About MotherBloom Wellness - Therapy for Perinatal & Postpartum Moms
Hi there! I’m so glad you’re here. I’m hoping this blog will give you a little more of a sense of what I do to support new moms, and how our working together might help you through some of the struggles you could be facing.
When looking for professional support, it’s so important to find the right fit, and I know very well how helpful it can be connect with another mom who’s been where you are.
My goal for you is to feel better about yourself and more confident about motherhood, and I’ll share a little more about how I think I can do that with you here.
About Keely Clark, LCSW –
I’m a licensed clinical social worker with a specialty in perinatal mental health, practicing therapy with mothers & their families since 2016. I came into doing this work after my becoming a mom (twice) myself and realizing just how hard the adjustment was.
Until I was in it, I had no idea how impossibly lonely, isolating, and exhausting it would feel. I also didn’t know how much I would compare myself to other moms, or worry all the time about all the ways I might be making mistakes. I was pretty depressed and anxious in those first months after my daughter was born, but it wasn’t until my OB-Gyn suggested medication that it even occurred to me that I may be experiencing what I now know was a perinatal mood disorder (or PMAD).
In hindsight I know without a doubt the medication and my own therapy definitely helped me recover from the symptoms of postpartum depression, and I was able to feel better about myself and my experience as a mom. But even ten years later I still feel the pressure everyday to “get it right,” and I have to work very hard to keep the negative voices and shame from taking over my confidence in myself again.
It’s from this personal experience & the tenderness I feel for other women going through the vulnerabilities of motherhood that I decided to become trained in perinatal mental health and treatment for postpartum depression or anxiety.
How my perinatal services might help you –
In my practice, I create a safe space where moms can feel supported, identify what they need help with, and recover from the painful effects of their own motherhood adjustment. I love to help moms feel normalized & validated in the struggles of motherhood, and understand that it’s absolutely okay if you don’t enjoy your experience of being a mom.
I offer a lot of psycho-education about adjustment to motherhood, to help you understand what you may be experiencing and why and an important framework that I use to do this is the idea of “matrescence.” Matrescence is the developmental stage and role transitions that women go through in becoming and growing as a mother, and it can be so helpful in validating why you’re feeling so anxious or sad.
Besides validating your experience, I also love to help you better understand how your body and nervous system work together with your thinking. We work together to help you identify problematic core beliefs about yourself, and patterns of attachment in your relationships that may be informing the struggles you’re having. I’ve found that using a blend of all these frameworks can really help moms grow new ways of thinking & coping that ultimately help you feel much better.
My ideal client –
Maybe like you, most of my clients are women who are somewhere on the motherhood path.
Whether that’s preparing to have a baby, or maybe going through infertility – or coping with being pregnant – adjusting to postpartum life – or navigating relationship problems that you and your partner or other family members may be having. I also can absolutely support you if you’re suffering from the effects of a traumatic birth or perinatal loss like still birth or miscarriage.
Overall I really just love working with women anywhere in their motherhood journey, and helping you feel seen, supported and strong – wherever you are in your process.
How we’ll work together –
My practice is partially in-person in Asheville, NC, and otherwise completely virtual, which means I can meet with you by secure video or phone throughout the states of North Carolina (NC), South Carolina (SC) and Florida (FL).
For a lot of moms, even those local to the Asheville area, my tele-health format is preferred, since it’s super flexible to your schedule, and allows you to meet from virtually anywhere! Many of the mothers I support will meet from the car, office, bedroom, while taking a walk, or anywhere else they feel comfortable.
And if you’re a mom with any other childcare options, I always welcome your little ones in our sessions too, which is especially helpful in those early days when sleep and feeding can be such a challenge.
I can’t wait to meet you!
I hope this little bit from me has been helpful to you in getting some info about myself & my practice. I know with support, new moms will feel better and enjoy motherhood more, and it’s such an honor for me to do this work everyday.
If you’re ready to feel more confidence or joy, and less anxious or depressed as a new mom, reach out to me at motherbloomwellness@gmail.com! I would love to connect more with you.
Take good care of yourself until then.
Warmly,
Keely
