We are excited to launch On Being a Postpartum Therapist: A Process Group for Mental Health Professionals Who Are New Mothers. This ongoing group is starting May 6, 2019 and will be held on Mondays from 3:00 pm to 4:15 pm. For more information, please contact the facilitator Aga Grabowski, LCSW. You can also access…
I am a co-founder of Wildflower, a psychotherapist, a presenter and a consultant in the area of perinatal and reproductive mental health. Many other aspects of my personal identity shape my clinical work: chief among them is the family and immigrant background which has informed my attunement to the psychological upheaval that accompanies major life transitions and to the many sociocultural forces that impact our lived experience. In my clinical work, I am focused on helping people thrive and cope during periods of significant change, and particularly during journeys towards and through parenthood which may involve infertility, losses, depression, anxiety, and conflict. I work with people from all walks in life. Clients I work with are some of the strongest, most resilient folks I know. They don’t always feel this way, and they come to therapy feeling raw, maybe lost, and certainly quite vulnerable. It takes courage to confront your pain and struggle. I view psychotherapy as a deeply collaborative process that aims to help you discover and tap into your strengths and resources. You already have what it takes to feel better, be happier, face challenges – good psychotherapy basically helps you access all that. This can only happen if your therapist genuinely cares about and respects you and is invested in their own ongoing professional development and personal growth. I have extensive training in perinatal and reproductive mental health, evidence-based treatment of mood and anxiety disorders, sex therapy, and trauma. I earned my bachelor’s degree in international studies at the University of Chicago and obtained my master’s degree in clinical social work at the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration. I often present on topics related to mental health. I am an AASECT-certified sex therapist and a certified perinatal mental health clinician. My most valuable learning experiences come from my clients: their experience, wisdom and perspective have shaped my clinical practice the most, something I am deeply grateful for. LCSW License Number:149016046 Type 1 NPI Number: 1841631132 Accepts: BCBS PPO and BlueChoice plans, Lyra, self-pay and out of network clients Pronouns she/her/hers Selected training and affiliation AASECT-Certified Sex Therapist Certified Perinatal Mental Health Clinician Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Training Bringing Baby Home Educator Training, Gottman Institute Circle of Security Parent Educator Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) training Gottman Method Level 1 training Dialectical Behavior Therapy Training Key beliefs People are stronger and more resilient than they often realize. Our culture teaches us to be fiercely independent. To thrive, we need to embrace being interdependent -- deep connection with others is essential for happiness. More about me I love the outdoors and hiking, camping, kayaking. I can’t live without chocolate. I feel grateful every day for getting to do the work I love.
The Psychological Turmoil of Infertility and the Power of Validation
One in eight couples experience infertility, making it more common than breast cancer and as common as type 2 diabetes. The waiting rooms of fertility clinics overflow with worried couples who hope that the scientific advances in assisted reproductive technologies will help their dream of becoming parents come true. What many women and men are…
Breathe: A Mind/Body Workshop for Women Facing Infertility
We are excited to announce Breathe: A Mind/Body Workshop for Women Facing Infertility, which will be held at Wildflower on Sunday, April 28th, 2019 from 10 am to 2pm. No woman feels prepared to confront her infertility diagnosis and treatment. It is impossible to anticipate the shock, grief, isolation, and exhausting cycle of hope and…
Parenting Coaching at Wildflower
All psychotherapists at Wildflower are dedicated to supporting parents and parents to be. Becoming a parent is a tremendous life transition. Many women and men start working with a psychotherapist during this time in an effort to discover what they need to derive joy and satisfaction from their role as a parent and what it…
New Year’s resolutions: Reflections on change and growth
2019 has arrived. Many of us greet the New Year with hopeful goals and plans that reflect what matters to us, be it health, family, career, and frequently, what we have not given sufficient attention to in the previous year. As a psychotherapist, I love this optimistic period of renewed commitment to deeply personal values…
Being with Baby workshop series starts on January 20, 2019
We are thrilled to partner with Lakeview Pediatrics in offering Being with Baby workshop series again this winter. The workshop will be held at the office of Lakeview Pediatrics and is open to women whose babies are between two and six months of age. You do not need to be a patient at Lakeview Pediatrics…
On the Many Joys of Cultivating Gratitude
Gratitude is an emotional experience that may arise in us spontaneously, swelling our hearts with love and appreciation, and contributing to our sense of connection – to people close to us, to our community, to the many things that ultimately ground us and infuse our lives with meaning. Gratitude is also a practice that can…
It Takes a Village to Raise a Mother: Katie Caddell’s Presentation on Maternal Mental Health
At Wildflower, we believe that in order to thrive as a mother and be able to attune to her baby’s needs and feelings, the mother must be nurtured also. Our mainstream cultural narrative extols maternal independence and praises mothers that seem to juggle it all effortlessly, happily, and with little need for support. The reality…
October Is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month
Experiencing a miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss brings on unimaginable grief. Parents not only find themselves mourning the loss of their child, but also that of their dreams, fantasies, hopes for their family, identity, and new social status. Parents often feel lonely and misunderstood in their mourning. Our society tends to have a short attention…
Being with Baby workshop series starts October 21st
We are excited to offer Being with Baby workshop series again this fall. Being with Baby is a 5-week series designed to help women build confidence in their parenting skills and wisdom, bond with their babies, and equally importantly, develop a sense of community with other new moms. The first session will be held on October 21, 2018. For more information, please contact the facilitator Katie Caddell, LCSW. Access Being with Baby flyer here.…
