"My legacy would be to build these everywhere." -Meet Lisa Tremayne, Founder of One of the Few Intensive Outpatient Mother and Baby Programs in the U.S.

Lisa Tremayne is a Registered Nurse with a certification in Breastfeeding as well as Childbirth Education. Lisa is the founder and the Director for the Center for Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, New Jersey. This is one of the few intensive outpatient mother and baby programs for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders in the United States. Lisa was a maternal child health nurse for over twenty years before specializing in maternal mental health since 2015. She is a member of the Central Jersey Family Health Consortium, a maternal mental health advocate, and has lobbied for bills affecting screening and treatment for the National Coalition for Maternal Mental Health since its inception in 2014. Lisa is also a Peer Expert Advisor for the Maternal Mental Health Research Collaboration, which includes research priorities currently exploring peer support as a viable treatment modality for maternal mental illness. Lisa has been interviewed as a perinatal mood and anxiety disorders expert on radio, podcasts, magazines (online and in print), and television.

LINKS
Monmouth Center: Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder Program

She Overcame Postpartum Psychosis and Now Advocates for Families Nationwide -Meet Kristina Dulaney

Kristina is originally from Raleigh, NC but now resides near Johnson City, TN with her husband and two beautiful little girls. A life experience that was at one time debilitating has served to launch Kristina Dulaney’s life passion to help others. Dulaney is founder of Cherished Mom, the mission of which is to promote awareness, support and education for perinatal mood disorders to moms, families, healthcare professionals and the community. Dulaney is a vocal advocate for eliminating the stigma surrounding mental health disorders. Her own personal journey of overcoming postpartum psychosis is inspiring. Her founding of Cherished Mom, her vulnerability in sharing her story on various media platforms, as well as her support of and advocacy for perinatal moms have allowed her to become a nationwide advocate for women and families facing the struggle of perinatal mental health disorders.

LINKS
Cherished Mom

Her Faith was Tested after Experiencing a Different Mood Disorder with Each Birth -Meet Kyleigh Dunn

Kyleigh Dunn is wife to Ezra and mother to three young girls. She seeks to spread awareness of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders in the church and encourage moms experiencing them. Kyleigh blogs at www.thesojourningdunns.wordpress.com and can be found on Instagram @kyleighrdunn or Facebook @thesojourningdunns.

“I was at the pumpkin patch with some friends. There was a hay ride, laughing kids, and I remember thinking how no one here knows I want to die.” -Meet Nadia Monroe

She Turned Her Pain Into Her Passion -Meet Lesley Neadel, LSW

Lesley is a Social Worker in New Jersey. She has extensive experience in the field of maternal mental health, supporting, counseling and advocating on the local and national level for new mothers. Lesley uses motivational CBT- and DBT-based skills to help manage anxiety, depression and adjustment disorders in a safe and supportive way. An avid proponent of peer support and normalizing mental health struggles, Lesley runs the “Managing the Mental Load” virtual support group for moms in addition to providing individual counseling.

Lesley previously served on the Board of Directors, and as Northern NJ Warrior Mom Ambassador, for Postpartum Progress Inc., spoke at the Partnership for Maternal & Child Health of Northern New Jersey’s “Contemporary Discussions in Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders” Conference, and has completed multiple professional trainings including Mental Health First Aid, and courses via the Beck Institute, the Seleni Institute and Postpartum Support International among others.

Lesley holds a bachelor's degree in public relations from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School of Public Communications and worked at a NYC-based PR firm for more than 12 years prior to going back to graduate school and receiving her Masters in Social Work (MSW) degree from Simmons University.

LINKS
Center for Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders @ Monmouth Medical Center

"…she was so relaxed...the anxiety had completed subsided…I know now it was because Alexis knew it would be over soon."

From the Foundation’s website…

Alexis Joy D’Achille was a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, and a dear friend. Her relationships knew no bounds.  She put all those around her at ease with her cool manner and quick sense or humor – lightening and brightening any mood. She was bold, vivacious, and larger than life. She composed herself every day with style and grace. Alexis truly brought Joy into people’s lives.

Alexis was also born to be a mother, which is why she and her husband Steven were thrilled to welcome their baby girl Adriana to the world in August of 2013.  Throughout her pregnancy, Alexis was her usual, happy self. So excited to meet her daughter, making every preparation and accounting for every detail (in true Alexis fashion).

From the moment Adriana arrived, Alexis seemed stressed.  Once home, she felt out of control, with anxiety beyond the “normal” new mom worries. Though she sought help, she was not able to get the relief she needed from what was now obviously postpartum depression.

Clearly not seeing any other way out, she took her own life on October 10th, 2013, just 6 weeks after Adriana’s birth.

The way Alexis died was not the way she lived. She had a doting husband, a beautiful daughter, gorgeous home, great family and friends, and a fulfilling career – everything a girl could hope for. That’s why her passing was so tragic and unexpected. If she could feel that lost and alone, any woman can.

In the weeks after, Steven decided he would make it his mission to do what he could to stop something like this from happening again…To create a legacy for Adriana to carry on in her mother’s name.

LINKS
The Alexis Joy Foundation
Facebook
Instagram

The Importance of Using Inclusive Language in the Perinatal Space -Featherstone, WHNP, PMH-C (they/them)

Featherstone is a nonbinary perinatal Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and founder of Eucalyptus Health, focusing on improving outcomes for families by decreasing parental mental illness and substance use to decrease ACE's for children, and improving overall functioning of families within communities.

They currently serve as the organizer of the Greater Richmond Perinatal Mental Health Coalition, which serves to improve screening and access to treatment for new and expecting parents and partners affected by mental health disorders. Their passions outside of mental health are in sexual and contraceptive education for teens and adults, STI awareness, and supporting the LGBTQ+ community.

Links
Website
LinkedIn
Facebook
Instagram
Brave New Mom Article

From Pregnant Soldier to Perinatal Mental Health Specialist: The Eucalyptus Health Story -Meet Featherstone, WHNP, PMH-C

Featherstone is a perinatal Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and founder of Eucalyptus Health, focusing on improving outcomes for families by decreasing parental mental illness and substance use to decrease ACE's for children, and improving overall functioning of families within communities.

They currently serve as the organizer of the Greater Richmond Perinatal Mental Health Coalition, which serves to improve screening and access to treatment for new and expecting parents and partners affected by mental health disorders. Their passions outside of mental health are in sexual and contraceptive education for teens and adults, STI awareness, and supporting the LGBTQ+ community.

Links
Website
LinkedIn
Facebook
Instagram

Post-Part: Turning Raw Postpartum Narratives into An Immersive Arts Experience

Catherine Mellinger is certified Expressive Arts Therapist and lead artists of Post-Part, an inter-arts project currently being exhibited in Kitchener (Ontario, Canada) and virtually in partnership with Climb Out of the Darkness - Waterloo Region. Post-Part is inspired by Charlotte Perkins Gilman's short story The Yellow wallpaper, and combines collage, illustration, audio composition and RGB innovation to create an immersive arts experience centred in first hand accounts of Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders.

In response to Covid-19, Mellinger and her collaborators created an all virtual exhibition which anyone can gain access to by donated $25 or more to their local Climb. Visit http://www.post-part.com for more info or to donate and receive the exclusive link.

Links
Website
Instagram
Facebook

"My birth experience became a medical situation and I'm finally healing from the trauma." -Meet Laurie Syphard

Today’s guest is Laurie Syphard who shares her struggle with postpartum OCD and how she overcame it. She was most recently published on MotherFigure.com “Struggling with—and overcoming—postpartum OCD”.

Show Highlights:

• Laurie’s Birth Experience

• Symptoms of Postpartum OCD

• The Journey of Being her Own Advocate

• How she prepared for her second birth experience differently.

• Breastfeeding Decision Making

• The Importance of Story Telling

Resources:
PSI FREE Online Support Groups

From Grace Kelly’s Wedding to a Women’s Shelter—Searching for the Truth About My Mother -Meet Nyna Giles

Nyna Giles is the youngest daughter of Carolyn Scott Reybold, a Ford model best known as one of Grace Kelly's bridesmaids. She is the co-author of the mother-daughter memoir, The Bridesmaid's Daughter published by St. Martin's Press in 2018. Having had a successful, 20-year career in advertising, digital marketing and sales, Nyna now serves as Chief Operating Officer for Giles Communications, a leading public relations firm. She is an advocate for the mentally ill, traveling the globe to share her story, revealing the challenges brought on by her mother’s untreated mental illness and her own lost childhood and education. Nyna is on the Board of Directors of NAMI Westchester, serving as Secretary. She is also a volunteer with the Postpartum Resource Center of NY. Nyna lives in Ridgefield, CT with her husband and has three grown children and three stepchildren.

BUY NYNA’S BOOK, THE BRIDESMAID’S DAUGHTER

"The doctor took one look at me, grabbed my shoulders and said you have postpartum anxiety. I know because I had it." -Meet Samantha Dowd

Today’s guest is Samantha Dowd, LGPC (Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor) at a group private practice in Maryland. After a 20+ year career in nonprofit management, she made a career shift and became a licensed mental health clinician. Her areas of expertise are female and maternal mental health, and she is passionate about working with women throughout the reproductive lifespan. A two-time survivor of Postpartum Anxiety, she is active in the mental health community. She sits on the Board for the National Alliance on Mental Illness for the State of Maryland, is a support group leader with Postpartum Support International and an adjunct professor in the Psychology Department at Towson University and University of Baltimore. She is a proud momma of 2 young children, and has a dream to one day erase the stigma associated with mental illness so all those struggling will feel supported. She gives back by leading an online free pregnancy and infant loss support group for moms every Friday through Postpartum Support International.

Show Highlights:

• Samantha’s Story

• Symptoms of Postpartum Anxiety

• Infant Loss

• Changing Careers to Help other Mothers

• Giving Back through Volunteer Work

• Virtual Support Groups

Resources:
PSI FREE Online Support Groups
Climb Out of the Darkness Fundraising Event

Pregnancy: The Eating Disorder Trigger that No One Talks About

Today’s guest is the Assistant Clinical Director at The Renfrew Center of Philadelphia and a licensed Clinical Psychologist in the state of Pennsylvania and my friend, Dr. Samantha DeCaro, PsyD.  She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology at LaSalle University, and her Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at the California School of Professional Psychology in San Diego, CA. She also provides both clinical supervision and training to primary therapists, counselors, and post-doctoral residents at Renfrew’s residential treatment facility in Philadelphia. She’s been featured in the media as an eating disorder expert on various television shows, radio programs, podcasts, and online magazines.

Show Highlights:

• Eating Disorders vs. Disordered Eating

• Motherhood and the “Body Bounce Back”

• Thinking Traps/Rigid Thinking and The Power of Thoughts around Food

• Treatment Model & The Importance of Relationships in Recovery

• How to Reach Out for Help 

Resources:
Website:  www.therenfrewcenter.com 
Instagram @renfrewcenter 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RenfrewCenter
Twitter: @RenfrewCenter

"I had postpartum depression, so I had a care plan and I still ended up in a psych ward 3 months after my second daughter was born.” Meet Liz Coalts.

Today’s guest is owner of The Anxious Adult and mom, Liz Coalts.  Liz suffered from postpartum depression and anxiety with intrusive thoughts after the birth of her first daughter. She hid her symptoms and didn’t’ begin treatment until her daughter was 16 months old and was 3 months pregnant with her second daughter.  Despite being treated for postpartum depression and anxiety, and having a detailed care plan, Liz still found herself being committed to a psychiatric hospital at 3 months postpartum.  

Liz continues to manage her mood disorder with medication and continues to share her story to help others.  Liz also created The Anxious Adult and I think her tagline describes it best...Helping smart and overwhelmed adults manage the anxieties of business and life. Let me help you manage the logistics of your business so you can focus on the parts you love!

Show Highlights:
Liz talks about

• postpartum depression and anxiety following the birth of both her daughters

• the intrusive thoughts that left her paralyzed with fear

• her 5-day stay in the psychiatric ward

• how she’s using her experience to help others

• how to register for her online workshops

Resources:
Website 
Level Set Your Life Course  
Facebook 
Twitter:  @adultanxious and @ecoalts
Email:  Liz@theanxiousadult.com

"I became known as the mom you could talk to about the scary stuff." Meet Saskia Meckman.

Today’s guest is owner of Soleil Coaching and Wellness and mom, Saskia Meckman.  Saskia was the very first mom we interviewed for our documentary Dark Side of the Full Moon.  She was just coming “out of the fog” of her depression and expressed with conviction that she would’ve loved to have been screened for PPD, because she knew right away something was wrong. 

Saskia has been delivering international corporate training and coaching global executives for over 20 years. She has also been offering stress reduction programs incorporating yoga and meditation for over 15 years. Combining these skills by offering corporate wellness and mindfulness programs for global companies is her passion.

She was born in the US and grew up in Europe - France, Germany, Luxembourg, and The Netherlands. With an Ecuadorian mother and a Dutch-Austrian-Danish father, she speaks five languages and is well versed at working with people from all over the world. She has a BA in Psychology with a Teaching Degree and a master’s in international and Intercultural Management. She is a Certified Yoga Instructor and has spent over 25 years studying wellness. 

Saskia has a unique approach in combining her personal and professional international background with her wellness and mindfulness experience to create transformational global corporate programs.

Show Highlights:
Saskia talks about

• the healing power of sharing her story to other moms early on in her recovery.

• how she became known as the “mom you could talk to” at the playground about the not so pleasant parts of motherhood

• the daily feeling of gratitude that shows up in every aspect of her life

• how posting the hour “for herself” every day on Facebook led to her very popular mindfulness workshops

• how to register for her online workshops

Resources:
Facebook Page

From PPD to Competing in Pageants to Promote her Platform, "You Are Not Alone." Meet Bridget Croteau.

Today’s guest is Mrs. New York USA Ambassador and author, Bridget Croteau.   She lives in Suffolk County, New York with her husband, Beau, their two children, Natalie and Chloe and labradoodle, Jake.  Bridget had postpartum depression and anxiety following the births of both her daughters.  After her recovery, she began volunteering with the Postpartum Resource Center of New York.  She is the author of Me, Again: How Postpartum Depression and Anxiety Transformed My Life.  Bridget is serving as Mrs. New York USA Ambassador 2020/2021 and promoting her platform "You Are Not Alone" to raise awareness for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and to help moms, dads and families feel less alone.  

Show Highlights:
Bridget shares 

• her struggle with not having the birth she had envisioned and her struggle with breastfeeding.

• the moment she turned to “Dr. Google” and realized she had postpartum depression.

• when she knew she was ready to have another baby.

• the hobby she found, to find herself again.

• the experience of using her pageantry platform to share her story.

Resources:
Website
Facebook Page
Buy Bridget’s Book

*SPECIAL EDITION* 2021 Climb Out of the Darkness

Today’s guests share how YOU can get involved with the world’s largest fundraiser for maternal mental health, Climb Out of the Darkness. 

Emily Jankowski-Newton and Carrie Flora are the rock stars behind this event.  Both share their own birth stories with me and how that influenced them to become advocates for mothers and families.  The two met at their first Climb and it has since come full circle, both in charge of the world’s largest fundraiser for this important cause. 

Show Highlights:

·       Emily Jankowski-Newton’s Personal Story

·       Carrie Flora’s Personal Story

·       Climb Out of Darkness

• What it is.

• The many ways YOU can get involved and participate.

• How the money raised is being used to support families.

Resources:
Climb Out of the Darkness
Website
Facebook Page