I recently shared beautiful photos from our party last month to celebrate the launch of the Prevent Postpartum Depression course. Please visit the Prevent PPD blog to see.
I also had the pleasure of participating on a panel on the Fourth Trimester a few weeks ago with my friends at Ergobaby in LA. They have just launched a cuddly soft and supportive carrier that is perfect the newborn stage, called the “Embrace.”
All event and […]
Here’s some big news for perinatal mental health: a national panel just released a report that depression during pregnancy and postpartum can be PREVENTED with evidenced-based counseling. KSWB-TV brought me back for a sixth time to explain. You can watch a clip here.
Depression and anxiety during pregnancy and postpartum is a big problem, not just for 1 in 5 women, but for their partners and children as well. We’ve talked before about stigma – that’s the fear of embarrassment that keeps us from telling our friends, “this is tough” or “I’m struggling.” Fortunately, more new parents have been getting real and sharing openly and honestly about their struggles.
Even […]
Today I am excited to share for free the in-depth video “Mothering the Mother” I recorded as part of the More than Milestones video summit. You can watch it on YouTube or below.
Many thanks to Wendi of Move Play Grow for asking me to be a part of the online summit and for letting me share the video for free here. If you are interested in purchasing the entire series, featuring 25 experts, please check out the More than Milestones page here.
And curious about the offer at the end for the video of two free meditation tracks? It’s true! I am giving away two mp3 files of “An Introduction to Mindfulness” and “An Introduction to Abdominal Breathing” to […]
My friend and colleague, Pediatric Physical Therapist Wendi McKenna, is offering More Than Milestones: Understand Your Baby, Nurture Development Confidently, and Raise a Thriving, Happy, Healthy Child … with a Village of Support, a complimentary online training and video summit that brings together more than 20 child development, maternal, and family health experts, including me, to share our advice for parenting with confidence.
Link to register for the video series here.
My episode on “Mothering the Mother” airs April 28th and will be free for just a few days.
Hear more from Wendi:
When it comes to parenting, do you ever feel frazzled in the everyday chaos of having a baby, toddler, or preschooler? Maybe you’re afraid you aren’t doing anything right … that you’ll end up “messing […]
I am happy to announce that I am now an “in-network” psychotherapist for Cigna.
If you have Cigna for behavioral health insurance, it means that I can now bill Cigna directly for therapy sessions and you only need to pay the copay at the time of service.
If you are a provider in San Diego, please keep me in mind for clients with Cigna needing help. My specialties include addiction, dual diagnosis/co-occurring disorders, and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, including depression and anxiety. Over the past 20 years I have helped people from all walks of life and enjoy helping college students, other “helping” or “healing” professionals, and new parents navigate transitions.
Yesterday Fox 5 San Diego brought me back for a third time to talk about Depression. This time they wanted to hear more about Paternal Postpartum Depression. They were surprised to know that dads and partners are at risk for PPD, too. Many thanks to co-anchor Shally Zomorodi for helping raise awareness. You can watch the clip below:
One thing that I did not get a chance to say was that many parents think it is selfish or self-indulgent to spend time and money on themselves. But numerous studies have shown that fathers’ and mothers’ mental health greatly impact a child’s well-being. In fact parental depression affects emotional and intellectual development and has a lasting […]
As I mentioned briefly in my New Year’s Newsletter, Lindsay of Nutrition Instincts recently interviewed me about Postpartum Wellness.
Lindsay is a sweet individual as well as a registered dietitian nutritionist, certified eating disorder specialist and certified intuitive eating professional.
Here is a sample of the interview:
“Abby, can you share a little more about what you do and who you work with?
“Sure, psychotherapy, therapy and counseling are different ways of describing talking with a licensed professional for the purposes of bettering your life. I work with people from all walks of life, but I have a special place in my heart for women who are wanting to conceive, pregnant, postpartum, and parenting. For […]
I have found my New Year’s Resolution for 2015. I want to consciously avoid using my cell phone around my young children. Specifically, checking email, social media, and all those other things I do with my smart phone other than talk. My motivation is not fear of radiation. (Although I do have some concerns about radiation from cell phone use, especially around young brains, and have pre-ordered a SafeSleeve anti-radiation smart phone case.) My concern is being “checked out” and the pain it could cause my babies.
I recently watched a video of the 1975 “Still Face Experiment” by Dr. Edward Tronick. It was painful to see the baby’s distress at seeing her unresponsive mother. The mother is […]
