In my years as a psychologist specializing in perinatal mental health and parenthood, I’ve come to a startling conclusion: moms aren’t special. Society places impossible expectations on mothers, casting us as “superhuman,” capable of doing it all. This unrealistic standard leaves us battling guilt and shame when we can’t live up to the myth. In this post, I break down the Supermom myth, discuss the roots of mom guilt, and explain why we need to release these harmful beliefs for our well-being. Ready to fight back against mom guilt and embrace imperfection? Let’s dive in.

Supporting a nonbinary child is an ongoing journey that begins with understanding and empathy. By listening to your child's experiences, educating yourself on nonbinary identities, and fostering a safe and inclusive environment, you empower your child to live as their authentic self.

I'm excited to share that I have been featured in a Well+Good article discussing the critical topic of weight stigma in prenatal care. In the article, I highlight the struggles many of my clients face, including being denied fertility treatment due to BMI and receiving condescending nutrition advice. Read more to understand the importance of compassionate and inclusive prenatal care.

You might feel as though your partner is just a roommate during this time or you might not even like your partner right now. It happens, but just because it’s common doesn’t mean we don’t want to address it and attend to it. Having a baby is a different experience for each person in the partnership…

Gender disappointment is a shorthand way of describing numerous reasons why someone has a preference or feels disappointment about the sex of their baby.

The rate of diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is rising in adults at four times the rate of diagnosis for children. Notably, many adults are diagnosed with ADHD after one of their children received the same diagnosis

Grief is at the center of the intense and complex emotions around embryo disposition, says Emma Basch, a psychologist in D.C. who counsels people struggling with infertility.

Anxiety is a normal and expected part of pregnancy because it’s a normal, expected and necessary part of being a human. While some degree of anxiety is typical, if your worry is feeling all consuming, gets in the way of daily life or is impacting your sleep or physical health, you may have an anxiety disorder.

It turns out EMDR practitioners agree that EMDR is a great option if you’ve experienced birth trauma. (Or any other trauma for that matter.) I decided to interview 4 EMDR clinicians for this piece. These therapists are Emma Basch, Psy.D., Julie Bindeman, Psy.D, Sultana Karim, M.A., LCPC, LPC, CCTP, Megan MacCutcheon, LPC, PMH-C.

Congratulations – you’re pregnant! Perhaps you’ve spent years seeking fertility treatment, are pregnant after a loss or relied on a gamete donor or gestational carrier, or maybe conceiving without intervention was simple for you. You’ve scheduled your OB or midwife appointment and are diligently taking your prenatal vitamins. But are you taking care of your emotional health?

Topics covered include perinatal mental health and matrescence.

But there is something off-putting about the confluence of social media and for-profit parenting advice. Emma Basch, a Washington DC-based therapist who frequently works with mothers of young children, says she has watched various parenting trends come and go, almost like fad diets.