mom and baby

“If This Is So Common, Why Haven’t I Ever Heard of It?”

“If This Is So Common, Why Haven’t I Ever Heard of It?” Jenny Schermerhorn“I think you might have Postpartum Depression” was something a close friend said to me at my first child’s 1-year-old birthday party.  I remember thinking…
mom and baby

Perinatal OCD Part II

Perinatal OCD Part II Catherine BenfieldWe’re at a point now where parents are beginning to talk openly about the impact of becoming parents on their mental health. Postnatal depression is often in the media, an awareness of postpartum…
mom and baby
,

Featured PSI Member: Elizabeth Gillette, MSW, LCSW

Elizabeth Gillette, MSW, LCSW Heirloom Counseling PSI Volunteer: Coordinator (North Carolina Mountains Region / Asheville area) Certificate from PSI in Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders: Components of CareTell us a little about…
mom and baby

Understanding Perinatal OCD Part I

Understanding Perinatal OCD Part I Catherine BenfieldIn order to recognize Perinatal OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), it’s important to understand the way OCD works and that can sometimes be easier said than done. When people ask…
mom and baby
,

For Partners: How to Show Up Well in the Postpartum Period

For Partners: How to Show Up Well in the Postpartum Period Elizabeth GilletteLet’s be real: the postpartum time is incredibly exciting for many families and it’s also a time when partners can feel frazzled, disoriented, and overwhelmed.…
mom and baby

Interview with PSI trained PostPartum Specialist Natalie Telyatnikov

A mom, whom I’ve never met personally, created a private Facebook group of local area moms who have or are suffering from PostPartum disorders. Many moms had opened up asking for help on a larger Facebook group, so to keep things more private…
mom and baby
,

Before and After

Before and After by Ann Smith, PSI Board President PSI BLOG December 27, 2018 33 years ago, the landscape for moms with postpartum mental illness was pretty barren. Even for me, a certified nurse midwife who lived in New York City—a city…

Creating a Self-Care Plan: Part 2 of a 2 Self-Care series

Creating a Self-Care Plan: Part 2 of a 2 Self-Care series by Maggie Gurman  Having a self-care mentality: How to Think about ItThe way we think about our needs can often get in the way of taking the first step.It's not all…

What is self-care? Part 1 of a 2-part self-care series

What is self-care? Part 1 of a 2-part self-care series by Maggie Gurman 23 Nov 2018  Self-care? What does it mean…? Any action you take that attends to your basic mental, emotional, and physical needs is considered self-care. Surprisingly,…
You are not alone

You’re not Alone

You're not Alone by M. J. Golias 19 Nov 2018 “You’re not alone.” I say this to myself often. Knowing this, because I do know it now, eases the harshness of my anxiety. Acknowledging my triggers allows me to connect the dots, anticipate…

Dear Anxiety

Dear Anxiety by Jen Smith 16 Nov 2018 Dear Anxiety:Remember when you would visit me all the time? Now I need to take a special moment to reach out and say thank you. I love you. I want to thank you for checking to make sure that…
mom and baby

Maternal Mental Health Month, Week, and Day!

World Maternal Mental Health Day Wednesday, May 2, 2018 International Maternal Mental Health Week Monday April 30 – Sunday May 6Helping Mothers, Fathers, and Babies! In many countries, as many as 1 in 5 new mothers experience some…
mom and baby

Freeing Myself

Freeing Myself from My Negative Perceptions in the Postpartum By MJ Golias for the PSI Blog April 6, 2018I don’t “just let go” of anything; I analyze, then analyze some more. Many, including my husband, say that the “why” doesn’t…
mom and baby

Climb 2018

Join Us! Climb Out of the Darkness 2018 The Climb Out of the Darkness 2018 is beginning! This is the sixth year that survivors will share their personal experiences with perinatal mental illness. Some of us have been sharing our stories for…
mom and baby

OCD: Harm Was My Obsession, Not My Reality

by Chelsea Elker for the PSI Blog March 6, 2018 Last month our country was once again reminded of the pain one person's actions can have upon countless innocent lives. The shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida is not…