In this episode, Sarah and Whitney are giving you real mental health toolbox tips (and some life-lesson therapy truths) to help you survive the transition back to school. Because unfortunately, your nervous system doesn’t know the difference between being chased by a saber-tooth tiger and a Monday morning car line meltdown.From breathwork to boundary setting, thought reframes to sensory resets—we’ve got the tools you didn’t know you needed.
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Working with Your Kid's Teacher with Pam Allyn
In this episode, Sarah sits down with veteran educator Pam to talk about one of the trickiest parts of parenting: how to actually communicate with your child’s teacher. From academic concerns to social dynamics, they explore what works, what doesn’t, and why taking a thoughtful pause before hitting “send” on that email can make all the difference. Pam shares personal stories and practical strategies for building respectful, effective relationships with teachers—including the power of face-to-face conversations, trusting your gut when something feels off, and using school resources when needed. They also highlight the often-overlooked impact of simply expressing appreciation. Whether you're parenting a kindergartener or a teenager, this episode is full of real talk, helpful tools, and a reminder that teachers and parents are on the same team.About PamPam Allyn is the founder and CEO of Dewey, a pioneering learning platform built to fuel the wellbeing of families and their caregivers at the powerful intersections of home, work and learning.She is a leading literacy expert, author, activist and advocate for children, and a motivational speaker.Visit Pam at her website here.Learn more about Pam's book What to Read When: The Books and Stories to Read with Your Child--and All the Best Times to Read Them.
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Hey Whitney!
Your favorite maternal mental therapist is back answering your questions! From not loving every second of motherhood, mom guilt, to feeling the weight of that super mom cape to knowing when it is postpartum depression vs baby blues we dive into what you want to hear!Love Hey Whitney episodes? Don’t forget to go back and listen to our previous episodes.
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Interview with Dr. Kevin Shrestha: Gestational Diabetes
We’ve all heard about the infamous sugary drink 🥤—but what exactly is Gestational Diabetes (GDM), and why does it matter beyond just blood sugar levels?In this episode, Sarah sits down with Dr. Kevin Shrestha, a Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist, to break it all down. They discuss:✅ What Gestational Diabetes is and how it’s diagnosed✅ The impact on both mom’s and baby’s health✅ How GDM can affect mental health during pregnancy and postpartum✅ Steps you can take to manage it and advocate for yourselfWhether you’ve been diagnosed with GDM or just want to be informed, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss!
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Birth Trauma Awareness Week with Dr. Sharon Dekel
Can giving birth be traumatic? Harvard Associate Professor Dr. Sharon Dickel says yes—and it’s more common than you think. In this eye-opening episode, she breaks down the biology of postpartum PTSD, the signs we often miss, and why better screening and trauma-informed care are urgently needed. If you care about maternal health, this conversation will change how you see birth forever.More about Dr. Sharon Dekel:Dr. Sharon Dekel is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and the Director of the Postpartum Traumatic Stress Disorders Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the Dekel Lab at HMS and MGH. She earned a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University and completed her clinical internship training at Columbia Medical Center followed by a research postdoctoral fellowship in a leading international Trauma lab. Dr. Dekel is also a licensed clinical psychologist.Read more about the Postpartum Traumatic Stress Disorders Research Project and Dr. Sharon Dekel Tsvetkov, MPhil, PhD.
There are few experiences as universal to human existence as pregnancy and childbirth, and yet its most difficult parts — perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) — are still dealt with in the shadows, shrouded in stigma. The fact is 1 in 5 new and expecting birthing people will experience a PMAD, yet among those who do many are afraid to talk about it, some are not even aware they’re experiencing one, and others don’t know where to turn for help. The fact is, when someone suffers from a maternal mental health disorder it affects not only them, their babies, partners, and families - it impacts our communities.In the Previa Alliance Podcast series, Sarah Parkhurst and Whitney Gay are giving air to a vastly untapped topic by creating a space for their guests — including survivors of PMADs and healthcare professionals in maternal mental health — to share their experiences and expertise openly. And in doing so, Sarah and Whitney make it easy to dig deep and get real about the facts of perinatal mental health, fostering discussions about the raw realities of motherhood. Not only will Previa Alliance Podcast listeners walk away from each episode with a sense of belonging, they’ll also be armed with evidence-based tools for healing, coping mechanisms, and the language to identify the signs and symptoms of PMADs — the necessary first steps in a path to treatment. The Previa Alliance Podcast series is intended for anyone considering pregnancy, currently pregnant, and postpartum as well as the families and communities who support them.Sarah ParkhurstPrevia Alliance Podcast Co-host; Founder & CEO of Previa AllianceA postpartum depression survivor and mom to two boys, Sarah is on a mission to destigmatize the experiences of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), and to educate the world on the complex reality of being a mom. Sarah has been working tirelessly to bring to light the experiences of women who have not only suffered a maternal mental health crisis but who have survived it and rebuilt their lives. By empowering women to share their own experiences, by sharing expert advice and trusted resources, and by advocating for health care providers and employers to provide support for these women and their families, Sarah believes as a society we can minimize the impact of the current maternal mental health crisis, while staving off future ones. Whitney Gay Previa Alliance Podcast Co-host; licensed clinician and therapist For the past ten years, Whitney has been committed to helping women heal from the trauma of a postpartum mental health crisis as well as process the grief of a miscarriage or the loss of a baby. She believes that the power of compassion paired with developing critical coping skills helps moms to heal, rebuild, and eventually thrive. In the Previa Alliance Podcast series, Whitney not only shares her professional expertise, but also her own personal experiences of motherhood and recovery from grief. Follow us on Instagram @Previa.Alliance
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