Episode 66 of the Fourth Trimester Podcast is all about Maternal Mental Health.
Leah is a licensed marriage and family therapist in private practice in the Excelsior neighborhood of San Francisco. She has been providing therapy since 2007, after working as a nanny, theater workshop facilitator, and health educator. Prior to private practice, Leah worked at two non-profits on the peninsula that provided outpatient mental health services and court-ordered groups. She has been in private practice at the holistic wellness center Community Well for almost three years and specializes in working with maternal mental health, domestic violence, and anxiety.
We talked with Leah about the benefits of new parent support groups, anxiety (as it relates to pregnancy and parenting), domestic violence, and teen pregnancy/parenting. Topics covered:
- Hormones and their influence
- Emotions prior to birth
- Anxiety, Depression and "feeling bad about feeling bad"
- First two years of child's life - transitions physical and mental
- Benefiting from being around other parents
- Ruling out physical issues - how physical and emotional are intertwined
Her association with Community Well (www.communitywellsf.com) and our conversation about this organization was one aspect of why she's such a special guest. (Please note, the New Parents Circle that was meeting at Community Well on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month is no longer running - go to the Community Well calendar page to find out what events are currently on offer!)
Leah's website is www.leahchalofsky.com. You can reach her directly at leah.chalofsky@gmail.com.
Listen to Esther & Leah on the Fourth Trimester Podcast Episode 66. Click here for iTunes and click here for Google Play. Enjoy! xo
