Meet Christian Stewart: Prenatal & Postnatal Mental Health Therapist

Hi there!

I started college long ago and realized I wanted a career specifically helping others.

It was not until having my first child that I realized how mental health assistance relating to pregnancy, pregnancy related mental illness, parenting, and generational trauma is not easily accessible or discussed enough.

Flourish Wellness Collective was a dream come true for me and I look forward to being the safe place for fellow parents to share their own experiences.

My experience with postpartum depression

When I was pregnant with my first child I was very excited and happy. Shortly after, the reality and the uncomfortable physical symptoms that come with pregnancy set in and my mental health began to take a toll, which only worsened once my child was born.

I found myself dissociating and living my life on autopilot. More than anything, I felt sad and did not see the point in life anymore. People said things like, “You have a wonderful life and a healthy baby, there's no reason to be sad. Then, the guilt associated with not feeling joy after becoming a parent led to a lot of internalized shame.

So, I kept everything to myself.

But, my emotions were still hard to regulate. To be honest, most days I did not want to be alive. One day, when I was at my lowest of lows, I chose to seek help. Eventually, I found a great therapist and medication provider and began a long journey of healing my own wounds and bettering myself as a person. I was passionate about making changes to improve my quality of life and provide a secure and loving environment for my children.

Through the years, I realized combating postpartum depression and intergenerational is so hard and emotionally taxing. What’s worse is that it’s not talked about enough. As a result, I have a strong dedication toward helping others through similar situations.

Why might moms seek a postpartum mental health professional?

Postpartum depression took over my life for a year, robbing me of precious memories. The lack of support and awareness was disheartening. Despite regular OBGYN and PCP visits, I never received information on postpartum depression. It took my therapist to point out my symptoms.

Having a therapist you feel comfortable with and trust can provide:

• a safe nonjudgmental environment

• validation for your emotions

• the tools to remedy issues

• reassurance you are not alone

Normalizing postpartum depression is my passion. During graduate school, I focused my presentation on this, hearing from women who felt like "bad moms." Medical providers often dismiss symptoms as "baby blues." I aim to challenge societal norms with the education I've received.

Flourish Wellness Collective, founded by Taryn and Lauren, provides the perfect platform. It addresses the stress of pregnancy, parenting, and life, offering a comprehensive approach to mental and physical health. Joining Flourish, I'm excited to contribute to this mission.

How can intergenerational trauma impact new parents?

I believe most parents intend to be “good” parents. Sometimes the ability to be a good parent is established by how we were raised by our own parents. The relationship behaviors modeled by our parents demonstrate to children how to behave and what relationships should look like.

Are my parents bad people?

I believe there is a huge misconception that if we admit our parents subjected us to trauma we are admitting that our parents are bad people. This is not the case! Our parents are also human beings who make mistakes, just like their parents before them.

To admit to experiencing trauma at the hands of their parents can be difficult for some as they may feel guilt and/or shame for confessing their parents’ “bad behaviors.” However, I see it as their parents were doing the best they could with what they had.

The only way to combat the mental health issues many different families experience is by:

• facing them

• unlearning the behaviors

• upholding healthy relationship standards.

I want clients attempting to break intergenerational trauma cycles know that they are not alone and having a trusting, nonjudgmental, and unbiased ear to listen can make a world of difference in the journey of intergenerational trauma breaking, which I learned from personal experience.

Looking for an empathetic ear? Shoot me a message, I’d love to chat!