Honoring the Complexities of Perinatal Loss: A Guide for Clinicians

Loss is one of the most painful and often isolating experiences within the perinatal community. Perinatal loss, which encompasses miscarriage, stillbirth and death of an infant in the first month of life, is a deeply personal and often unspoken grief. The silence surrounding this loss can lead grieving individuals to suffer alone, without the support…

Flexibility of the Mind: The Present of Presence

In Part 1 of this webzine series, we defined psychological flexibility, asked some hard-hitting questions to see if we lean more toward psychological inflexibility, and began to explore how our thoughts, feelings, and ongoing pursuit of happiness may leave us feeling disconnected from what matters to us most – here, right now. If you need…

How to Find Your Anchor in an Emotional Storm

Have you ever had a time where your thoughts and feelings have gotten the best of you? Take this for example: You arrive home from work and you see your partner after a long day. You say “Hi honey!” to them, and they don’t respond (not even a nod)! How might you react? You may…

How Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Can Help Challenge Mental Health Stigma in Pregnancy

Mental Health Stigma During Pregnancy Pregnancy is a transformational period in life. You may experience joy, comfort, or excitement as you navigate your pregnancy journey, which are emotions that may feel welcomed and special. Additionally, a myriad of less pleasant emotions can also surface during pregnancy including sadness, loneliness, anxiety, discouragement, anger, and fear. Pregnant…

Therapist Spotlight: Rachel Mintz, MA, LCSW

Rachel (she/her) is a psychotherapist at Wildflower. Her therapeutic approach is holistic, relational, and informed by feminist and queer theory. At Wildflower, her work focuses on those who have concerns around sex, intimacy, fertility, or motherhood, people who have experienced trauma, and people with mood disorders. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Colorado…

Mindful Parenting

Many new parents and parents-to-be reflect on the question, “What type of parent do I want to be?” This question can seem so monumental and challenging to answer. This article offers a way to sort through how to arrive at answers. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can help us in this exploration. The goal of…

Therapist Spotlight: Hillary Urban, PsyD, PMH-C

As a psychotherapist, Hillary believes therapy should be a collaborative process and considers her clients to be experts on themselves. Hillary is passionate about working with adolescents and adults with a variety of presentations, including anxiety, mood disorders, personality disorders, psychosis, and trauma. Hillary obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Michigan State…

Therapist Spotlight: Elizabeth Aljets, MA, LCPC

Elizabeth is a psychotherapist and works with individuals and couples who are looking to make meaningful change in their life, whatever that means for them. Elizabeth has clinical experience in working with anxiety, depression, struggles surrounding prenatal and postpartum mental health issues, grief and loss, complex trauma, sexuality and relationship issues. Elizabeth obtained her Bachelor’s…

Therapist Spotlight: Reyna Schwartz, PsyD

Reyna is a psychotherapist and believes her role as a therapist is to act as a guide in helping individuals work toward living a meaningful life in accordance with their values. Her clinical work focuses on the treatment of anxiety, depression, grief and loss, life transitions, relationship concerns, and women’s health issues. Reyna obtained her…

Therapist Spotlight: Amanda Matousek, MSW, LCSW

Amanda is a psychotherapist at Wildflower. She earned her Bachelor’s degree at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and her Master’s degree at Loyola University Chicago in Social Work. Amanda has extensive training in evidence-based modalities used in treatment of trauma, mood and anxiety disorders, relational conflict, and other challenges. She works with individuals, couples, and families.…