Navigating the Postpartum Transition as a Health/Wellness Professional

On Monday, June 10th, 2019 we are hosting Holding The Healer: Navigating the Postpartum Transition as a Health/Wellness Professional as part of our Wildflower Talks series. This particular Wildflower Talk is open to health & wellness professionals/professional caregivers only. You do not need to be a parent to attend.

With the birth of a baby, a parent is born. Their world is abruptly changed and so is their role in it. Their identity, relationships, fantasies, routines, and attitudes are in a state of flux. New parents needs time, space, and support to discover how to make sense of this unfamiliar reality, and how to thrive in it. As health professionals we, too, experience these same massive forces of change within us and around us as we become parents. We may be surprised, delighted, and concerned by the impacts that becoming a parent has on our professional practice. In this Wildflower Talk facilitated by Aga Grabowski, LCSW, PMH-C, we will discuss the experience of navigating the identity of a new/newer parent and that of a health professional as well as explore the key components of wellbeing during this phase of life.

Wildflower Talks are about bringing people together  for the purpose of casual, intimate exploration of tough topics that matter.

The event will be held on June 10th from 5pm to 6:15pm at our office. The flyer can be found here.

To register online, please visit this link. We hope to see you soon!

 

About Aga Grabowski, LCSW, PMH-C, CST (she/her)

I am a co-founder of Wildflower, a psychotherapist, a presenter and a consultant in the area of perinatal and reproductive mental health.  Many other aspects of my personal identity shape my clinical work: chief among them is the family and immigrant background which has informed my attunement to the psychological upheaval that accompanies major life transitions and to the many sociocultural forces that impact our lived experience.

In my clinical work, I am focused on helping people thrive and cope during periods of significant change, and particularly during journeys towards and through parenthood which may involve infertility, losses, depression, anxiety, and conflict.  I work with people from all walks in life. Clients I work with are some of the strongest, most resilient folks I know. They don’t always feel this way, and they come to therapy feeling raw, maybe lost, and certainly quite vulnerable. It takes courage to confront your pain and struggle. I view psychotherapy as a deeply collaborative process that aims to help you discover and tap into your strengths and resources.  You already have what it takes to feel better, be happier, face challenges – good psychotherapy basically helps you access all that. This can only happen if your therapist genuinely cares about and respects you and is invested in their own ongoing professional development and personal growth.

I have extensive training in perinatal and reproductive mental health, evidence-based treatment of mood and anxiety disorders, sex therapy, and trauma.  I earned my bachelor’s degree in international studies at the University of Chicago and obtained my master’s degree in clinical social work at the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration.  I often present on topics related to mental health. I am an AASECT-certified sex therapist and a certified perinatal mental health clinician. My most valuable learning experiences come from my clients: their experience, wisdom and perspective have shaped my clinical practice the most, something I am deeply grateful for.

LCSW License Number:149016046
Type 1 NPI Number: 1841631132
Accepts: BCBS PPO and BlueChoice plans, Lyra, self-pay and out of network clients

Pronouns
she/her/hers

Selected training and affiliation
AASECT-Certified Sex Therapist
Certified Perinatal Mental Health Clinician
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Training
Bringing Baby Home Educator Training, Gottman Institute
Circle of Security Parent Educator
Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) training
Gottman Method Level 1 training
Dialectical Behavior Therapy Training

Key beliefs
People are stronger and more resilient than they often realize.
Our culture teaches us to be fiercely independent. To thrive, we need to embrace being interdependent -- deep connection with others is essential for happiness.

More about me
I love the outdoors and hiking, camping, kayaking.
I can’t live without chocolate.
I feel grateful every day for getting to do the work I love.