Dr. Friel is a psychiatrist completing her fellowship training in reproductive psychiatry. She attended Gwynedd Mercy University for undergraduate studies, followed by attending Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, where she earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree. Dr. Friel completed her psychiatry residency training at Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital. During residency, she contributed to the field of perinatal mental health in a number of ways, including the development and implementation of a reproductive psychiatry lecture series for medical students and residents. As the recipient of an institutional grant by the Albert Einstein Society aimed at targeting healthcare disparities in the Philadelphia community, she initiated the use of a reproductive psychiatric advance directive in collaboration with both psychiatry and OB/GYN specialties.