The Wellness Pod

In this episode, I chat to Aurélie Athan, Ph.D. Aurélie is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and member of the faculty in the Department of Clinical Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University, my Alma Mater. Aurélie is a co-founder of the Sexuality, Women, & Gender Project with its first graduate-level training certificate in Reproductive & Maternal Well-being. Her scholarly interests center on women's development across the lifespan, with a current emphasis on the transition to motherhood, or matrescence. She researches the psychosocial risk and resilience factors of women who become mothers and has presented her findings in numerous conferences and journals. Her hope is to contribute to the creation of an educated workforce able to address the much-needed and complex questions arising from the changing procreative lives of 21st century women and families locally and globally.

On this special episode of the Wellness Pod, I am joined by my five year old daughter Maya. Maya is an energetic and full of life kindergartener, who had much to say on her podcast debut about school and home life.

On this episode, I chat with Andrea Schneider, MSW, LCSW. Andrea is a licensed clinical social worker in private practice in San Dimas, CA. She specializes in maternal wellness, narcissistic abuse recovery, special needs parenting, and grief/loss. She is also a co-coordinator for Postpartum Support International in her state of CA, and provides volunteer phone support and resources for women and families experiencing perinatal/postpartum mood challenges.

Andrea also has experience in helping children and families deal with loss and trauma issues and she integrates art intervention in her treatment with both children and adults. She is credentialed in Trauma-Informed Expressive Arts therapies.

Additional Resources: http://www.andreaschneiderlcsw.com https://www.expressiveartworkshops.com https://www.cathymalchiodi.com https://www.trauma-informedpractice.com

On this episode, I talk to Maureen Fura, the writer and director of the very important film, "Dark Side of the Full Moon".

"Dark Side of the Full Moon delves into the unseen world of maternal mental health in the U.S. It will uncover the disconnect within the medical community to effectively screen, refer, and treat the 1.3 million mothers affected each year, giving a face and voice to the countless women who have suffered in silence." - http://www.darksideofthefullmoon.com

Maureen shares her experiences with perinatal mood disorder, that eventually led her to become an advocate for maternal mental health, and to make her groundbreaking documentary.

On this episode, we turn our attention to infertility and how it relates to aspects of womanhood and maternal mental health. I interview Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Amber Rukaj. Amber specializes in the treatment of perinatal mood disorders, infertility, and reproductive psychology. She was instrumental in the integration of mental health programs in OB/Gyn, Reproductive Endocrinology, and Infertility clinics at the Univ. of CA, San Diego. For more info on Amber and her practice, visit http://www.ambertrukaj.com

On this episode, I chat to Paige Bellenbaum LMSW. She is the program director of the brand new Motherhood Center of New York. They provide supportive services for new and expecting moms, including a range of treatment options for women suffering from perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs).

For more than 20 years, Paige has been committed to social work and focuses her efforts on direct service to have a micro impact, and on public policy to have a macro impact. Paige shares her personal story with me, one that many women can identify with, and how that story has led her to the important work she does today.

For more info on the Motherhood Center of New York, visit https://www.themotherhoodcenter.com

In this episode, I interview Dr. Amanda Bouque, a board certified Acupuncture Physician in the state of Florida. We talk about her journey into Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine, and her special interest in women's health including infertility, pre and postnatal care.

You can find out more about Traditional Chinese Medicine at

https://nccih.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/chinesemed.htm

Dr. Bouque also recommends the following resource for integrative medicine

https://www.drweil.com

For further resources on Perinatal Wellness and Psychological Services, visit

https://www.perinatalwellness.net

In this episode, I interview Dr. Susan Liipfert Shelton, nurse educator and researcher. She is interested in the well-being of mothers as they transition from pregnancy and birth to motherhood. She is a coordinator for the Tallahassee chapter of Postpartum Support International (PSI). She is also an Assistant Professor of Nursing at Florida State University, where her research focuses on exercise and other non-pharmacological interventions for Postpartum depression symptoms.

Postpartum Support International (PSI), http://www.postpartum.net

For further resources, visit https://www.perinatalwellness.net

In this episode, I interview Suzannah Neufeld, MFT, RYT. She is a psychotherapist and yoga therapist in Berkeley, CA. She specializes in supporting women's mental health through evidence-based psychotherapy, mindfulness, and yoga. She is a co-founder of Rockridge Wellness Center in Oakland, where she has a private practice. She leads yoga therapy workshops for those recovering from eating disorders and body image struggles, and issues related to pregnancy/motherhood. Suzannah is currently working on a book on mindfulness in pregnancy and early motherhood for Parallax Press. Visit her website and learn more at www.suzannahneufeld.com

For further information and resources, visit

https://www.perinatalwellness.net

In this episode, I interview Dr. Wendy Davis. She is the Executive Director for Postpartum Support International (PSI) www.postpartum.net, where she coordinates PSI services, programs, and 300 U.S. and International Support Volunteers. Wendy is the Founding Director of Baby Blues Connection www.babybluesconnection.org, Oregon's first perinatal mental health support organization, and now serves as their clinical advisor and volunteer training consultant. She chaired Oregon's Maternal Mental Health Workgroup convened by legislation in 2009, and the subsequent committee that wrote Oregon's Maternal Mental Health Patient and Provider Education Act in 2011. She is a founding member of the National Coalition for Maternal Mental Health, and consults to community, clinical, and public health systems. She is the mother of two children and a survivor of postpartum depression and anxiety. She is dedicated to improving public awareness and provider capacity to increase resources for pregnant, post-loss, and postpartum families.

For further info on PSI, visit http://www.postpartum.net

For additional resources, visit https://www.perinatalwellness.net