Holidays are supposed to be merry—until the guilt trips, boundary-pushing, and “but family!” chorus kicks in. In this episode, Sarah and Whitney get real about navigating narcissistic traits at gatherings: how to set (and keep) boundaries, use gray rock without losing your mind, protect your peace during gift and photo ops, and create exit plans that don’t require a scene.
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Pass the Pie… and "Oh, I Had PPD Too"
The holidays bring joy, chaos, and sometimes difficult conversations. How do you respond when a family member shares their postpartum struggles at the dinner table—or when you want to speak up about your own experience?In this episode, Sarah talks with reproductive psychiatrist Dr. Claire Smith about navigating maternal mental health conversations. They discuss how to share your own experience, support loved ones through theirs and understand family risk factors without succumbing to fear. You'll learn practical strategies for protecting your mental health during the holidays, what having risk factors actually means, and how to prepare if you've previously experienced postpartum depression or anxiety. Consider this your holiday survival guide for these important conversations.About Dr. Claire Smith:Dr. Claire Smith is a perinatal psychiatrist in the Women's Reproductive Behavioral Health (WRBH) clinic, which serves to specifically help women who are pregnant or up to one year postpartum. She provides both therapy and medication management in the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders, trauma, grief and loss, substance use disorders, and other mental health concerns.
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Pregnant for the Holidays? What to Tell Your Boss (and When)
The holidays are here—and for many moms-to-be, that means sharing pregnancy news with family. But after the excitement comes another big question: when and how do I tell my boss?In this episode, Sarah talks with Aria Allen, attorney and workplace rights advocate, about what every pregnant employee should know. From timing your announcement to accommodations and maternity leave, this conversation will leave you feeling prepared and confident heading into the season.Filing A Charge of Discrimination | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
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Love, In-Laws, and Leftovers: Navigating Holiday Conflicts Together
The holidays can be magical—but they can also bring out family drama, money stress, and fights over whose parents to visit first. Sound familiar?In this episode, Sarah sits down with Erin and Stephen Mitchell from Couples Counseling for Parents to talk about the most common conflicts couples face this time of year. From juggling in-laws to setting boundaries and keeping your partnership strong, they share practical tools to help you stay on the same team and actually enjoy the season together.More about Erin and Stephen:Erin and Stephen are the co-founders of Couples Counseling for Parents, a company focused on providing access to research-informed, psychologically sound online education for couples. Both have a clinical education—Stephen, a PhD in medical family therapy, and Erin, a master’s degree in counseling psychology—and they have a combined 23 years of experience providing counseling and education. They have been married for 16 years and have three kids.Visit them on Instagram @couples.counseling.for.parentsVisit their website at https://couplescounselingforparents.com/.
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Me? A People Pleaser?!
Do you find yourself saying yes when you really want to say no? Feeling guilty for setting even the smallest boundary? You might be a people pleaser. In this pre-holiday episode, Sarah and Whitney unpack why people-pleasing is so common, how it impacts moms especially, and share practical tools for saying no, setting boundaries, and showing up as your authentic self this season.
There are few experiences as universal to human existence as pregnancy and childbirth, and yet its most difficult parts — perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) — are still dealt with in the shadows, shrouded in stigma. The fact is 1 in 5 new and expecting birthing people will experience a PMAD, yet among those who do many are afraid to talk about it, some are not even aware they’re experiencing one, and others don’t know where to turn for help. The fact is, when someone suffers from a maternal mental health disorder it affects not only them, their babies, partners, and families - it impacts our communities.In the Previa Alliance Podcast series, Sarah Parkhurst and Whitney Gay are giving air to a vastly untapped topic by creating a space for their guests — including survivors of PMADs and healthcare professionals in maternal mental health — to share their experiences and expertise openly. And in doing so, Sarah and Whitney make it easy to dig deep and get real about the facts of perinatal mental health, fostering discussions about the raw realities of motherhood. Not only will Previa Alliance Podcast listeners walk away from each episode with a sense of belonging, they’ll also be armed with evidence-based tools for healing, coping mechanisms, and the language to identify the signs and symptoms of PMADs — the necessary first steps in a path to treatment. The Previa Alliance Podcast series is intended for anyone considering pregnancy, currently pregnant, and postpartum as well as the families and communities who support them.Sarah ParkhurstPrevia Alliance Podcast Co-host; Founder & CEO of Previa AllianceA postpartum depression survivor and mom to two boys, Sarah is on a mission to destigmatize the experiences of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), and to educate the world on the complex reality of being a mom. Sarah has been working tirelessly to bring to light the experiences of women who have not only suffered a maternal mental health crisis but who have survived it and rebuilt their lives. By empowering women to share their own experiences, by sharing expert advice and trusted resources, and by advocating for health care providers and employers to provide support for these women and their families, Sarah believes as a society we can minimize the impact of the current maternal mental health crisis, while staving off future ones. Whitney Gay Previa Alliance Podcast Co-host; licensed clinician and therapist For the past ten years, Whitney has been committed to helping women heal from the trauma of a postpartum mental health crisis as well as process the grief of a miscarriage or the loss of a baby. She believes that the power of compassion paired with developing critical coping skills helps moms to heal, rebuild, and eventually thrive. In the Previa Alliance Podcast series, Whitney not only shares her professional expertise, but also her own personal experiences of motherhood and recovery from grief. Follow us on Instagram @Previa.Alliance
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