Mom and Mind

387: High-Functioning and Over-Functioning in Motherhood with Tracy Torelli, LCSW, PMH-C


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This episode is packed with useful information for everyone. We discuss ways high-functioning and over-functioning mothers can cope differently with the demands of motherhood. You’ll hear actionable tips and practical advice for anyone who feels caught in the grip of anxiety, whether occasionally or on a regular basis. Join us!

Tracy Torelli is a therapist who has focused her career on disorders with high relapse rates. Her expertise in working with severe and persistently mentally ill people has shaped her approach to emphasize resilience and wellness as pathways to growth and healing. She has worked most recently as a clinical staff educator for an outpatient clinic at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center and has trained therapists, contributed to various boards, and followed her passion for women’s mental health, reproductive mental health, and a holistic approach to mental health care and advocacy. 


Show Highlights:

  • Tracy’s path to this perinatal specialty and the work she does today
  • Tracy’s work with moms with anxiety who are high-functioning and hard-working
  • Understanding what “high-functioning” means and what it looks like in a mom’s life
  • Prioritizing tasks safely and wisely while holding space for the disappointment in not finishing everything on your to-do list
  • Learning to tell yourself the truth about your decisions
  • Assessing “failure” in different ways—what it is and is not
  • Figuring out your “Charley Horse” (Your symptoms aren’t who you are.)


  • Resources:

    Connect with Tracy Torelli: Website

    Call the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA or visit cdph.ca.gov

    Please find resources in English and Spanish at Postpartum Support International, or by phone/text at 1-800-944-4773. There are many free resources, like online support groups, peer mentors, a specialist provider directory, and perinatal mental health training for therapists, physicians, nurses, doulas, and anyone who wants to be more supportive in offering services. 

    You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms

    Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.  

    Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!

    If you are a California resident looking for a therapist in perinatal mental health, email me about openings for private pay clients!


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    Mom and MindBy Katayune Kaeni, Psy.D., PMH-C

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