When moms reach out for counseling for postpartum depression, anxiety, and trauma, there are often common themes to their experiences.  Many women come to realize that part of their birth story felt very out of control, often traumatic.  This is especially true if the NICU was a part of their experience. In the article, “We […]

If you have stumbled onto this page, it likely means you have been affected by a pregnancy loss… either it’s happened to you, a family member, a friend… and you’re looking for ways to know you’re not alone.  The heartbreaking truth is that you definitely are not alone, as best guesses place miscarriage rates at […]

To continue to add to my education and skillset as a perinatal mental health therapist, I recently attended the Advanced Psychotherapy Training from Postpartum Support International.  I wanted to take a moment to shine a light on some important work that this organization is doing.  You can find their website at www.postpartum.net. 1) Education PSI […]

When God Doesn’t Fix It: Lessons You Never Wanted to Learn; Truths You Can’t Live Without By Laura Story with Jennifer Schuchmann I stumbled upon this book when I was searching the library catalog for something else, but the title immediately caught my attention.  As a Christian counselor in Fishers, I thought about how many […]

As a mental health therapist in the Fishers, Indiana area, I enjoy all of my clients (even the ones that challenge and stretch me out of my therapeutic comfort zone.)  But there are a few types of clients that I especially love working with.  One is new or aspiring moms (I call it “maternal mental […]

All right!  You’ve scheduled your first counseling appointment.  This means you’ve already overcome several major milestones in starting therapy, whether you realized it or not.  First, you decided you’re ready for some support or help.  Maybe you’re looking for counseling for anxiety or trauma, or emotional support during pregnancy or postpartum.  Second, you did your research […]

(Note: For ease of reading, I’ve chosen to describe this from a married couple’s perspective, but please feel free to substitute the word “partner” if that describes your situation better.) Congratulations!  You have a newborn baby.  You’ve been home from the hospital for several weeks.  You’re back to work and your wife is home all […]

Bearing The Unbearable:  Love, Loss, and the Heartbreaking Path of Grief by Joanne Cacciatore, PhD. As I’ve mentioned in past posts, I’m currently doing an online training on pregnancy and infant.  One of our assignments is to read and write a summary on three bereavement books. Today I’ll be reviewing “Bearing the Unbearable: Love, Loss, […]

Congratulations!  You’ve taken the first steps of self care:  assessing how your current habits are working for you and developing a plan of where you want to go.  Tomorrow is a new year– what changes will you make that will better yourself and your family?   Many people wonder how much time they should spend […]

The past several months, I have covered six areas of self care and given you some things to consider when evaluating the balance in your own life.  Now it’s time to come up with an action plan to take charge of your life and your energy. Start by reflecting on these questions: In which area […]