizations, such as Women’s Health, Health Central, Well Good, Diabetes Forecast, Forbes, the Lupus Foundation of America, Chronic Curve, and others on health and wellness concerns.
Dr. Skoufalos lives with three autoimmune diseases herself and is an active advocate for those living with autoimmune disease. She participates in annual walks to raise money for lupus awareness and for many years has also maintained a blog about the experience of living with chronic illness.
Mission and Vision Statements
Our mission is to improve the lives of people affected by autoimmune-related life stressors by providing clear, compassionate, and evidence-informed resources.
We empower patients and caregivers with accessible education, support clinicians with practical clinical insights, and foster a collaborative environment where science and empathy work together. Through validation, knowledge, and community, we help ensure that no one looking for support with navigating the many emotional hardships that come with living with an autoimmune disease feels overlooked, misunderstood, or alone.
We envision a world where every individual experiencing autoimmune illness receives timely recognition, compassionate care, and coordinated support.
Autoimmune Mental Health strives to be the leading trusted resource at the intersection of immunology and mental health—bridging gaps between disciplines, reducing stigma, and bringing clarity to complex conditions. Our vision is a future in which patients, caregivers, and clinicians are equipped with the understanding and tools needed to promote healing, resilience, and whole-person well being.

Whether you are a patient seeking answers, a caregiver searching for clarity, or a clinician navigating evolving evidence, this resource is here to guide, support, and uplift you.