In this powerful and deeply honest episode of Highly Therapized, host Jennifer Petersen, LPCC sits down with Dr. Heather Gonzales—a behavior analyst, mental health advocate, and mother—to explore what it’s like to navigate motherhood while living with a mental illness. Heather shares her lived experience with bipolar disorder, including the harrowing reality of postpartum psychosis after the birth of her daughter.

This conversation moves beyond diagnosis to examine the nuanced challenges of parenting with a mental health condition—making decisions about medication during pregnancy, unpacking the myth of the “good mom,” and navigating occasional stigma from within professional spaces. With compassion and clarity, Heather invites listeners into the messy, beautiful, and resilient truth of being both a professional and a parent with a diagnosis.

Topics covered:

• Living with bipolar disorder as a mother

• Experiencing postpartum psychosis

• Medication decisions during pregnancy

• The pressure to be a “good mom”

• Navigating professional stigma and personal growth

Guest Info:

Connect with Dr. Heather Gonzales

🌐 Blog: https://mentallyillmotherhood.wordpress.com/

🔗 LinkedIn: Heather Gonzales, Ph.D. linkedin.com/in/heather-gonzales-ph-d-🪷-8a74a33a

🏢 Business: https://www.alamobehavior.com/

Explore resources mentioned in this episode:

• (PSI) Postpartum Support International:

https://postpartum.net/

• The Mental Illness Happy Hour: https://mentalpod.com/archives/7051

• Perinatal Mental Health Certification (PMH-C): https://postpartum.net/professionals/certification/

#HighlyTherapized #MotherhoodAndMentalHealth #PostpartumPsychosis #BipolarDisorder #MentalHealthAdvocate #ParentingWithAMentalIllness #MaternalMentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness #BehaviorAnalyst #MentalHealthPodcast

In this eye-opening episode of Highly Therapized, I talk with Dr. Lockhart, LMFT-S, to unpack the growing corporatization of mental health services and its impact on therapists, clients, and the profession as a whole. We explore the systemic barriers mental health professionals face—such as licensure mobility challenges across states, the rise of unregulated coaching, and the exploitation of clinicians within corporate settings. Dr. Lockhart and I discuss real-world alternatives to coaching models, like Adult Rehabilitative Mental Health Services (ARMHS) and skills workers, and examine how mental health professionals have little support or protection from organization. We offer some solutions on how corporations and organizations can assist in these issues. We tie these concerns to late-stage capitalism, shedding light on how systemic issues contribute to burnout, fear, and isolation among providers—and why many are choosing to leave the field entirely. Whether you're a therapist, organization, mental health advocate, or simply curious about the inner workings of the profession, this episode offers a candid and critical conversation on the future of mental health care in a corporatized world.