Pregnancy, birth, and parenting is usually thought of as joyful events, but for most people they are also accompanied by some degree of loss, grief, anxiety, and uncertainty. I often compare having a baby to walking into a brick wall. It stops you in your tracks. No matter how prepared you think you are, you aren’t. Supporting individuals and families emotional and mental wellness as they navigate life transitions is at the center of Heart of Houston’s mission and we are excited to partner with The Center for Postpartum and Family Health to achieve this goal.
The Center for Postpartum Family Health is a group of licensed professional counselors, social workers and marriage and family therapists specializing in mental health services related to challenges associated with pregnancy and postpartum depression and anxiety. Their clinicians are passionate about supporting new mothers and their families in working through a variety of challenges including grief and loss, postpartum mood and anxiety disorders, infertility, birth trauma, self-care, family/couple adjustment to children, and couples counseling.
Kim Jones, M.A., LMFT, LPC, one of CPFH’s therapists understands the importance of supporting families in addressing important issues at a stage in life that will impact the youngest members for their lifetime, “It’s truly a privilege to see the changes that can take place within the safety of the therapeutic relationship. To see a mother who was struggling begin to more fully enjoy her experiences of life and motherhood is truly rewarding. Seeing couples become able to step out of gridlock and find ways to connect with each other is also so rewarding. Many of our clients are breaking generational cycles of family dysfunction and untreated mental health conditions.”
Women come to CPFH seeking support for a variety of issues. Some are experiencing a life-threatening and painful mental health condition, and need a care plan and psychotherapy to become well again, while other moms need a safe space to process the immeasurable experience of transitioning to motherhood. Mental and relational health of the parents can have a huge impact on the children and growth and healing has the potential to impact the entire family in such amazing ways.
“So often we are looking for referrals to help support the mothers and families we work with in a more holistic sense, and our relationships with the other professionals in this group can only help to provide mothers and their families with access to the types of support that are needed.” The collaborative possibilities between CPFH with each of Heart of Houston's partners are tremendous because emotional and mental wellness intersects every specialty. We are so looking forward to building a dynamic center together that nurtures the whole person.