Pregnancy + Postpartum + Parenthood Therapy Chicago

Taking on the identity of a parent can be a landmine, and when that landmine gets tripped, it can look much different than classic postpartum depression. It can look like always doing and moving and worrying, because of a fear of everything falling apart if you slow down. It can look like feeling disconnected from or mistrusting of your body or emotions. It can look like parts of your past and the ways you were parented floating up to the surface. It can look like rage, helplessness, and scary intrusive thought.  What is often billed as simple, linear, and seamless can be filled with complicated emotions, experiences, and a sense of overwhelm. 

 I work with people on all points of the birthing path- whether you are just thinking about having a child, trying to conceive, are pregnant or postpartum .  This includes people struggling with infertility, pregnancy and infant loss, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, and birth trauma, as well as partners and birth workers.

I believe that the ways people learn to create safety and stability when they are young imprint within their minds and bodies and are often activated when they experience destabilizing events (which, let’s be real, becoming a parent is one of those events, even in the best circumstances).  I work with clients to examine those safety measures, honor them for how they once helped, but work to create new measures that reflect their current needs.  As the worlds of perinatal mental health, COVID-19, and racial justice intersect, finding safety, support, and self-regulation is overdue.  

I refuse to separate my clinical work from larger systemic issues of birth justice and trauma.  I believe strongly in the core values of the social work profession, and disagree that those of us working in a clinical capacity should be a blank slate.  As a white woman, I feel it is incumbent upon me to avoid doing harm with my many privileges, and to have difficult conversations about who created the fields of mental health and psychology, and power differentials within these fields and who they serve.  As someone who works extensively with trauma and maternal health, it is impossible for me to “be neutral” about how issues of race, gender, class , etc show up in these populations.  Although I am proud of the work I do on an individual level with clients, and have unending respect for their resilience, I am also aware that my work does not end there, and that issues of trauma and maternal health must be addressed on a systemic level as well.

Ready to get started? Request an appointment, or sign up for my email list to stay informed about upcoming groups, workshops, and other events. Telehealth is available to clients in the states of Illinois and Louisiana, and in-person sessions are available to clients in the Chicago area.

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