13 04, 2023

Home/ Work for a Reproductive Psychotherapist

By |2023-04-14T09:54:50-07:00April 13th, 2023|Categories: Blog, Maternal Mental Health, Practice Updates|Tags: , , , , |0 Comments

I met my friend Catie through the San Diego birth community. Back when I had my little ones and started my private practice focused on perinatal, or reproductive, mental health, Catie was one of San Diego’s most sought after birth photographers. In addition, she was influential in co-leading a local birth network and meet ups of birth professionals.

Abby Burd photo by Catie Stephens

When Catie shared about her latest project, featuring women working from home, in black and white, with all the tools of their trade, I signed up. When I’m not in one tiny corner of my bedroom for my video sessions with clients from all over California, my private practice office comprises the corner of the playroom/ laundry station/ multi-purpose storage dump-all room.

11 04, 2017

Afraid You’re Doing the Parenting Thing All Wrong? Watch This.

By |2019-11-18T14:30:34-08:00April 11th, 2017|Categories: Blog, Giveaways/Free Resources, Maternal Mental Health, Parenting|Tags: , , , , , , , |0 Comments

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.

More Than Milestones Video Summit

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 […]

18 02, 2017

Abby Burd, LCSW, San Diego Psychotherapist Talks with New Moms March 3rd

By |2019-11-18T14:30:35-08:00February 18th, 2017|Categories: Blog, Maternal Mental Health, Mental Wellness, Parenting|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

Catch Abby in a free speaking engagement on March 3rd.

Maiden to Mother Group for New Moms in San Diego
Abby is honored to speak to new moms in San Diego on Friday, March 3rd, at the Maiden to Mother group at Nature’s Whisper. Abby is an LCSW and psychotherapist specializing in maternal mental health, which includes postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety and adjustment to the new role. Years ago, she used to lead this group, which encourages new moms to find support, community and new identity.
The group has continued on robustly, but recently, the facilitator and studio director reached out to Abby. The new moms have LOTS of questions and they are hoping Abby can help ease their anxiety. Some of the things the mamas have asked include:
  1. I think […]
15 11, 2015

How to Prevent Postpartum Depression

By |2019-11-18T14:30:36-08:00November 15th, 2015|Categories: Blog, Maternal Mental Health, Mental Wellness|Tags: , , , , , |0 Comments

The Ergobaby blog featured a recent article of mine on how to prevent PPD in both moms- and dads-to-be.

preventing postpartum depression

Please visit the Ergobaby blog to read the full article, including the difference between the “baby blues” and postpartum mental illness, easy steps to include in a postpartum plan, and how to know when to reach out for help.

8 09, 2015

Reframing Motherhood: The Photo That Doesn’t Get Posted

By |2019-11-18T14:30:37-08:00September 8th, 2015|Categories: Blog, Maternal Mental Health|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

New moms don’t put sad pictures up on social media.

I was honored when Katie Contrera, a graduate student in the Science/Medical Writing program at Johns Hopkins University, reached out to me for a therapist’s perspective on Postpartum Depression. Chatting on the phone with her, I loved hearing her passion for reducing stigma around peripartum mental health through her writing. Like me, she was interested in the role of social media and it’s ability to connect us yet make us less social. Katie sent me a copy of her article after turning it in for class. It’s good. And I’m honored that she let me publish it here.

Breakfast_in_Bed_(1897)_by_Mary_Cassatt,_Huntington_Library

Reframing Motherhood: The photo that doesn’t get posted

By Katie Contrera

It’s Mother’s Day—and you […]

15 10, 2014

Culture and Language in Therapy with New and Expecting Parents

By |2019-11-18T14:30:57-08:00October 15th, 2014|Categories: Blog, Maternal Mental Health, Postpartum Health Alliance|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |6 Comments

Recently I attended a lecture sponsored by the Postpartum Health Alliance on “Cultural Considerations when Working with Expecting and New Parents.” The lecturer happened to be an old friend of mine, Dr. Mariela Shibley, Psy.D. She shared with a group of maternal mental health practitioners, First Five home visitors, and other professionals interested in helping pregnant and postpartum women. As I focus on helping women of childbearing years in my psychotherapy private practice in San Diego, I always look forward to learning more and connecting with other practitioners at the PHA lectures. You can see more posts inspired by the PHA lectures here: Postpartum Couples and the

29 07, 2014

Postpartum Anxiety is More Common Than Postpartum Depression, But Rarely Screened

By |2019-11-18T14:31:00-08:00July 29th, 2014|Categories: Blog, Maternal Mental Health|Tags: , , , , , , |2 Comments

Most people have heard of postpartum depression. With good reason. It affects 1 in 7 new mothers. But what about postpartum anxiety? Most studies document that this “other postpartum” mental health concern is even more common than PPD, with as many as 1 in 5 new moms struggling with postpartum anxiety. 1 in 5!

postpartum anxiety is common but we can make it better photo credit: sunset girl via unsplash

 

When suddenly a parent for the first time, there is much to worry about. I remember watching my first baby as a newborn sleep at night, worrying she would stop breathing in the middle of the night. And then there is breastfeeding… is baby getting enough milk? Is she gaining enough weight? Does he […]

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