Welcome to episode seventeen of the Honest Mamas Podcast. Today, our guest is Stan Tatkin, PsyD, MFT, who is a clinician, researcher, teacher, and developer of A Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy® (PACT).

He has a clinical practice in Calabasas, CA, where he has specialized for the last 15 years in working with couples and individuals who wish to be in relationships. He and his wife, Tracey Boldemann-Tatkin, developed the PACT Institute for the purpose of training other psychotherapists to use this method in their clinical practice.

In addition, Dr. Tatkin teaches and supervises first- through third-year family medicine residents at Kaiser Permanente, Woodland Hills, CA, and is an assistant clinical professor at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine. He is on the board of directors of Lifespan Learning Institute and serves as a core member on Relationships First, a nonprofit organization founded by Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt.

What you’ll hear in this episode

• How Stan became an expert working with couples
• The three attachment styles in the PACT approach—the wave, anchor and island
• The way in which these attachment styles show up
• Working with our partners to crate safe and secure attachments
• How to deal with these issues as children come into the relationship
• Practical tips on how to manage conflict within a relationship
• Why you shouldn’t stay in an unhappy relationship just for the kids

Resources

https://stantatkin.com

http://thepackardinstitute.com

Ted Talk - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xKXLPuju8U

Welcome to episode sixteen of the Honest Mamas Podcast! Today, we speak to photographer Suzanne Lucas.

What you’ll hear in this episode

• How Suzanne became interested in the area of struggling with body image through and after pregnancy
• How women can reclaim a sense of empowerment during these times
• The issue of shaming
• The way the issue shows up for women who decide to have babies later in life
• Making peace with your relationship to your own body
• Setting up more positive language around this issue
• Learning how to best communicate your message with your children through this time
• Understanding the need not to be too self-critical

Resources

http://www.suzannechristine.com/

Welcome to episode fifteen of the Honest Mamas Podcast! Today, we speak to meditation and yoga teacher Dee Yergo.

Dee's yoga journey began 18 years ago when she attended a pre-natal class while pregnant with her first child. Her practice waned considerably over the years that her three children were toddlers. When their dad passed away in 2007, she found herself juggling a corporate career while raising them on her own. Life was challenging and she struggled with depression because she did not have the tools she needed to be happy and at peace. Dee's practice of yoga began anew, and then deepened in 2012. She discovered how incredibly effective meditation, yoga and Eastern philosophy were in shifting the way she looked at the world. Dee felt compelled to dedicate her life to helping others. She made the leap and left her corporate career to teach full-time.

What you’ll hear in this episode

• Being in tune with your intuition
• Recommendations on how to begin the process of better understanding your intuition
• The way in which yoga can create a deep sense of slowing down
• The role spirituality can play in the profound connection to one’s self
• Distinguishing between grounded intuition and fear
• Communicating your own intuition
• Learning to take a step back in the important moments and regain focus
• Knowing that it’s ok to not be constantly “happy” on the surface and show your true emotions

Resources

http://www.deeyergo.com

https://www.pranayogaandmeditation.com

Welcome to episode fourteen of the Honest Mamas Podcast! Today, we speak to MereAnn Reid, a counselor who specializes in therapeutic play, adoption support, and early childhood.

MereAnn works with children—from toddlers to teens—and collaborates with whole families in managing stress, loss, life transitions, feeling connected, and understanding themselves better. A combination of child development, mindfulness, and family systems informs her work supporting parents and kids. MereAnn uses play therapy, sandtray, narrative-storytelling tools, practical skill building, and parent coaching in her practice.

In addition to graduate training in counseling psychology, MereAnn has worked in youth advocacy and education for nearly 20 years. She brings these skills to her counseling work, serving as an ally and consultant to individuals and families in her practice. She is a registered intern with the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors, member of the national Association for Play Therapy and Oregon Association for Play Therapy, and volunteer with non-profit groups supporting new moms and foster youth. As a professional and as a community member, MereAnn is committed to growing support resources for families impacted by foster and institutional systems of care. As a parent, MereAnn believes heartily in supporting and connecting parents to help kids thrive.

What you’ll hear in this episode

• The importance of the correct use of language around this issue
• How grief shows up in this area
• Why it’s ok to have feelings of anger, grief and frustration through this process
• Ways in which adoptive parents can best make connections
• Knowing when / if you’re ready for family therapy
• Supportive tools available to adoptive mothers

Resources

http://www.northwestadoptionsupport.com/

Welcome to episode twelve of the Honest Mamas Podcast! Today we speak to Dr. Kira Bartlett about how to support post-partum women in their relationships with their partner.

Dr. Kira Bartlett is a New York state licensed clinical psychologist with over 14 years of successful clinical experience with individuals in short- and long-term psychotherapy. Her private practice is in White Plains, New York and Manhattan, New York. Dr. Bartlett also provides training and in-services for professionals and agencies interested in screening for postpartum mood disorders. She is available for consultation and clinical supervision as well.

Dr. Bartlett completed pre-doctoral trainings at New York University Counseling Services, Queens Children’s Psychiatric Center, the Postgraduate Center for Mental Health and a pre-doctoral internship at Interfaith Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. In all of these settings, she treated a culturally and diagnostically diverse population. Dr. Bartlett is a member of the New York State Psychological Association, Postpartum Support International and the Postpartum Resource Center of New York. She is the former president of the Hudson Valley Birth Network.

Dr. Bartlett strives to create a non-judgmental environment for examining one’s issues and challenges, while aiding her clients to become more comfortable with a wide range of emotional experiences that make life interesting and enjoyable. She brings empathy and warmth to her work, but also maintains a sense of humor.

What you’ll hear in this episode

• The common themes and feelings women feel after having a baby
• How to deal with the challenges of having a baby
• The importance of community and getting support
• How women can inadvertently shut out their partners
• The need to let your partner struggle and make mistakes as well
• Recommendations for partners to reconnect and become emotionally and physically close
• The need to be open and communicative with your partner
• Being mutually respectful to each other as you go through these issues

Resources

http://dr.kirabartlett.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0GlP7Bojbk (Cuddling Is Badass)

Welcome to episode eleven of the Honest Mamas Podcast! Today we speak to we speak to an anonymous mama about her experience of losing herself after having children.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Her experience into motherhood and how that shaped losing herself
• The person she was before having children
• The thoughts, feelings and mental state she was in through this process
• Learning to take time for yourself
• How important mindfulness practices can be to help with this issue
• Knowing that it’s ok to sometimes put your needs first
• The distance that can be created between you and your partner through losing yourself
• Taking on board your life experiences to enrich your own identity in the present

Resources

https://honestmamas.com/podcast

Welcome to episode ten of the Honest Mamas Podcast! Today, we speak to Veronica Geretz about the empowerment she experienced through becoming a single mother.

Veronica is a mom and a yoga teacher. She was introduced to Hatha yoga when she was just fourteen. She specializes in Vinyasa Yoga and has trained with Corepower Yoga, Jolie Cash and Hala Khouri. She will guide you through a flow to awaken your own body and prana while offering subtle reminders that all of yoga is intended to prepare for meditation in order to realize our interconnectedness. She also holds an M.A. in Peace and Justice Studies and enjoys guiding students to experience more peace and calm in their life.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• How Veronica’s journey into single motherhood began
• The way in which it’s influenced her life
• The challenges Veronica has had to overcome through this journey
• The benefits and celebrations Veronica has been able to take from single motherhood
• Words of wisdom and inspirations for other single mamas
• The importance of community
• Being in touch with your emotions and authenticity

Resources

https://www.facebook.com/veronicageretzyoga/

Welcome to episode nine of the Honest Mamas Podcast! Today, we speak to Dr. Kat about postpartum depression and anxiety.

Dr. Kat is a psychologist who helps you find ways out of suffering or confusion and into wellness. People go to her psychotherapy practice when they are struggling with things in their life and want to feel better. Her style of working with people is to be real and keep therapy down to earth. In her sessions, she uses compassion, insight and empathy in addition to her education and training to guide your healing. Her belief is that therapy should not be a mysterious process. She believes that you have the ability to get better. Sometimes we just need a little help; sometimes we need a lot of help.

You may have heard of postpartum depression already. There are other things that most folks don’t know about. The postpartum period is not always rainbows and puppy dogs, like we are meant to think it’s "supposed to be." For about 20% of women, the transition into parenthood can lead to severe mood changes. There are things that don’t go as planned such as: prenatal or postpartum depression, anxiety, trauma, OCD and less frequently, bipolar disorder or psychosis. These are serious, but very treatable conditions.

What you’ll hear in this episode

• Dr. Kat’s experience of giving birth and how it opened her up to postpartum depression and anxiety
• The primal instinct that lives within mothers when caring for a new baby
• How this is a more common issue than people realize for new mothers
• The physical aspects of giving birth that can lead to anxiety
• The signs to look out for as these issues arise
• How guilt and shame can play a big role in postpartum depression and anxiety
• Ways in which to find support and help

Resources

https://drkaeni.com

http://momandmind.com

http://www.postpartum.net

http://www.postpartumprogress.com

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ppd-gone/id529141505?mt=8 (PPD Gone App)

Welcome to episode eight of the Honest Mamas Podcast! Today, we speak to Melissa Cole about how she became a lactation consultant, the shock mothers have when they find out how difficult breastfeeding can be, and discuss some common myths about breastfeeding.

Melissa has been passionate about providing feeding support since 2002. Melissa believes it is a great honor to provide nurturing, quality care to families as they work towards their feeding goals. In addition to comprehensive lactation support, Melissa also works with families coping with unique feeding concerns impacted by prematurity, food allergies, lip/tongue tie concerns, oral motor dysfunction, complex feeding issues, low milk supply, and beyond. Read more about Melissa Cole, founder of Luna Lactation.

Luna Lactation provides comprehensive support to families coping with feeding concerns. Our practice is a micro-practice. A micro-practice is a healthcare model in which a solo provider can focus on individualized, client-centered care since they keep their practice small. We only see one family at a time in an unhurried environment. Being a micro-practice allows us to provide continuity and high-quality, efficient care. Clients appreciate the ease of access they have when they need to reach the lactation consultant whenever questions or concerns arise. At Luna Lactation, we understand that feeding challenges are emotional and don’t always happen Mon-Fri 9-5! Prompt, personalized, mindful care is our goal and we hope you’ll appreciate the benefits of our micro-practice too!

What you’ll hear in this episode

• How Melissa became a lactation consultant
• The shock mothers have when they find out how difficult breastfeeding can be
• How often Melissa sees breastfeeding not working for mothers
• The major emotional impacts that can happen to mothers
• Dealing with the grief of not being able to breastfeed
• Ways relationships around a mother can be impacted from breastfeeding
• How and why breast is not always best
• How anxiety and postpartum depression can affect breastfeeding

Resources

http://www.lunalactation.com http://www.llli.org

Welcome to episode six of the Honest Mamas Podcast! Today we speak to Claire Colaco about the issue of mommy wars.

Claire's first job as a therapist is to listen and understand. Deep listening is a time-honored tradition and fundamental to healing. Claire strives to create a safe and nurturing relationship with clients that is a source of comfort and inspiration. Clients inspire her too! She practices spiritually grounded psychotherapy. This means she see's life's challenges as, fundamentally, opportunities to grow spiritually and as a whole person. To her, the process of healing is beautiful and miraculous, something that gives us glimpses of a benevolent force much greater than ourselves.

Claire has experience working with adults, couples, families and children. She brings a variety of healing modalities to my work that help to integrate and build mind/body/spirit awareness. These include: working with the unconscious, mindfulness training, somatic techniques, dream work, cognitive behavioral therapy, and behavioral modification utilizing goal setting.

Her areas of expertise include: Depression/Anxiety; Life Transitions; Eating Issues/Body Image Concerns; Spirituality; Parenthood; Survivors of Childhood Abuse and Neglect; Marriage/Partnership; Prenatal, Pregnancy and Postpartum

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• How Claire became interested in the topic of mommy wars
• In what environments, you can expect to experience mommy wars
• Why we engage in mommy wars
• Learning to tune into your own intuition
• Bridging the gap between self-care and vulnerability
• How to take a loving alternative to judgement and criticism

Resources

http://www.clairecolaco.com