268: "Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts" with Karen Kleiman
05/08/23 • 41 min
1 Listener
We continue in the month of May, Mental Health Awareness Month! We always need more awareness and advocacy for mental health in general, but for far too long, maternal mental health has been underrecognized and underdiagnosed. So many people have suffered without good resources and the proper support in place. Today’s guest has vast experience with perinatal mental health, and it allows her to see the long view of how far we’ve come and how far we still need to go. Join us to learn more!
Karen Kleiman is a well-known international maternal mental health expert with over 35 years of experience in the field. She is a strong advocate and the author of several groundbreaking books on postpartum depression and anxiety. Her work has been featured online and in the mental health community for decades. In 1998, Karen founded The Postpartum Stress Center, and in 2022, she founded The Karen Kleiman Training Center, which is dedicated to the advancement of clinical expertise and therapeutic strategies for the treatment of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. All of her advanced trainings are heavily influenced by The Art of Holding Perinatal in DistressTM model of intervention, created by Karen. In this conversation, we take a close look at intrusive thoughts and identify those that are normal and those that need an increased level of intervention. Karen’s latest book is Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts: A Healing Guide to the Secret Fears of New Mothers. Her other books include The Postpartum Partner, What About Us?, This Isn’t What I Expected, The Art of Holding in Therapy, and Dropping the Baby and Other Scary Thoughts.
Show Highlights:
- Why Karen writes books as a unique avenue to empower moms
- How the pandemic doubled and tripled exponentially the anxiety and fears for new moms
- How the “scary thought” range can vary from mild to very awful–and they don’t always come with thoughts of hurting your baby or yourself
- Why postpartum depression doesn’t always feel like symptoms–but like the mom is broken
- How to know if scary thoughts are “too scary” by measuring a mom’s distress:
- How much is it interfering with her ability to get through the day?
- How much is it interfering with who she is and how she functions?
- How women are built to function well with very high levels of distress
- Why Karen hopes her book can help moms ask for help when they need it
- What the statistics show around intrusive thoughts about harm to a mother’s baby
- How every new mom experiences some obsessions and compulsions around their baby’s safety
- Why the core of Karen’s work has become holding space for the authentic suffering of moms when they think they are “fine”
- Why relationship problems have to be addressed along with postpartum depression and anxiety
- Why connection to a partner is the #1 most important way to help a suffering mom
Resources:
Connect with Karen: Website, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Book: Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts, and LinkedIn
Check out Karen Kleiman’s other books: Website and Amazon
Visit www.postpartum.net for resources and support!
Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.
Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
We continue in the month of May, Mental Health Awareness Month! We always need more awareness and advocacy for mental health in general, but for far too long, maternal mental health has been underrecognized and underdiagnosed. So many people have suffered without good resources and the proper support in place. Today’s guest has vast experience with perinatal mental health, and it allows her to see the long view of how far we’ve come and how far we still need to go. Join us to learn more!
Karen Kleiman is a well-known international maternal mental health expert with over 35 years of experience in the field. She is a strong advocate and the author of several groundbreaking books on postpartum depression and anxiety. Her work has been featured online and in the mental health community for decades. In 1998, Karen founded The Postpartum Stress Center, and in 2022, she founded The Karen Kleiman Training Center, which is dedicated to the advancement of clinical expertise and therapeutic strategies for the treatment of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. All of her advanced trainings are heavily influenced by The Art of Holding Perinatal in DistressTM model of intervention, created by Karen. In this conversation, we take a close look at intrusive thoughts and identify those that are normal and those that need an increased level of intervention. Karen’s latest book is Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts: A Healing Guide to the Secret Fears of New Mothers. Her other books include The Postpartum Partner, What About Us?, This Isn’t What I Expected, The Art of Holding in Therapy, and Dropping the Baby and Other Scary Thoughts.
Show Highlights:
- Why Karen writes books as a unique avenue to empower moms
- How the pandemic doubled and tripled exponentially the anxiety and fears for new moms
- How the “scary thought” range can vary from mild to very awful–and they don’t always come with thoughts of hurting your baby or yourself
- Why postpartum depression doesn’t always feel like symptoms–but like the mom is broken
- How to know if scary thoughts are “too scary” by measuring a mom’s distress:
- How much is it interfering with her ability to get through the day?
- How much is it interfering with who she is and how she functions?
- How women are built to function well with very high levels of distress
- Why Karen hopes her book can help moms ask for help when they need it
- What the statistics show around intrusive thoughts about harm to a mother’s baby
- How every new mom experiences some obsessions and compulsions around their baby’s safety
- Why the core of Karen’s work has become holding space for the authentic suffering of moms when they think they are “fine”
- Why relationship problems have to be addressed along with postpartum depression and anxiety
- Why connection to a partner is the #1 most important way to help a suffering mom
Resources:
Connect with Karen: Website, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Book: Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts, and LinkedIn
Check out Karen Kleiman’s other books: Website and Amazon
Visit www.postpartum.net for resources and support!
Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.
Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Previous Episode
267: Groundbreaking Spanish Language Perinatal Mental Health Training and Resources
Sabemos que 1 de cada 7 mujeres (1 de cada 10 padres) experimenta síntomas de depresión y ansiedad durante su etapa posparto. Los Trastornos del Estado de Ánimo Perinatal (PMD) durante el embarazo y dentro del primer año después del parto, pueden manifestarse en las personas de todas las edades, niveles de ingresos, raza y cultura.
En este episodio, me acompañan Karla Cardoza, LMFT, PMH-C, y Marianela Rodriguez, Ph.D., PMH-C para hablar mas sobre este importante tema e informar a las mamas de habla Hispana.
Comparten sobre el desarrollo de los programas de Postpartum Support International para la salud mental de la mama. Nos informan sobre el trastorno del estado de animo y ansiedad en la etapa perinatal, y los recursos disponibles en español.
También comparten lo importante que es que más profesionales en el campo medico obtengan la certificación para entender sobre la salud mental materna.
¡Acompáñanos! Y comparte este podcast con todas las mamas que hablen español.
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Next Episode
269: Dr. Kat's Postpartum Story - Interviewed by Karen Kleiman
Today is a very special episode because I not only have the pleasure of hosting this podcast, but I am also the guest. Yes, that's right! Today, in honor of Maternal Mental Health Month, I'm opening up my heart and sharing my postpartum story with you once again; I last told my story way back in Episode 1 in June 2016. I want all of you who know me as Dr. Kat professionally to understand why I am so deeply passionate about the cause of maternal mental health. Join us now!
Karen Kleiman is a well-known international maternal mental-health expert with over 35 years of experience. As an advocate and author of several groundbreaking books on postpartum depression and anxiety, her work has been featured on the internet and within the mental health community for decades. In 1988, Karen founded The Postpartum Stress Center, a treatment and training facility for prenatal and postpartum depression and anxiety.
Katayune Kaeni, Psy.D. PMH-C, “Dr. Kat,” is a perinatal mental health-certified psychologist, author of The Pregnancy Workbook: Manage Anxiety and Worry with CBT and Mindfulness Techniques, and host of the Mom & Mind Podcast, covering personal stories and expert interviews related to perinatal mental health. She is also the board chair of Postpartum Support International, an organization whose mission is to promote awareness, prevention, and treatment of mental health issues related to childbearing in every country worldwide. Dr. Kat began specializing in perinatal mental health after her own experience with postpartum depression, anxiety, and OCD over 12 years ago. Dr. Kat continues to work virtually with clients across California.
Show Highlights:
- How Dr. Kat’s first pregnancy, even though planned and easy, resulted in a long, difficult labor that jump-started postpartum depression, anxiety, and OCD
- Why new moms struggle to know what’s normal, not normal, too much, or not enough
- How feeling inadequate and incompetent as a new mom was part of Dr. Kat’s anxiety and her battle with perfectionism
- How she felt alone and disconnected even from her husband, and NO ONE knew what was happening on the inside
- How scary intrusive thoughts put her in emotional turmoil
- Why shame and stigma are greater for mental health professionals–and will silence them at times
- How Dr. Kat carried on her therapy work with clients as the depression grew, making her feel trapped, exhausted, embarrassed, and confused
- How finally taking the PHQ-9 depression screening test for herself finally opened her eyes to the truth of what she was going through
- How she shut down even with her therapist and turned to a naturopathic physician, acupuncture, and other healing alternatives
- Why therapists MUST address the suffering client in front of them with curiosity and questions
- Why Dr. Kat is so deeply driven to help other moms break through and find the help and support to know that THEY WILL BE OK
Resources:
Connect with Karen: Website, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Book: Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts and LinkedIn
Check out Karen Kleiman’s other books: Website and Amazon
Visit www.postpartum.net for resources and support!
Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.
Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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