Description

In this episode of the Unperfected Pod, Brooke welcomes Allison McQuaid, LCPC, PMH-C, Allison is a Maryland-based licensed professional counselor and certified in perinatal mental health. She discusses how to implement self-care and boundaries into our lives as working moms. She dives deep into the importance of taking breaks and pauses throughout the day to recharge and remain present for our families and work without feeling depleted. She speaks about perinatal mental health struggles that mothers face during this period including anxiety, worry, body-image concerns, pressure to "bounce back", identity development challenges, lack of support, resentfulness towards the support they do have, and more!

Tune in to this week's episode of the Unperfected Pod, as Allison encourages mothers to take action and how they can practice self-compassion while caring for their family and themselves!

[00:01 - 04:00] Introduction

• Brooke introduces Allison McQuaid, LCPC, PMH-C!
• Allison specializes in working with moms and kids who are struggling with feelings of overwhelm, identity development, and life changes
• Compassion fatigue is a challenge for those in the helping profession

[04:01 - 15:00] Exploring The Common Struggles During Pregnancy And Postpartum

• Moms tend to nurture those around them and hold space for their friends, family, kids, jobs, and communities
• Boundaries and brain breaks are key for managing compassion fatigue
• What is perinatal mental health?
• What are the common struggles during the first year of postpartum?
• They need to tune out all the noise and listen to their intuition when making decisions for themselves and their baby

[15:10 - 34:38] Navigating The Reality Of Motherhood

• What are the signs to look out for when dealing with intrusive thoughts, identity struggles, and managing expectations?
• Millennial moms have access to more information than previous generations
• It is important to remember who you were before becoming a mom and reclaim that space for yourself
• What causes "Mom rage"?
• The societal expectations of what moms should be doing can lead to feeling overworked, overwhelmed, stimulated, touched out, frustrated, and lack of support

[34:39 - 49:11] Closing Segment

• Allison advises listeners to remember that struggling with mom rage, mom brain, or identity does not make you a bad person or a bad mother 
• To learn more about Allison and her work, listeners can visit Brooke Jean LLC!

Tweetable Quotes:

"Boundaries are key. So not only have boundaries just with my schedule but also boundaries within my time as well as with a client. So, it is important to have some little brain breaks that help me regulate throughout the day." – Allison McQuaid, LCPC, PMH-C

"Mom's brain needs like a PR team to rebrand it and to revamp it in a way because really mommy brain or mom brain is not a bad thing." - Allison McQuaid, LCPC, PMH-C

You can connect with Allison McQuaid through her:

Website: Anchor Counseling Centers

Website: Postpartum Support International

LinkedIn: Allison McQuaid, LCPC

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Links:

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Website: https://www.brookejeanllc.com/