Courtney Ginder resides in Fishers, Indiana with her husband and daughter. She is a passionate maternal mental health advocate after surviving postpartum depression after the birth of her daughter during the COVID-19 pandemic, and believes deeply in the power of sharing stories to let others know they are not alone. She blogs at beyondpostpartumdepression.com and can be found on Instagram and Facebook at @beyondppd. In addition to blogging, she is also the co-leader for the Hamilton County, Indiana Climb Out of the Darkness event, raising awareness and over $10,000 for families impacted by perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. She is also the Social Media Chair for the Postpartum Support International Indiana Chapter Board of Directors.

Jenny Petrucci lives in Rome. She had her son in 2019, just before the COVID lockdown and suffered with severe postpartum depression. She’s now pregnant with her daughter, due February 2022, and searching for support in Italy. She reached out desperate to share her story for the very first time publicly.

Linda Zaffram received her Master of Social Work degree in 2002 from Virginia Commonwealth University. She works in Richmond, VA as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has spent 15+ years developing community outreach programs as well as program development and coordination in non-profit, government and the private sector. She developed a mental health program where she was the program manager, supervisor and clinician for the program that served adults who were indigent and underserved. She serves as field instructor and mentor for Master's level social work students through Virginia Commonwealth University. She owns a private practice providing therapy for ages 16+ adults with specialties in depression, anxiety, PTSD, grief/bereavement, perinatal mood disorders, maternal mental health, emotional, physical & sexual abuse, trauma and birth trauma. She has a certificate of completion in birth story listening through Birthing from Within; perinatal mood disorders and maternal mental health through PSI. Linda became a Certified Compassionate Bereavement Care provider, through the MISS Foundation, because she was inspired to work with individuals and families affected by traumatic grief, specifically perinatal loss, after her own miscarriage, traumatic births due to NAIT, NAIT mothers who have experienced perinatal loss and working in the birth community. She is a professional birth doula through ToLabor, a breastfeeding counselor through the Elizabeth Project/Lamaze International and acupressure for labor trained. She is a 200 hr certified Integral Yoga Teacher and Certified Prenatal Yoga Teacher.

Michelle Wiersgalla, MD is a reproductive psychiatrist and psychopharmacology consultant. She attended college and medical school at the University of Wisconsin and did her psychiatry residency at the Harvard Longwood Program. Michelle has repeatedly been recognized as a Top Doctor in psychiatry. She has been a featured speaker at local and national conferences on the topics of perinatal mental health and psychopharmacological approaches to treatment. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and two daughters.

MYSELF AGAIN: The PARENTS Postpartum Survival Guide

Gabrielle Mauren, PhD, LP, PMH-C is a licensed psychologist and the lead of an award-winning (for innovation in clinical care) reproductive mental health program, which has a focus on helping parents who are struggling with mental health concerns related to pregnancy, postpartum, fertility issues and pregnancy loss.  She is certified in perinatal mental health care.  

Dr. Mauren completed her undergraduate studies, graduate training, and postgraduate fellowship at the University of Iowa, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Pennsylvania, respectively. She has been a featured speaker on topics of perinatal mental health at local, national, and international conferences.  Gabrielle has been a contributor for articles in parenting and women’s interests’ magazines.  Additionally, she has participated in radio and television stories and podcasts on postpartum mood disorders and other reproductive mental health topics. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and daughter.

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Myself Again: The PARENTS Postpartum Survival Guide

Camille is a mom of two boys and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family. She works in the film industry as a producer. Camille loves international travel, and documentary filmmaking. In 2005 Camille produced a feature-length documentary with Jennifer and Maureen, directors of the Dark Side of the Full Moon. After the birth of her second child and during the early stages of COVID pandemic, Camille was treated for severe postpartum depression. Now, as she heals and begins to cope with the new normal, Camille opens up about her experience and journey towards recovery.

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Postpartum Support International

Lina Acosta Sandaal, MA, LMFT is a psychotherapist, development expert, writer, and founder of Stop Parenting Alone, a parenting education and consulting program in Miami, FL. She is a writer on social emotional learning for Macmillan Education, the human development expert for Telemundo’s national broadcasts and consultant for MomsRising an advocacy group for family rights in our nation’s capital. Her mission is for all parents to fall in love with their parenting journey.

STOP PARENTING ALONE

Heidi is a limited license clinical mental health counselor. A two-time survivor of perinatal mood disorders and has worked in the maternal mental health field for over eight years through. Heidi has training through Postpartum Support International, The Bloom Foundation, and Postpartum Progress focusing on postpartum mood disorders, treatment, and therapy. Heidi's personal experience as an adult child of an alcoholic gives her the knowledge and tools to help families through the transition of parenthood and complex family systems. Heidi is passionate about supporting and guiding clients with other mood disorders, including bipolar and borderline personality disorder. Additionally, she is also a patient advocate for Sage Therapeutics, the leading developer of Zulresso the first and only FDA-approved medicine specifically for postpartum depression.

Heidi is currently practicing counseling in the Metro Detroit area, for more information please contact Heidi directly at [email protected] .

Dr. Trill is the mother to two beautiful daughters who had severe infant food sensitivities. She also has her doctoral Degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology and is an Operation Iraqi Freedom Veteran. After processing the fact that she could hurt her children through breastfeeding, she started researching how to produce breast milk they could properly digest. She discovered that many parents experience the same troubling situation, so she created a place for parents to find answers to their questions about infant food sensitivities and empower them to continue their breastfeeding journey. This is how Free to Feed™ was born.

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Free to Feed
Instagram

Sarah Ornst Bloomquist, CFLE, CLC is Moms Mental Health Initiative Co-Founder and Executive Director. She has been advocating for women’s maternal mental health since she experienced her own postpartum depression and anxiety after the birth of her first son. Sarah brings over 20 years of professional experience including her work as child advocacy program coordinator at Cottageview Children’s Center, life coach at Innermost Coaching, relationship specialist at Fathers and Families Center, and as a counselor at Women’s Care Center in Milwaukee. Sarah is a Certified Life Coach, Certified Family Life Educator, and speaker. She is committed to helping moms break down the obstacles to effective treatment and find hope in the process. Born and raised in the greater Milwaukee area, Sarah is a cheesehead at heart. She currently lives in Ozaukee County and is a proud mom of two. She enjoys spontaneous, mini-excursions with her family, hanging out with friends and neighbors, and taking her rescue dogs for walks.

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Moms Mental Health Initiative