Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Joanna Rogers. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Joanna, we can’t begin to explain how much we appreciate you sharing about your PPD experience, but we can say that so many in our community are suffering from or have suffered from postpartum issues including postpartum depression and so you sharing your story and how you overcame it might help someone who is going through it right now or in the future. What can you share with us about how you overcame PPD? For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.
Becoming a mom was one of the hardest challenges that I had to go through. Yes, I dreamed of becoming a mom since I was very little and I absolutely have zero regrets of being a mother. Shortly after my daughter was born, I quickly struggled with not knowing what or how to take care of my daughter and consistently worried if I was going to be a good enough mom to ensure a healthy attachment formation for my daughter. Yes, I am a mom who struggled with perinatal mood disorders, or more commonly known as postpartum depression/anxiety. And yes, I am also a mental health therapist. I would consistently show up every day working on my mental health through the coping skills I learned through therapy and by plugging into my community to realize that I’m not the only mother who struggles. This helped me accept my emotions and realize that I do not have it all together some days and that is okay.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I became a therapist almost 10 years ago and have a variety of experience in the mental health world. I loved what I did, however when I was in a social work position in a middle school, I contemplated if this was where I wanted to be as it added to so much stress into my life. My friend reached out to me one day when I was having a very tough time after school and she asked me to join her with her private practice. I did not hesitate jumping into that position and it led me to learning how to run a business. After my daughter was born, I moved away from the state that I worked in at the private practice and took a leave for almost a whole year. I missed working with people and with my experiences in pregnancy and postpartum, I knew I wanted to help other moms on their journey. I started my private practice in February 2023 and focus on providing individual counseling for moms.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The most impactful areas of knowledge for me in my journey through postpartum was to lean on that I am not alone in my journey, by finding my true support system, showing up consistently in therapy and giving myself grace throughout the process of becoming a mom. These are things that I now share with my clients as a perinatal therapist to ensure they have these systems set up for success in their postpartum journey.
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
My ideal client is working with a mom who is struggling to find themselves in the early stages of motherhood. I work with many moms who struggle with a type of identity crisis when they are in transition and I think it’s important to help moms see that their role is not only to be a mom, but a human who can thrive even during difficulties. I also love to work with moms who desire to be the mom who breaks generational trauma. It is so powerful to give our next generation a glimpse of mothers who are healed from their own childhood.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.theelevatedtherapist.com
- Instagram: the.elevated.therapist
Image Credits
@Dropanchorproductions
