No one will escape this life without feeling the pain of loss, and there is no better way to channel that pain than through creating something beautiful out of it. In today’s show, you’ll meet a devoted husband and father who wasn’t content to wallow in his loss on the sidelines. He’s turned his pain into purpose as he helps countless families through the challenges of maternal mental health treatment.

Steven D’Achille is president and founder of The Alexis Joy D’Achille Foundation for Postpartum Depression. He’s an advocate for maternal mental health issues because he realizes that women’s health is a family health issue. His passion is creating access to care for struggling families. He’ll go deep into his story today, sharing how postpartum depression took the life of his wife, Alexis. I’ve had the pleasure of serving on the board of Postpartum Support International with Steven, and I’ve seen up close his passion and dedication springing from the horrible and unnecessary outcome of his wife’s death. He is changing the landscape in Pittsburgh and wherever he goes to share his wife’s story and the foundation in her name. Steven is a passionate advocate for fathers, in addition to his support of maternal mental health because he realizes the need for caring for the whole family, especially fathers and partners. As his six-year-old daughter, Adriana puts it, “He wanted to change the world.”

**Sensitivity Notice: Difficult topics are discussed in this episode related to suicide. If you aren’t in a place to listen today, feel free to find the episode at a later date.

Show Highlights:

Resources:

⁠Alexis Joy Foundation⁠ Website

Facebook: Alexis Joy D’Achille Foundation for Postpartum Depression: @Alexisjoydachille

Instagram: @ajd_foundation

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!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today is a very special episode because I not only have the pleasure of hosting this podcast, but I am also the guest. Yes, that's right! Today, I'm opening up my heart and sharing my postpartum story with you once again; I last told my story way back in Episode 1 in June 2016. I want all of you who know me as Dr. Kat professionally to understand why I am so deeply passionate about the cause of maternal mental health. Join us now!

Karen Kleiman is a well-known international maternal mental-health expert with over 35 years of experience. As an advocate and author of several groundbreaking books on postpartum depression and anxiety, her work has been featured on the internet and within the mental health community for decades. In 1988, Karen founded The Postpartum Stress Center, a treatment and training facility for prenatal and postpartum depression and anxiety.

Katayune Kaeni, Psy.D. PMH-C, “Dr. Kat,” is a perinatal mental health-certified psychologist, author of The Pregnancy Workbook: Manage Anxiety and Worry with CBT and Mindfulness Techniques, and host of the Mom & Mind Podcast, covering personal stories and expert interviews related to perinatal mental health. She is also the board chair of Postpartum Support International, an organization whose mission is to promote awareness, prevention, and treatment of mental health issues related to childbearing in every country worldwide. Dr. Kat began specializing in perinatal mental health after her own experience with postpartum depression, anxiety, and OCD over 12 years ago. Dr. Kat continues to work virtually with clients across California. 

Show Highlights:

Resources:

Connect with Karen: ⁠Website⁠,⁠ Twitter⁠,⁠ Instagram⁠,⁠ Facebook⁠,⁠ Book: Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts⁠ and⁠ LinkedIn⁠

Check out Karen Kleiman’s other books: ⁠Website⁠ and⁠ Amazon⁠.

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!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We talk about a lot of things that people don’t want to talk about or even hear. Still, they are very real, challenging, and difficult circumstances surrounding pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. It’s important to share these stories because these difficulties become a reality for many people. Today’s show focuses on birth trauma and breastfeeding as we hear our guest’s personal account.

Erin Northrup is a mom of four busy children, ranging in age from 2 to 10. She lives in Atlantic Canada, where she enjoys spending time in nature with her family. With the birth of her oldest child, Jack, she experienced birth trauma, and this experience sparked her passion for researching trauma. Erin holds a bachelor’s in Psychology and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Health Services Research. Her current research explores the experience of breastfeeding after birth trauma. Her own experience of breastfeeding after birth trauma inspired her to become a volunteer with a breastfeeding support organization offering community-based, peer-to-peer breastfeeding support. She is committed to raising awareness of the intersection of birth trauma, breastfeeding, and perinatal mental health.

Show Highlights:

Resources:

⁠Instagram: Live Learn Lactate⁠

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!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are internal and societal pressures in making birthing and parenting decisions that are magnified for the BIPOC community. My guest explains how incorporating ancestral practices can be supportive, shares her valuable work, and highlights the importance of doulas for people of color.

Dr. Suzanne Mungalez (aka Dr. Zann) is a licensed clinical psychologist in CA, certified in perinatal mental health, a childbirth educator, a certified lactation education specialist, and a trained doula. She has worked in hospital settings and birthing centers alongside OB-GYNs, midwives, and other birth workers. She is black, Congolese-American, and queer, along with being a gender-expansive woman and mother who has given birth in the comfort of her own home. Her background and experience shape her expertise in clinical work and how she holds space for her patients. Dr. Zann describes herself as “tender with people, tough on systems, and relentlessly committed to our collective liberation.” 

Show Highlights:

Resources:

Connect with Dr. Zann

 ⁠Website⁠ and ⁠Instagram⁠.

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!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s episode focuses on the narrative style of therapy, and it’s a topic that we haven’t covered on the podcast before. We always want to explore new therapeutic approaches and the various ways they can offer healing and support for more women. Everyone needs to know about the different therapies that are available to them. Join us to learn more!

Dr. Lyneia Richardson is a mother, healer, and licensed psychologist who works as a maternal mental health advocate dedicated to revitalizing the spirit of all mamas. She received her BA in psychology from North Carolina A&T State University and a master’s in mental health counseling from Johns Hopkins University. After earning a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Howard University, she focused her work on decolonizing therapy and education through a mothering praxis. She is currently a professor of counseling at McDaniel College and the proud owner of ⁠Melanated Women's Therapy LLC. Dr. Richardson recently published ⁠Mothering As A Work of Art⁠, an anthology collection of personal narratives exploring the multiple dimensions of black mothering aimed at changing the narrative on mothering and what it means to mother in contemporary times. In today’s episode, she discusses these topics and the value of using narrative therapy as a pathway through healing birth trauma. 

Show Highlights:

Resources:

Connect with Dr. Lyneia Richardson

⁠Website⁠, ⁠Melanated Women's Therapy LLC⁠, Instagram⁠, Mothering As A Work of Art⁠

Call the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA or visitcdph.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, such as 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 providing 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 at www.wellmindperinatal.com for more information, resources, and courses you can take today! 

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’m excited to welcome Dr. Daniel Singley back to the show. He joined me years ago when we were a brand-new podcast, and he’s been busy doing meaningful work in the world around paternal mental health. Join us to learn more about why the mental health of fathers cannot be overlooked in perinatal care.

Dr. Daniel Singley is a San Diego-based, board-certified psychologist and director of The Center for Men’s Excellence. His research and practice focus on men’s mental health with particular emphasis on reproductive psychology and the transition to fatherhood. He won the American Psychological Association’s 2017 Practitioner of the Year Award from the Division on Men and Masculinities. He is a past president of the APA’s Section on Positive Psychology and is the current president of the APA’s Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinities and the President’s Advisory Council for Postpartum Support International. Dr. Singley conducts training and presentations across the country to assist individuals and organizations in enhancing their level of father inclusiveness. He also founded the grant-funded Basic Training for New Dads, Inc. nonprofit and the Padre Cadre social networking application, Just for Dads, to give fathers the tools they need to be highly engaged with their infants and their partners. 

Show Highlights:

How things have changed over the past seven years in paternal perinatal mental health–and why there is still much work to do

Why it’s a systemic problem in our society that men can’t take time off when a new baby arrives

How a dad’s mental health is affected in the reproductive period

What the numbers show about the prevalence of perinatal mental health disorders in fathers

How neurobiological shifts happen in fathers during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum

How society’s message to fathers about being the emotional rock and provider for their family is a damaging one

The impact on a new baby, kids, and the family system when a dad gets the mental health help he needs

What perinatal mental health issues might look like in new dads

An overview of Dr. Singley’s advanced PSI training, Foundations in Paternal Perinatal Mental Health (Find out more at⁠ www.postpartum.net⁠.) 

Resources:

Connect with Dr. Singley:⁠ Website⁠,⁠ Facebook⁠,⁠ Instagram⁠, and⁠ Twitter⁠

Call the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA or visitcdph.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, such as 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 providing 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 seeking a therapist in perinatal mental health, please email me about openings for private pay clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is a special episode as we hit the 10-year mark of the podcast. It’s unbelievable, and it certainly doesn’t feel like ten years have passed! It’s a good point to stop and reflect on what we’ve done and how incredibly grateful I am to each person who has come on the show to share their stories and help us learn what perinatal mental health conditions look like and how we can offer more support. This information is what everyone needs before they even know they need it. I want to take this opportunity to reflect on how far the podcast has come and how far perinatal mental health education, advocacy, and understanding have advanced over the past ten years. This specialty has continued to grow within the context of how people find growth and healing. We’ve covered the basics and made people aware of the fundamentals of perinatal mental health, and the voices have only gotten louder in spreading vital information. Let’s take a look!

Show Highlights:

A look back at the very beginning of Mom & Mind

The shift in language from “maternal mental health” to “perinatal mental health” and “PMADs” to “PMDs.”

The need for basic information remains, letting people know what to look for.

Diving into people’s lived experiences through their cultural, religious, ethnic, and marginalized lenses

Our systems impact us, especially in how we become parents and parent our children.

Deepening and widening the discussion to include everyone connected to the birth or loss of a child

The myth of “the magical download” of parenthood

People are more willing to talk about their shortcomings as new parents. 

Scary thoughts are what you might be feeling—not WHO you are.

We understand SO much more about what people might be going through with perinatal mental health.

Everyone deserves highly specialized care for these 100% treatable and very temporary conditions. 

The stigma of medication during pregnancy and postpartum, and how we’ve addressed it

Your culture, identity, and lived experience are central to your healing. 

One final truth: “The transition to motherhood and parenthood is a profound psychological transition. Peer connection is essential.”

Resources:

Call the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA or visitcdph.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, such as 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 providing 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 seeking a therapist in perinatal mental health, please email me about openings for private pay clients. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you’re one of the many mothers who has experienced birth trauma, you’ve likely battled shame, anger, confusion, among other emotions. Today’s guest discusses her story of birth trauma, including the effects of the experience and the gaps in care that contributed to the trauma. Her passion for advocacy is fired by the desire to prevent similar experiences from happening to others. Join us to learn more!

As a writer, advocate, and mother dedicated to exploring the complexities of the human experience, Casey Keen focuses on themes of resilience, identity, and transformation. Whether through the lens of motherhood, mental health, or immersive storytelling, her writing spans both deeply personal narratives and richly imagined fiction. With a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in forensic medicine, Casey brings a unique perspective to the intersection of mental health, trauma, and systemic reform. She founded an online postpartum support community and is building a platform that provides education, coaching, and advocacy to new mothers. Casey lives in Pennsylvania with her family as she continues to write, create, and advocate with stories that inspire and empower. 

Show Highlights:

Casey’s story of birth trauma when her son was born 3 years ago

The PP screening at six weeks didn’t show any red flags–but something was wrong.

Finding a perinatal therapist after six months and being diagnosed with PP anxiety and depression

Casey’s anger at what happened to her and how mothers are not being cared for properly

Finding ways to help by “casting a wide net”- Casey chose to write a book.

A closer look at Casey’s postpartum preeclampsia experience (zero symptoms except for elevated blood pressure)

Casey’s overwhelming feelings of failure as a new mom

The realization that things would have been very different had she been better prepared and educated about postpartum challenges.

The impact of Casey’s educational background (in psychology and forensic medicine) on her personal experience

Gaps Casey is seeing in the way our healthcare system treats perinatal care, and the education (or lack of) that mothers are receiving

The major problems with the timing of the “six-week checkup.”

Casey’s overriding goal in writing her book, The Alchemy of Motherhood

Casey’s experience with stigma, rage, and intrusive thoughts

Casey’s vision for a better future for struggling moms

Resources:

Connect with Casey Keen: Website, Instagram, and Casey’s book,  The Alchemy of Motherhood

Call the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA or visitcdph.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 seeking a therapist in perinatal mental health, please email me about openings for private pay clients. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s guest shares her personal story of postpartum psychosis with an underlying bipolar disorder. Her experience has inspired her passion for advocacy on behalf of other mothers who need support and the assurance that they can get through these issues and go on to lead normal lives. Join us to learn more!

Luisa Shamas is an educator with more than a decade of experience in the perinatal mental health field. She provides bilingual (Spanish and English) support to families experiencing perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Luisa is the PSI Spanish Support Group Manager and provides training and ongoing assistance to volunteers interested in facilitating a support group. She is a PPP survivor who believes that peer support is essential for successful recovery and is a Certified Group Facilitator, Coach, and Lead Trainer for GPS en Español. Her lived experience with perinatal mood disorders provides her with an expertise that has fueled her advancement at both GPS and PSI. Luisa describes herself as a passionate advocate, educator, and mother who wants to help other mothers who struggle with perinatal mental health issues. She is of Argentinian heritage and currently lives with her husband and son in St. Petersburg, Florida. 

Show Highlights:

Luisa’s story: marriage (into a family of doctors), a new baby, the loss of her father, postpartum intrusive thoughts, and her family noticing that “something’s not right.”

Even having a healthy baby and seemingly everything she ever wanted couldn’t prevent thoughts that became a nightmare.

Delusions, negative thoughts, and an obsession with the baby

With postpartum psychosis, early detection is important!

Finding a Spanish-speaking psychiatrist, but she was not a perinatal psychiatrist.

Finding help with medications, but then being diagnosed with bipolar disorder

Luisa’s passion to work with PSI to help other mothers

Understanding that breastfeeding while on medication can work

Luisa’s message to mothers who are struggling with bipolar disorder or PPP

Cultural stigmas for Latin Americans to not admit when they are struggling

The need for more perinatal mental health professionals 

Women need to educate themselves about mental health.

Peer support groups through PSI help women know they are not alone. 

Resources:

Connect with Luisa Shamas: Instagram

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 seeking a therapist in perinatal mental health, please email me about openings for private pay clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Guilt, shame, and unreasonable expectations should not be the words that describe parenthood, but for many new parents, they are. This conversation focuses on the impact of social systems on perinatal mental health and what professionals should know about how to support people with perinatal mental health conditions. We still have a long way to go to fully understand how our social systems impact parents. Join us to learn more!

Olivia Scobie is a queer social worker whose own chaotic transition into motherhood inspired her dedication to supporting new parents. She holds a Master of Social Work and a Master of Arts in Sociology with a focus on gender and family, and she is completing a Ph.D. in Health Policy and Equity, researching the reproductive trauma experience of LGBT+ birthers. Olivia works one-on-one with parents and is the co-founder of Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Trainings, where she mentors and trains mental health and allied professionals to navigate the unique challenges of the perinatal period. She is the author of Impossible Parenting: Creating a New Culture of Mental Health for Parents, a bold call to rethink the impossible standards parents are expected to meet. Olivia specializes in perinatal mood, reproductive trauma, parental mental health, and provider burnout. She is committed to fostering equity, understanding, and support for parents and professionals alike. 

Show Highlights:

Olivia’s journey into perinatal mental health

Confusing expectations to maintain “parenthood status.”

Understanding “maternal role collapse” and what it means to be a “good mom.”

Mixed messages for moms about giving, depleting, sacrificing—but prioritizing self-care

Systemic problems that contribute to the mixed messages for parents

Maternal leave policies in Canada are different from those in the US

How thoughts and feelings of guilt and shame show up for new parents

External pressure of expectations, shame, and guilt can contribute to diagnosable perinatal mental health conditions.

Understanding “maternal strain.”

Recognizing when you’ve crossed from tired, exhausted motherhood into the space of needing professional help

Significant pre-pregnancy risk factors that shouldn’t be overlooked in perinatal mental health

Highlights of Olivia’s organization and their work in Canada

The importance of validating and normalizing ALL feelings of parenthood

Resources:

Connect with Olivia Scobie

Website

Instagram, Facebook

Impossible Parenting: Creating a New Culture of Mental Health for Parents

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 seeking a therapist in perinatal mental health, please email me about openings for private pay clients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices