As a therapist who specializes in perinatal mental health and sex/couples therapy, I often witness what happens when romantic love meets sleep deprivation, hormonal changes, and a tiny crying human alarm clock that doesn’t come with a snooze button. In the postpartum period, partners might feel more like cranky roommates than starry-eyed soulmates. If this…
The Wildflower Blog
Venture into the heart of therapy with the Wildflower blog. We delve into topics that matter, blending therapeutic expertise with genuine stories of hope and transformation. *Please note that our blogs are designed to inform only and are not intended to diagnose or treat mental health disorders.
Therapist Spotlight: Jackie Bellefontaine, MSW, MPH, LCSW
Jackie is a psychotherapist at Wildflower. In her clinical practice, Jackie draws on Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Jackie works with adults and families experiencing stressful transitions including the transition to parenthood, anxiety, mood disorders, birth trauma, sexual challenges, and relationship issues. Jackie has experience in addressing postpartum…
Menstrual Cycle and Mental Health: What to Know and How to Cope
Many women know that their menstrual cycle can impact mood, but don’t know the specifics of how each phase of the cycle can affect them. Research shows that changes in estrogen and progesterone can affect emotional regulation, cognitive function, and overall mental well-being (Handy et al., 2022), with each part of the cycle exerting a different…
Healing Sex After Sexual Trauma
Sex after sexual trauma can bring up a whole host of emotions. To be clear, some survivors of sexual violence don’t experience changes in their relationship with sex, while many others do. All reactions to trauma are valid–your mind and body are responding to protect you from experiencing further harm. This article is for those…
The Many Faces of Postpartum Worry
The postpartum period is often described as a time of joy and bonding, but for many new moms, it’s also a time of worry. Transition to parenthood is a significant life change, bringing emotional, hormonal, relationship, and lifestyle shifts all at once. Caring for a newborn while adjusting to your life being completely different makes…
From Overwhelm to Connection: Managing Emotional Flooding as a Couple
Being overwhelmed is something that everyone has experienced. When we are in this overwhelmed state, we are not able to be our best selves, and it sometimes feels like we have lost control of our emotions and our actions. This experience can feel like we are “seeing red” or like it saps us of all…
Therapy Insights: Learning to Control What We Can Control
You may have heard the old phrase, “Nothing is certain except death and taxes.” This quote resonated with me as I with thinking about this post, mostly for its incompleteness, especially in the context of my work. Being a therapist, one thing I witness day in and day out is the inevitability of pain. If…
Supporting Trauma Survivors During the Perinatal Period
The perinatal period can be challenging, and for those who have experienced trauma, it can be triggering. Survivors of trauma who are pregnant, trying to get pregnant, struggling with infertility, or have delivered children often encounter situations that remind them of previous trauma. These experiences may be traumatizing in and of themselves. Loved ones of…
The Importance of New Moms Support Groups
All Moms Need Support Whether you are a first time mom, or welcoming additional children to your family, a new moms support group can be a lifeline, providing a validating, warm, and supportive space to share your experience and learn from others in this same stage of life. When we share our joys and challenges…
Perimenopause and Mental Health: An Interview with Reproductive Psychiatrist Dr. Vesna Pirec, MD, PhD
Perimenopause is a major life transition that affects both the body and mind. While it’s often recognized for causing irregular periods and hot flashes, its impact on mental health can be just as significant. In this conversation, Wildflower’s co-founder Aga Grabowski, LCSW, PMH-C, CST, interviews Dr. Vesna Pirec, MD, PhD, a board-certified psychiatrist specializing in…
