Shows
Bonds after BabyFamily Vacation: Deepen your Opportunity for ConnectionFamily vacations are more than scheduled activities and changing scenery. What do you want you & your family to emotionally experience on your adventures? Do you want to come home feeling more connected?
In this episode, I will share:
what opportunities vacations offer for families
interesting research about family vacations
4 conversation starters that will help you and your partner/spouse cultivate more connection, joyfulness, and warmth
Make intentional choices together so you can get the most out of these special times as a family.
Sign up to my email list on my website for upd...2025-08-0413 minBonds after BabyIt's OK to Have Mixed Feelings Towards Children & Loved OnesIn my practice I see a lot of resistance and discomfort around having natural mixed feelings towards partners, family members, and especially children. Shoving feelings below the surface ends up causing a lot of distress in Moms and in relationship dynamics.
In this episode I'll:
normalize the experience of mixed feelings
share specific examples to give a clear picture of how supressing feelings hurts relationships &
will offer 3 concrete tips to start finding relief in yourself & relationships by accepting your mixed feelings
At a time when you are already dealing with a huge adjustment & meeting so m...2025-07-2820 minBonds after BabyMost Common Regrets I Hear From ParentsWe have hopes of how our experience of parenthood and family life will be when children come. It's incredibly painful to look back on this special time as lost opportunities for joyfulness and connection.
Today I'm sharing:
The most common regrets I hear from parents past the young child stage
An example of one family's unfortunate experience
3 discussion points to get you and your partner on a more intentional path for your family.
Let the wisdom of parents on the other side of this stage open your eyes to what to watch out for.
...2025-07-2111 minBonds after BabyPreparing for Baby Checklist: What to Discuss with Your PartnerThe nursery design and what brand of baby carrier is part of the fun prepping for baby- but partners often forget that the biggest impact on them and their child post-birth is family dynamics.
I'm going to share 8 discussions you and your partner should have before baby comes. Based on my years of professional experience, these discussion topics and logistical details are very helpful in preventing additional stress and helping to foster a more connected home environment when baby comes.
You, your partner, and baby deserve peace.
Sign up to my email list...2025-07-1414 minBonds after BabyHow Family Relationships Affect Postpartum Anxiety & DepressionAnxiety, depression, & other mood disorders are the most common complication of childbirth. If untreated, the symptoms can last years beyond birth.
Even though research has consistently indicated how much relationship satisfaction can lessen such symptoms significantly, not enough professionals are taking about how!
In this episode, I will:
Discuss how postpartum depression and anxiety can affect and be affected by the whole family
Share an example of how the whole family system is affected by postpartum mood distress
Offer 3 prompts to discuss with your partner, so you can both recognize some unhelpful patterns.
M...2025-07-0714 minBonds after BabyIdentify Your Family's Strengths & Growth AreasGet an inside understanding of what family therapists and researchers know about healthy family dynamics.
I'm Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist Evie Mpras, and I'm here to help you and your family relationships in pregnancy, postpartum, and parenting young kids.
In this episode, I'll:
share what dynamics or qualities are hallmarks of resilient and bonded families
give some specific examples of what these hallmarks look like
offer 3 conversation starters with your family members to start loving discussions about your family dynamics
We can't heal something that we aren't aware of- it's very helpful to...2025-06-3014 minBonds after BabyHow Shame Spirals Hurt You & Your RelationshipsBeing hard on yourself and getting into shame spirals is an all-too-familiar state in Moms & parents. Not only is it harmful to us, but it's also harmful to our relationships.
I'm Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist Evie Mpras specializing in relationship health in early parenthood.
In this episode I share:
Why shame spirals are so common when we become parents
How shame is an avoidance of your authentic feelings
How shame spirals make it harder to show up for ourselves, our partners, and our kids.
4 actionable tips to start interrupting these shame spirals and...2025-06-2317 minBonds after BabyRealistic Expectations for Moms & Parents in Survival ModeFacing realities can spare us pain! Let's face that holding on to unrealistic expectations sets Moms & Couples up for profound disappointment and heartache in pregnancy, postpartum, and co-parenting young kids.
This episode offers:
a mindset shift back to reality so you can actually work better with what's possible in the stage of pregnancy, postpartum and parenting young kids.
an account of what *may* actually realistic in survival mode
3 agreements you and your partner can commit to that will help ease tension and increase connection.
Acknowledging what is actually possible can open up a world of...2025-06-1612 minBonds after BabyStop Avoiding Conflict in Your FamilyToday I'm inviting you and your family members to face what often gets avoided: conflict.
I'm Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist Evie Mpras specializing in relationship health in early parenthood.
I'm going to share:
Why we need to face conflict rather than avoid it when becoming parents
How getting more comfortable with conflict can bring you closer with loved ones.
3 Tips on how to start shifting your perspective to disagreements so your relationships can benefit from more peace.
Marriage after baby usually brings more disagreements and conflict to the table. Your family's life wi...2025-06-0917 minBonds after BabyWhy My Unique Approach is EffectiveThere's a lot of advice out there. You need to know what research and clinical experience I bring to the table.
I'm Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist Evie Mpras and In this episode I get right to the point:
What I specialize in
The many research-based approaches I use
How it all works together to benefit Moms, Couples, Children & Families
No person or family can be fully understood and cared for using only one type of approach. My background in Maternal Mental Health, Family Systems, Parenting, Interpersonal Neurobiology, & Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) is an effective...2025-06-0206 minBonds after BabyMom Stress is not a You Issue, It's a Family IssueLet's take an honest look at how the transition to parenthood is not an individual process- it's a family process.
I'm Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist Evie Mpras specializing in family functioning in early parenthood.
In this episode I share:
How the transition to parenthood can strain relationships- marriage after baby comes with stressors.
How the whole family system deals with stressors!
Why most resources for Moms don't address family relationships
What provides the fastest relief for families
Join me in this swing of the curtain so we can take an honest look at...2025-06-0214 minBonds after BabyWelcome to Bonds after Baby!Welcome to Bonds after Baby! I'm Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Evie Mpras, and I am sharing my expertise and experience in family functioning during pregnancy, postpartum, and parenting young children.
In this first episode I’ll be sharing:
How I can help you and your family
My backstory of why I’m driven towards this important work
Pregnancy, Postpartum and Early Parenthood sets relationships up to struggle. You and your family members deserve to feel loved, understood, and supported-and your child deserves to thrive in a peaceful family environment. I'm here to help you get...2025-06-0211 min