Introducing... Virginia Bresnahan Graves, RNcMS

As a Nurse Practitioner, Virginia Graves has been committed to providing health care to adolescent girls that integrates contemporary theories of young women.

Combined with nursing and medical research Ms. Graves applies those theories to create interventions to meet the unique health needs of young women.

This work will be continued at DoubleSunrise as Virginia "takes down the walls of her office" and shares with a wider group the creative ways that have helped many other young women and their families in her practice.

As a mother, Virginia has been personally involved in the role of parenting two daughters. Terese, a Women's Studies major who graduated from UMass, Amherst, currently works in the field of biotechnology and Kelsey, a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, is the film editor for a poplular public television program.

"Parenting my two daughters has been the most important part of my life. The detrimental social messages that young women face, affect me to the core. Yet as I continually work with others who are committed to a safe and respectful world for girls today, I am encouraged. I believe there are many adults who care strongly about what's in the best interest of our young women today. I'm so proud to see that now my two daughters are in that group themselves."

Virginia Graves' lifelong study in working with adolescent young women has led her to seek and find answers to questions such as:

What are the health needs of adolescent women in particular?
What questions do I ask to elicit the most significant answers?
What are the reasons why adolescent women develop problems?
How can I support young women to prevent problems?
How can I help lighten their load if health problems occur?
How do adolescent women best hear a healthy message?
How can I "partner" with parents to work toward mutual health goals of young women?

A graduate of Boston Children's Hospital, Salem State College and Boston College, Virginia's practice at Beverly Pediatric Associates in Beverly (for almost 20 years), is where she's been able to focus care that recognizes the unique health needs of young women and their families.

Here Ms. Graves listened and saw the concerns of hundreds of girls and their families. Finding clues to help them in the study of contemporary theories, the result is the development and application of services specific to the unique needs of her clients. Virginia has shared these services, not only within the walls of the practice, but also in the form of community speaking engagements and interactive workshops over the past fifteen years.

At DoubleSunrise young women and their families will have the opportunity to hear solutions that have helped many other adolecents and their families through the site and "Keeping-Connected" products. Some young women also value their spiritual journey and we will provide support here as well. (We understand that this is a very personal and individual choice.)

Hang in there with us at DoubleSunrise and you will be empowered to be as healthy as you can be!

Written 11/00 Revised 5/14/05