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Supporting Military Families Through Pregnancy and Postpartum Mental Health
In May, which is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month, I’ll be releasing weekly episodes. In June, we will celebrate 10 full years of the Mom & Mind Podcast–480 episodes of personal stories, expert interviews, paths to healing, and a multitude of ways to know you’re not alone in experiencing difficulties in fertility, loss, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Join us to hear today’s guest share her focus on perinatal mental health for military families.
Supporting Military Families Through Pregnancy and Postpartum Mental Health Show Highlights:
- Patience’s work in private practice with perinatal mental health and yoga
- Mental health seems scary, but yoga is a gateway to deeper mind-and-body healing.
- The stigma of seeking mental health help extends to military spouses.
- “Mission ready” and “service first” mentalities keep service members from seeking help.
- A “no records/no notes” approach encourages military members to access the mental health services available to them.
- Common barriers to access to mental health services for service members and their families
- Parental leave policies for military members include birth, loss, and adoption.
- Patience’s story of motherhood with two sons: multiple moves, COVID, her husband’s deployment, no local support system/community, and anger/rage
- Feeling the need to filter everything, especially negative feelings about the military
- Patience’s key message to military families: “Support is out there, it is available, and you deserve it.”
About Patience Riley
Patience Riley is a perinatal mental health specialist who bridges the gap between clinical expertise and somatic wellness. With 14 years of experience as a licensed professional counselor, Patience offers a multifaceted approach to healing by integrating her roles as a therapist, RETAIN Parental Leave Coach, and 200-HR Registered Yoga Teacher specializing in prenatal care. Patience’s career is defined by her work in high-impact settings, including psychiatric hospitals, crisis intervention, and military installations. As a military spouse, she brings a deeply personal understanding of the unique challenges facing service members and their families. Patience channels this dedication into her roles on the PSI Georgia Board and PSI Military Task Force, working to ensure every family, military and civilian alike, has access to the specialized support they deserve. In her private practice, Patience primarily supports clients during the perinatal period through individual therapy, yoga, and mental wellness workshops in her community. A popular keynote speaker, she serves in various leadership positions and has been featured in multiple media outlets. Outside of work, Patience is a creative, a foodie, and a “plant mom” who loves a good festival. She loves doing life with her college sweetheart and their two sons.
Resources:
Connect with Patience Riley:
Military OneSource Counseling, PSI Military Resources and Support Group, Telemynd Virtual Mental Health Care, MMHLA Fact Sheet, and Military Reach (accessible and practical research for military families)
Call the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA or visit cdph.ca.gov
Please find resources in English and Spanish at Postpartum Support International, or by phone/text at 1-800-944-4773. There are many free resources, like online support groups, peer mentors, a specialist provider directory, and perinatal mental health training for therapists, physicians, nurses, doulas, and anyone who wants to be more supportive in offering services.
You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms
Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.
Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!
If you are a California resident looking for a therapist in perinatal mental health, email me about openings for private pay clients!
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