From the moment I became pregnant with my daughter, I realized that my mental health, good or bad, wasn’t just mine anymore. Becoming a mother crystalized my personal, professional, and educational understanding of the importance of mental health. Studies backed up my understanding that a mother’s mental health impacts the entire family.

Becoming mentally strong isn’t just a personal aspiration, it’s critical for keeping my family healthy and happy. For the past decade, I’ve made it my business to change the way people think about mental health by leading public affairs and communications at Crisis Text Line, National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Fountain House, and Phoenix House. I have a Masters in Public Health (MPH) and certification in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C). And I wrote a book, Everything Is Going to Be OK: A Real Talk Guide to Living Well with Mental Illness, to help people navigate the road from symptoms to treatment. 

I created Mentally Strong Moms during the COVID-19 pandemic, to build a community that supports one another while learning how to become and stay mentally healthy. The past few years have been especially hard on moms. I believe that we can emerge stronger than before. I hope that sharing my knowledge and experience will inspire you to become mentally strong, for yourself, and for your family.