Hope Formanek, MS, LPC Associate, Supervised by Miranda Solis LPC-S

05/08/2026

Is it PPD, PPA, or POCD? 💭

Maternal mental health doesn’t look just one way, and symptoms can show up anytime during pregnancy or postpartum.

What you’re feeling might be:
• Depression
• Anxiety
• OCD
✳️ Perinatal Mental Health Disorders also include bipolar mood disorders, PTSD, and psychosis. ✳️

All are common, temporary, and treatable, but they do require support.

Too often, parents experience symptoms like: irritability, racing thoughts, guilt, sadness, intrusive thoughts, or constant worry… and don’t realize there’s a name for it.

When we connect the dots, we make maternal mental health visible.
And when it’s visible, it becomes treatable, supportable, and understood.

💙 If you see yourself in this, you are not alone
💙 If you recognize this in someone else, check in

📞 Free, confidential support: Call or text 1-800-944-4773
🌐 Resources & support programs: Postpartum.net

Spot it. Share it. Support it.
Let’s 💙

05/01/2026

What no one tells you about motherhood is that it can feel really hard and really beautiful at the same time.

May is Maternal Mental Health Month, and it’s something I care deeply about both as a therapist and as a mom.

We hear a lot about how special this season is, but not nearly enough about how common it is to struggle. Anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts, rage, grief, or even feeling disconnected from yourself or your baby are experiences many moms have, even if no one is saying it out loud.

A lot of moms end up carrying this quietly, wondering if something is wrong with them or if they should just be able to handle it. But you were never meant to do this alone, and having the right support can make such a difference.

If you’ve been struggling in this season, whether you are pregnant, postpartum, or somewhere in between, you deserve care too.

Later this month, I’ll be sharing a video series where I talk more openly about what perinatal mental health struggles can actually look like and what support can look like too. My hope is that it helps more moms feel seen, understood, and less alone.

If any part of this resonates with you, I’d love for you to follow along.

04/27/2026

As a therapist who works with moms, this statistic really stopped me in my tracks:

Mental health conditions are now the leading cause of pregnancy-related death in the U.S. This includes su***de and substance use, and many of these deaths are happening months after birth, long after the check-ins, meals, and support often fade.

This is the part that does not get talked about enough. The postpartum period does not end at 6 weeks. For many women, it is just the beginning.

In my work, I see so many moms who look like they are holding it all together on the outside but are quietly struggling underneath. Anxiety that will not turn off. Feeling overwhelmed, irritable, or unlike themselves. Guilt for not enjoying every moment, or pressure to keep pushing through because they feel like they should be okay.

And yet, most of these deaths are preventable. Which tells us this is not about individual failure, but about the need for more support, more honest conversations, and better access to care.

If you are a mom in this season and things feel heavier than you expected, you are not alone, and you do not have to do this on your own. And if you know a mom, check in on her, not just in the newborn stage, but in the months that follow too.

💛 Maternal mental health matters. It truly can save lives.

Source: Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance, “Key Takeaways from the Latest CDC Data on Pregnancy-Related Deaths” (mmhla.org)

04/24/2026

Not all child abuse leaves bruises.

April is Child Abuse Awareness Month 💙

Child abuse isn’t always visible, and it’s more common than many people realize.

There are several types of child abuse:
• Physical abuse: causing bodily harm
• Emotional abuse: patterns of shaming, threatening, or rejecting a child
• Sexual abuse: any sexual activity with a child
• Neglect: failing to meet a child’s basic physical or emotional needs

Neglect is the most common form of child abuse, yet it can be the hardest to recognize because it often looks like what is missing rather than what is happening.

In the U.S., about 1 in 7 children experience abuse or neglect each year, and many cases go unreported.

Warning signs to look for can include:
• Sudden changes in behavior such as withdrawal, aggression, or anxiety
• Regression such as bedwetting, clinginess, or loss of skills
• Unexplained injuries or frequent “accidents”
• Fear of going home or being around certain individuals
• Changes in eating, sleeping, or school performance

The impact of abuse doesn’t end in childhood.

Many adults who experienced abuse may struggle with:
• Anxiety, depression, or PTSD
• Difficulty trusting others or forming healthy relationships
• Low self-worth or chronic shame
• Emotional regulation challenges
• Patterns of burnout, perfectionism, or people-pleasing
• Higher likelihood of engaging in high-risk coping behaviors such as substance use, alcohol misuse, smoking, or unsafe sexual behavior

Healing is possible, but awareness is where it starts. If you’re a parent, caregiver, or community member, staying informed and attuned can make a difference. And if you or someone you know has been impacted, support matters.

04/10/2026

Did you know mental health is now the #1 health concern worldwide?

More people report being worried about their mental health than cancer, stress, or other conditions.

And in the U.S., about 1 in 5 adults experience a mental health condition each year (National Institute of Mental Health), which means there’s a good chance you or someone in your life is impacted.

If you’ve been struggling lately, you’re not alone, and support matters more than ever. 🤍

03/20/2026

Postpartum anxiety doesn’t always look like worry.

Sometimes it looks like rage.

Many parents experience sudden bursts of anger, followed by guilt or shame, but these reactions can be linked to a nervous system stuck in survival mode.

In this new blog, psychologist Emily Guarnotta, PsyD, PMH-C explains why postpartum rage happens and shares practical ways to regulate your nervous system and find support.

Anger doesn't mean you're failing. It likely means you need support.

🔗 Read the full blog: https://loom.ly/2cW_WBE

03/11/2026

Did you know it’s Sleep Awareness Week?! 😴

Sleep is one of the most overlooked parts of mental health. When we’re running on empty, everything feels harder: patience is shorter, stress hits faster, emotions feel bigger, and it’s much harder for our brains to regulate.

And the tricky part? When our mental health is struggling, sleep is usually one of the first things to go.

Good sleep won’t solve everything, but it does give your brain and body the foundation it needs to cope, heal, and function.

So in honor of Sleep Awareness Week, consider this your gentle reminder to:
• go to bed a little earlier
• put the phone down sooner
• give your mind time to wind down
• and treat rest as a need, not a luxury

Your mental health depends on it. 💭

What’s one small thing that helps you sleep better? I’d love to hear in the comments!

03/09/2026

Most people assume therapists are endlessly calm.

Like we somehow absorb everyone else’s emotions and walk away untouched.

The truth is much more human.

We regulate too.

Holding space for grief, trauma, anger, and vulnerability is meaningful work—but it’s also emotional work. And emotional capacity has limits for everyone, including therapists.

When we feel emotionally full, we don’t ignore it. We practice the same skills we encourage others to learn.

Sometimes that looks like stepping outside for a few quiet breaths between sessions.
Sometimes it’s writing something down to release it.
Sometimes it’s movement, consultation, reflection, or simply giving our nervous system a moment to reset.

Not because we’re perfect at regulation.

Because regulation is a practice.

The same practice we believe everyone deserves access to.

If you’ve been carrying more than your nervous system can comfortably hold lately, that doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re human.

And humans need space to reset.

02/26/2026

02/18/2026

02/16/2026

Motherhood isn’t a highlight reel. 🫶

Motherhood doesn’t usually look like a highlight reel.
It looks like laundry piles and half-finished coffee.
It looks like sitting at the table longer than you planned because someone is telling you a story that makes no sense but means everything.

We think we’re just getting through the day.
But we’re building memories in the middle of it.
We’re shaping childhood in the quietest ways.

The days feel long.
But the season is short.

And someday we’ll realize we were living inside the good old days without even knowing it.