Motherhood isn't about getting it right all the time.

In this conversation with perinatal and infant mental health therapist Jen Burke, we unpack why so many moms live under the weight of guilt and why that guilt is often keeping us from being present.

We talk about:

• The difference between guilt that helps us grow and guilt that turns into shame
• Why repair matters more than perfection
• How social media fuels unrealistic expectations of motherhood
• The identity shifts that happen after becoming a mom
• Why learning to care for yourself is one of the greatest gifts you can give your children

If you've ever wondered whether you're doing enough, this episode is your reminder that you were never meant to be perfect, you were meant to be human

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ABOUT JEN

Jen Burke, JD, LMSW, IMH-E® (she/her) is a therapist, educator, entrepreneur, and advocate for maternal mental health. She is the co-founder and co-director of Rise Wellness Collaborative, a Michigan-based therapy practice specializing in perinatal mental health, infant and early childhood mental health, and the parent-child relationship. She is also the co-founder of Bloom & Rise, a therapist-created company designing meaningful products that support mothers' mental health and early parent-child connection.

Jen holds a law degree from Columbia Law School and a Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan, where she earned a Child Welfare Certificate. She is endorsed as an Infant Mental Health Specialist through the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health and teaches in the University of Michigan School of Social Work as a lecturer.

Drawing from both her professional expertise and her own experience of infertility, pregnancy loss, and motherhood, Jen is passionate about making evidence-based mental health information practical, accessible, and compassionate. Whether she's working with families in the therapy room, teaching future clinicians, or creating resources for parents, her work centers on strengthening relationships and helping caregivers feel supported, understood, and empowered.

risewellnesscollaborative.com (@risewellnesscollaborative on instagram)

bloom-and-rise.com (@bloom.and.rise on instagram)