Emily Smoot

04/25/2024

Right? 🩵

🙃

Illustration from GOOD MOMS Have Scary Thoughts
Familius written by Illustrated by

03/18/2024

Happy Monday! Always remember...

03/14/2024

I am now certified in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C) through Postpartum Support International!

There is a lot of stigma around perinatal mental health. Although perinatal/postpartum depression is very common, people hesitate to talk openly about it and many women feel embarrassed and alone. Women who are struggling mentally during the perinatal period are not failures, nor does it mean that they will struggle forever. If you or someone you know is struggling, please know that you are not alone and you can get better.

Just a few facts about perinatal mental health…

-Perinatal is the time period “all around” birth, meaning pregnancy and one year postpartum.

-Perinatal mental health disorders can include depression during pregnancy and postpartum (PPD), anxiety during pregnancy and postpartum (PPA), OCD during pregnancy and postpartum (PPOCD), post-traumatic stress disorder postpartum (PPTSD), bipolar mood disorders, and postpartum psychosis (PPP).

-Perinatal mood reactions can include sadness, anxiety, exhaustion, numbness, anger, physical symptoms, confusion, insomnia, or disturbing thoughts or fears.

-1 in 7 mothers and 1 in 10 fathers experience symptoms of depression and anxiety during the postpartum period.

- PPD is different and more serious than the “baby blues”. 80% of new parents experience the baby blues, which are mood swings and weepiness during the first 2-3 weeks postpartum. The baby blues are normal and typically resolve on their own.

03/06/2024

02/26/2024

I love the term "healing". Healing requires us to acknowledge, accept, and process difficult feelings or experiences. There are so many ways to heal and healing looks different for everyone. Healing may present in mental, emotional, physical, or spiritual forms. Healing can take weeks for some or a lifetime for others. One person's healing journey may be deeply complex while another's may not be. Healing can and often will include setbacks. Knowing that can feel scary. It's important to reflect and ask yourself a few things like...

Am I ready to heal?
What will I heal from?
How is not healing affecting my life?

I love to use a holistic approach in therapy, meaning that I consider each person's well-being at their mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual (if applicable, if not that's totally fine) level. I believe that true healing requires us to really tap into every aspect of our lives. There is so much hope to believing that we are capable of healing. I am so grateful to be in the space of helping others heal, and I truly mean that.

I want to give credit to "TheFeelGoodBug" on Etsy for this digital design. I have it displayed in my office because I love it so much.

02/12/2024

Hi! My name is Emily and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW-C) in the state of Maryland. I am very excited to announce that I have officially launched my own private practice for psychotherapy. I am offering in-person and telehealth sessions. My office is located in Hagerstown, MD.

While I have a special interest in women's mental health including perinatal depression, anxiety, and mood disorders, I also work with individuals experiencing anxiety and depression. I am in-network with CareFirst, BlueCross and BlueShield, Medicare, Cigna and Evernorth insurance plans. I also have a pending application with Tricare.

Mental health and wellness holds such a special place in my heart, especially perinatal mental health. I am actively pursuing a certification in perinatal mental health (PMH-C) through Postpartum Support International.

You can connect with me through my Psychology Today page. I’ll attach the link below!

Emily Smoot, Clinical Social Work/Therapist, Hagerstown, MD, 21740, (240) 557-8053, Do you appear to have it all together on the outside but on the inside you experience depression, anxiety, or relentless self-criticism? Have you been struggling since pregnancy or the birth of a new baby? Do you ten...