Punk Rock, Irish Twins, and Postpartum Realities: Leah’s Story

Have you ever felt like you should have it all figured out, only to find yourself crying on the bathroom floor?

In this episode of Quiet Connection, I'm sitting down with the wonderful Leah Wright. She's a licensed clinical social worker, certified perinatal mental health therapist, and a mom of Irish twins.

Even with a career dedicated to mental health, Leah found herself completely blindsided by the realities of postpartum anxiety, depression, and the "sundown scaries" after her first child was born.

We dive deep into the unique pressures placed on mental health professionals, the toxic myths of instant maternal bonding, and the unacknowledged struggles that non-birthing partners face. Leah also opens up about the emotional parallel of navigating her son’s autism diagnosis and how she had to relearn to trust her own gut all over again.

Whether you're dealing with perinatal mental health disorders (PMHDS), parenting a neurodiverse child, or just trying to find your footing with your partner after baby, this conversation is a gentle reminder that you don't have to carry it all perfectly.

Key Takeaways

• The Professional Blindspot: Having a degree or a background in mental health or education doesn't exempt you from experiencing the isolating reality of PMHDS or the grief of a child's diagnosis.
• The Non-Birthing Partner's Journey: Partners and non-birthing parents go through massive environmental and emotional adjustments, and their mental health struggles are just as valid.
• The Myth of Instant Bonding: It's incredibly common to feel fear, anxiety, and a sense of grief for your old life rather than a sudden, overwhelming wave of maternal bliss right away.
• Parenting Neurodiversity: Comparing milestones between close-aged siblings can spark a resurgence of postpartum-like anxiety, making professional support and self-compassion vital.

Visit Vermont Birth Network to find local resources for the perinatal and postpartum period in the Green Mountain State.

Transcript

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Chelsea Myers (00:01.343)
Hello, today I'm here with Leah. Leah, how are you?

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (00:06.358)
doing well. How are you?

Chelsea Myers (00:09.053)
I am good. I am going to be totally honest. Listeners, Leah and I have already been deep in a chat and she is bringing all the energy that I need on a Friday the 13th. So I am. my gosh, I love it. I'm excited. I can already tell that we're going to vibe.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (00:22.69)
Trying to.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (00:30.146)
Yeah, I think so too. I am very excited to be here. So thank you for having me today, Chelsea. On Friday the 13th.

Chelsea Myers (00:35.397)
Ugh. I- On Friday the 13th, another for two in a row. I mean, maybe that's how it goes. Is that- that- that must be how it happens when it falls in a February and a March. It must- I don't know. I'm not a math person, so I can't, like, be like... Yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (00:41.848)
I'm really nervous.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (00:47.337)
Mm-hmm.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (00:51.182)
Neither am I. But I think there's another Friday the 13th in October either this year or next year. I think.

Chelsea Myers (00:59.871)
Guys, we can't, we don't need any more of these. Mercury is coming out of retrograde and we don't need any more of these cosmic, like, conundrums, okay?

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (01:11.616)
Last week was a full moon. I also think it's like a thing.

Chelsea Myers (01:14.363)
my God. Yes. I think it was. Yes. No. Okay. It's going to be fine. Everything's going to be fine. Yes. Absolutely. Well, with all of that said, I would love it if you could introduce yourself to our listeners. Let us know who Leah is today and who was Leah before starting your parenting journey.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (01:19.983)
We'll make it fine if not.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (01:41.782)
Yeah, so hi everyone Yeah, my name is Leah, right? I am a licensed clinical social worker as well as a certified perinatal mental health therapist I Am a mom of two. I have Irish twins. They are five and six now. They are beautiful

And I'm also an autism mom, have my son who is five has autism. So very much into trying to figure out parenting, neurodiverse child and neurotypical child in that same age range. So it's an interesting journey. But it is what it is in a lot of ways, right?

Chelsea Myers (02:31.815)
Yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (02:32.762)
And I also bring a lot of that into my work as well. I specialize just overall in perinatal mental health, but all scopes of women's mental health as well, but all scopes of trying to conceive through going through the IVF process, grief and loss, mood and anxiety disorders through pregnancy, parenthood.

and postpartum just every season of life in parenthood as well as parenting children who have special needs and sex therapy for after baby so couples who just given birth and how they can get their groove back with each other

Chelsea Myers (03:19.64)
Yeah, yeah, that is not that is not one that we talk about often enough, I think.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (03:27.15)
Yeah, it's a it's a definitely a topic that feels like it's not I mean, it is out there, right. And there are people who do talk about it and stuff. But it's not one of the main focuses I think that people discuss. So yeah, I just, you know, would love to be added into that as a therapist or just a part of voice of just bringing that to light a little bit more. So yeah.

Chelsea Myers (03:33.884)
Yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (03:54.382)
And also before parenting, wasn't grad school trying to figure life out, right? Like at first I was an artist and wanted to be in just that art scene. I love punk music and I used to make clothes and just feeling a little bit more free, I guess, right? Like a little bit more like...

Chelsea Myers (04:22.525)
Yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (04:24.046)
what our responsibilities in a lot of ways, right? And then even like through, I started my grad school program when I was like 26, 27. And even then I was like, I'm just going through life, right? And just trying to figure out, it's like a mid 20 something chick in Philly. And it was fun. then, you know.

Chelsea Myers (04:26.388)
Yes.

Chelsea Myers (04:44.114)
Yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (04:53.484)
I met my husband who is such a gem of a human and then we just started our journey together and you know, responsibilities really hit.

Chelsea Myers (05:03.444)
Yeah, you sound like the type of person that I would have wanted to spend all my time with in college. that was so my thing. Like, I mean, I am not, I will never claim to be artistic in any way. Like in terms, I can't make clothes, I can't draw to save my life, I can't paint or anything, but I like...

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (05:14.446)
What?

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (05:28.396)
don't think I told you either, I kind of just faked it.

Chelsea Myers (05:30.933)
Oh my God, I can't even fake it, but like performing arts and stuff and the performing arts kids and the like creative arts kids, we weren't kids, we were in college. At least at my school, we were like, I think we were, we were children.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (05:45.07)
Still felt like we were kids though, right?

Chelsea Myers (05:51.295)
But yeah, like at least where I went to school, like we were all this big unit. And yeah, we were listening to punk and we were listening to rock and we were staying up until three o'clock in the morning because our friends were playing at coffee house and like, right? Like that feels like three lifetimes ago now.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (06:01.997)
Yes!

It really does. Right? When you think back to that time, it's like, how I can't believe it was that long ago, right? Like, I can't even fathom being back there, right? Even though there's times where like, you know, my husband and I will always joke like, my god, like when we lived, we used to live in like a small apartment when it was just us before kids. And we always like talk about like, that apartment. And that was like such like,

Chelsea Myers (06:17.876)
No!

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (06:36.686)
A fun time with like really no responsibilities, right? mean, yeah, there were responsibilities where I had to pay rent and you know, still be like a human but like not how it is today. I think things really, you know for us hit when our daughter was born and I think that's when a lot of things kind of shifted a lot with just

Chelsea Myers (06:47.837)
Mm-hmm.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (06:59.038)
with me and not with each other per se because we were always really connected. It was more of just like both of our moods shifted in a lot of ways with like more depression anxiety coming up.

Chelsea Myers (07:13.394)
Yeah, so let's talk about that a little bit as much as it's fun to reminisce about the good old days. I hate saying that, that makes me think of like my parents, right? Like the good old days. So let's talk about that a little bit. Let's talk about like, first and foremost, did you always envision yourself having kids?

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (07:18.891)
Yeah.

I know. I know.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (07:38.702)
Yes and no. Like there were a lot of parts of my life, especially younger where, you know, I did struggle with anxiety, like as a teenager and early adulthood. And I always thought to myself, like, there's no way I could take care of kids. Like I can't even take care of myself. It was always kind of like in the back of my mind of...

Chelsea Myers (07:40.456)
Okay.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (08:05.038)
maybe I'll have kids, maybe not, right? Especially when like, I'm going through like, you know, before I met my husband, like dating and just like, I can't, you know, I was like, I don't know if I'll ever find anyone, right? It's just, you know, one time though, that actually hit me that I did want kids was it was a, you know, I was 27. It was like right before again, right before I met my husband. And

Chelsea Myers (08:18.366)
Yeah!

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (08:33.902)
I found out, and this might sound a little odd, but my brother was having his third kid, I found out, and I was so happy for them. Because I love my family, I'm very lucky to have a close family, but I was so happy, but I got off the phone after they called me, and I started to get really sad, because I was like, I don't even have a partner, I'm 27 years old.

Now looking back as someone who's now actually 37, I am so was so young back then still, right? Like I couldn't even add them thinking about a 20. I know a lot of times like people can have children at all stages of life and adulthood, right? And I just sat there and I started crying and I was like, I do think I want a child, but I feel like am I getting to that age where I'm

Chelsea Myers (09:10.129)
Yeah!

Chelsea Myers (09:21.31)
Mm-hmm.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (09:31.372)
too old. Because you always hear people talk about when you were younger, you have to have a baby by 30. If you're 30, and you're not married or have children, there's something wrong with you. Even though now that I'm, you know, as getting older, and in my 30s, there is no like people can have children and get married at any stage of life, even in their 40s, right? And that societal norm really like got to me then. And I think that's when it really hit me.

Chelsea Myers (09:37.812)
Mmm.

Chelsea Myers (09:48.55)
No.

Chelsea Myers (09:53.467)
Mm-hmm.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (10:00.206)
Yeah, I do really want kids. Again, I didn't know what that implied, right? But I think just the emotional part of it really hit me. And that's when I decided I was like, no, this is it. But before it was very much, I don't know, maybe if it happens, it happens. It wasn't something that it was like a dream to have children until that moment.

Chelsea Myers (10:05.896)
Mm-hmm.

Chelsea Myers (10:10.706)
Yeah.

Chelsea Myers (10:21.98)
Yeah, it wasn't like it wasn't like something that was always like, yeah, that's my goal. We're gonna have kids. I'm gonna have like five kids. Yeah. Yeah, no, I totally got that. Yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (10:27.894)
Yeah. Exactly. And again, people have that right, which is great. Great, right? For me, it was like a little different.

Chelsea Myers (10:38.738)
Yeah, absolutely. And then so you met you met your husband, you met your partner.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (10:43.662)
met my husband, great, right? And things actually happen super fast, right? We met a year, we moved in four months from meeting. Actually, I kind of just like moved my stuff into his apartment. And then he moved into my apartment four months later. And then we got engaged a year later. Ben got pregnant a year later.

in March of 2019 and got married. Well, I got pregnant in March. So yeah, I found out I was pregnant in March of 2019. But we were setting up for our wedding that was supposed to be in June. It was a very weird few months. then, was, know, we were all elated, right? Like we were so excited and I...

Chelsea Myers (11:15.197)
Oof.

Chelsea Myers (11:31.237)
Yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (11:39.532)
You know, again, we did talk about, because I wanted to, we were waiting until I was finishing grad school. I was finishing grad school in 2019. I was set to graduate, which I did. Yeah, I didn't really stop. Yeah. And I found out I was supposed to, my graduation was in May, found out in March. And again, we were just really excited. We're like, this is great. Right. And it was just a really, it was just a fun year of just like,

Chelsea Myers (11:50.78)
Woohoo!

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (12:08.91)
new things happening. It was a lot at once, but I feel like we were so in it that it didn't really hit us. And so, you know, we got went through the wedding, we then after the wedding, we got ready for my daughter and her arrival and she came November 20. My god, I can't believe I'm forgetting November 26 2019. And I, it was

Chelsea Myers (12:17.671)
Yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (12:38.616)
funny because all, you you always hear about postpartum depression, you know, and again, growing up in the 90s, early 2000s, people really thought that postpartum depression, or at least in the media, I don't think everyone thought this, but again, in the media, and what I thought it was, was this idea of like postpartum psych,

Right, like that's I vision postpartum was which again very not true at all, right? and so when people like I did have you know, someone asked like are you scared about postpartum depression and I'm like what what is that? Right and it's interesting because I was already like a therapist at that point, right? Then but we didn't talk about

Chelsea Myers (13:07.572)
Mmm.

Chelsea Myers (13:13.682)
Mm-hmm.

Chelsea Myers (13:31.155)
Yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (13:34.242)
postpartum depression or maternal mental health, right? At least in my grad program. And I did enjoy my grad program, but we didn't really have that knowledge at all. And so I really didn't know much about it. And I was like, no, I don't think so. Because again, yeah, I struggled with anxiety, but I didn't really struggle so much with depression before.

I had my moments, right, but I wasn't worried about it. And then I had my daughter and very, I was so scared. I was really scared that day. I was getting induced because she was a little, she was a little late. And so we went in, I was getting induced and before she came, my husband was like, we're gonna be parents. And I started crying. And I feel like in that moment I was like, oh my God, it's...

Chelsea Myers (14:03.774)
Yeah.

Chelsea Myers (14:28.954)
Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (14:32.61)
I'm gonna miss him, right? Because we just have an hour, right? And everything was still so new, right? And she came, it was amazing. Nothing really extravagant about the birth, right? I mean, it took, she took 24 hours to come out, which was annoying, but you know. But yeah, it was, you know.

Chelsea Myers (14:34.708)
Mmm... Mm-hmm...

Chelsea Myers (14:55.094)
No!

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (14:59.95)
It was a nice experience in a lot of ways, right? And I think that night I was like, I was just so tired, right? And I just didn't know what to do. I was really scared to like have her, but I figured that was normal, right? And a lot of times too, and I remember before I had her, was like, I...

I don't want a lot of people coming in. Like I was trying to set boundaries with family members or friends or anything like that just to, because I've thought I just want to be with my baby and my husband. But I started noticing, because at that time it was right before COVID. So people were able to come in and out typically. They had their set, the hospital had their set times. I remember that night when I had her,

Chelsea Myers (15:45.052)
Yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (15:55.79)
my mother-in-law, my brother-in-law came, because they were close by the hospital. So they came to see the baby. And I remember when they were leaving, I got kind of nervous that they were leaving. And then the next day, was like, maybe it's just, again, I never had a baby before, so maybe it was just this weird feeling I was getting.

Then every day after, well, not every day after that, but like the next morning, we had friends come, then my parents came and my brother and sister-in-law came and then my mother-in-law and brother-in-law came back, right? So like we had family coming in and out, which was great and the nurses were there. But then when people would leave, it was that same feeling I would get. I was getting a little nervous for them leaving. And it was a weird feeling because...

A lot of times people kept saying, you're gonna connect right away. Like this is gonna be just like this connection that's just this wild love. And I did love her, but it was definitely something that felt like, I think I was looking for something else, right? Of like, where is this powerful connection? I just wanna be near my baby. I'm scared that everyone's leaving. All right? And so, and I didn't know what to do. And I was having a hard time also breastfeeding.

Chelsea Myers (16:57.812)
Mm-hmm.

Chelsea Myers (17:04.957)
Yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (17:12.298)
as well. And so there was like, you know, lactation consultants coming in, and the hospital that I gave birth at, they're very pro breastfeeding, which is, it can be great, right? Like, Fed is best. And so I had this idea that I had to breastfeed, right? But I wasn't able, for some reason, I couldn't get a latch. She wouldn't latch the, I was

Chelsea Myers (17:22.452)
Mm.

Chelsea Myers (17:26.644)
Mm-hmm.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (17:40.142)
It was in pain. Like was in a lot of pain before. And so, and you know, I was just, it was just not a, you my body was just feeling really off. And I remember I started to get really upset because I was like, I can't figure out how to feed my baby, right? So it was, it was a really, it was a weird experience. And I started to feel like, okay, I'm also feeling like I,

Chelsea Myers (17:41.741)
Mm. Mm.

Chelsea Myers (17:58.793)
Yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (18:09.184)
I'm already failing, right? When we, know, again, that's one of the first decisions we make as a mom. And if I'm unable to make this decision, how am I going to make decisions of anything else? So it was a weird experience being in the hospital the first few days and we got home and it was Thanksgiving Day. And I was really excited to go home again, very scared. And

Chelsea Myers (18:31.176)
Mm-hmm.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (18:38.112)
you know, we get home. My mother-in-law, my brother-in-law actually made us like a Thanksgiving meal before they went to like a Thanksgiving, like their own Thanksgiving thing, which was so sweet, right? Like it was so nice. And we got home, we were really excited. My dog was very angry. And I, for some reason, again, it was, same feeling, they left and I was scared. I didn't know what to do. It's like, okay, now what? Right?

Chelsea Myers (18:47.411)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Chelsea Myers (18:55.442)
Hahaha

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (19:08.352)
And I could not get her to sell soup. Well, again, I know I was trying to figure out how to sell soup with her. I know she was hungry, but I was still like it was not. She was unable to breastfeed still like I was unable to figure it out and I was in so much pain and I go to the bathroom and I had to go to the bathroom and you know that whole thing when all the things the accessories and because I tore.

Chelsea Myers (19:25.436)
Mm-hmm.

Chelsea Myers (19:31.986)
The first time, yes, and all the yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (19:37.152)
It was really painful. So I'm in the bathroom and I just start, I break down crying. And I'm like, how am I supposed to do this? It was a complete mindfuck, right? And I go downstairs and it's like one of those things too where you're also so exhausted from giving birth, right? We went to the hospital, I went in to get induced on the 25th.

Chelsea Myers (19:50.844)
Yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (20:06.614)
She came on the 26th and then we got home, I think it was the 28th, right? So I haven't been home. And so like, all I wanted to do was just sit with my, you know, watch TV. It was like, I'm getting to Christmas time, right? And I just, and again, I wanted to also be with my baby, but I didn't know how to, because I didn't know what to do. it was, you know, my mom, unfortunately she was going through cancer at the time.

Chelsea Myers (20:11.604)
Mm-hmm.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (20:35.478)
She's great now, she's cancer free, it's wonderful. But she was unable to still come at that time, right? Which again, no fault of her own by any means. And I thought that I was fine to do it on my own because I didn't think anything. I didn't really know much about what this experience was gonna be like. it was, I was constantly just crying and I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to put her down. I would get.

Chelsea Myers (20:38.233)
good.

Chelsea Myers (20:43.71)
Mm-hmm.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (21:02.53)
very scared. got like those sundown scaries every night. It was a weird mix because it's like I really love her. I don't know how to love her though. And I'm also very sad and scared. And I'm just feeling every single...

Chelsea Myers (21:06.339)
Mm-hmm.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (21:27.946)
emotion and I didn't want to say anything to anyone. I kind of was just like a shell of myself. My husband noticed, right? And he was really supportive. Like I said, he's a gem of a human in my mind, right? Where like he go, he kept checking in on me. He kept saying like, are you okay? Like I'm worried. All at the same time, he was also experiencing.

a lot of like emotional shifts as well, which I thought was really interesting because I'm like, I didn't know Meng at that time could get postpartum depression. But he was experiencing anxiety. And I do think in this that can happen where I think that was also because like what I was experiencing and it just kind of it was it was great at times, right? Like we did have our moments and it was also you know, it felt

Chelsea Myers (22:02.6)
Mm-hmm.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (22:23.394)
really scary for me many times, right? But I think what really got me of getting the help I needed was on our first date night out after she was born, she, my mother-in-law came and watched the baby when we went to go see the Star Wars movie, big Star Wars movie. Not so much anymore, but that time, yes. And so we went and I had to, I was

Chelsea Myers (22:26.281)
Yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (22:52.472)
kind of myself again a little bit, right? Like still nervous about leaving her, right? Cause they're still that like, you're still that mom, right? Like you still have these like a million emotions. Like, yes, I still love her. I still want her to be okay. And I just want to be out with my husband, not doing anything else, right? And we go to dinner. We were going to do dinner and a movie. We go to dinner and I'm like, crap, dinner's done. We're going to the movie now. Like, my God.

Chelsea Myers (23:00.786)
Yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (23:21.774)
the movie's gonna be done soon. Like I just kept thinking that and I get home and my mother-in-law said she was great. And I'm like, okay, good. Like, you know, maybe, you know, this is great. Maybe we'll get some sleep tonight. I I think a lot of it was like the lack of sleep. And she, when she left, then she started, my daughter started crying again. And I really, and I thought, my God, like, is it me? Like I started to feel,

Chelsea Myers (23:27.89)
Mm-hmm.

Chelsea Myers (23:40.264)
Mm-hmm.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (23:52.798)
So then I started to feel so guilty and I said out loud and I didn't mean to say it out loud but it just came out like I think I made a mistake. I made a mistake and my husband then looked at me and was like I am really worried about you. Like you really need to see like get some help. He's like we didn't make a mistake. You didn't make a mistake but hearing that is scary.

Chelsea Myers (24:03.66)
Mmm.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (24:21.228)
basically, like, you know, and so that was a, that was like a light bulb moment. And I did get the help that I needed, right? The professionals were wonderful. We, I was, you know, had family come over, my parents came over a lot more. My, you know, in-laws came and

Chelsea Myers (24:21.396)
Mm.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (24:49.07)
we'll watch the baby sometimes just to help me like at least get some sleep during the day. And then eventually things kind of just like went into place a little bit, right? I was still really anxious, but the depression went like decreased a lot. I talked to my OB, I got on Zoloft, I did stopped breastfeeding, we bottle fed, that was a huge help for me. I healed.

Chelsea Myers (24:54.087)
Yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (25:18.582)
right physically and as soon as all that happened and my two three it was like three months into you know postpartum found out was pregnant again and i went back to work as well when i was a yeah and i was a therapist at a methadone clinic and so again it was a lot right

Chelsea Myers (25:30.605)
Yeah!

Chelsea Myers (25:34.224)
Whoa!

Chelsea Myers (25:43.181)
Yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (25:44.686)
I absolutely though, I will say I did enjoy the work as well. It was like there was something very rewarding and it's interesting too because I heard a lot of stories from clients as well who was a lot of women who talked about their postpartum depression and anxiety, how their recovery might have suffered because of.

You know struggles in motherhood or you know the systems that we're in especially with some of the health care professionals like at the hospitals and the stigma that these women would have to go through because of just their own struggles of Going like having challenges with substances, right? Like You know, it's one of those things where a lot of like sometimes it's like yeah

you get hurt and the doctor gives you something and then it just kind of goes from there, right? But just because like the mental medical professional should not treat women like that or anyone like that. that's so like I heard and again, it was still interesting because a lot of these women still felt like, you know, because of these systems, they didn't get a lot of the help that they needed.

Chelsea Myers (26:53.236)
No! No!

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (27:09.87)
through their pregnancy or postpartum or even when they did experience a loss, it was very much like, well, it was your fault, right? And it's not. And so, you know, even like going through my experience and what I went through, right? As someone who is privileged in a lot of ways and then seeing how it also

Chelsea Myers (27:19.216)
Hmm... Mm-hmm...

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (27:38.774)
really affects women, any birthing person, I should say, right? Birthing person in so many other areas, that was some especially like in this area, I was like, I need I want to learn more about this, right? Like my therapist, therapist brain was like turning, I was like, this is interesting. So

Chelsea Myers (27:45.563)
Mm-hmm.

Chelsea Myers (27:58.685)
Yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (28:01.562)
I did a lot more research on my own. I started taking trainings. I took Karen Kleinman's training who wrote Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts is one of my favorite postpartum books. I got, you know, then I started doing PSI trainings and just got myself immersed in this population and realized and learned so much of

Chelsea Myers (28:15.636)
Mm-hmm.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (28:31.246)
the struggles that birthing people go through all the time and any population, Birthing people in the LGBTQ plus community, right? Add people who are struggling with substances, right? And not just, you know, that depression, right? It's more of all of the other disorders that can affect

Chelsea Myers (28:44.19)
Mm-hmm.

Chelsea Myers (28:49.246)
Yep.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (29:00.024)
people who can give birth and what they experience, birth trauma, how you go trying to conceive, IVF and what that can do, right? And it's definitely, these topics people might not wanna talk about, but it's important that we talk about it and bring light to these things so we can really help people feel less isolating.

Chelsea Myers (29:05.086)
Yeah.

Chelsea Myers (29:28.595)
Yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (29:28.718)
Cause that's another thing too, when I was going through my postpartum journey, it was a very isolating experience, even though I had family around, friends around, right? You still feel like during the day, it's like, there's so much to do, but there's nothing to do. And I'm so bored, right? And then when I got pregnant again, I was really scared. And I was like, I don't think I could do this again.

Chelsea Myers (29:45.309)
Mm-hmm.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (29:55.566)
We always wanted more than one child. We're like, we definitely want to, you know, give my, you know, give our daughter a, like a sibling. We didn't know what that looked like, whether that be, you know, two or three, whatever, right? I mean, now it's like we're two and done. But even though there's a part of me that would love another one, but who knows? Anyway, who knows? But when I, you know,

Chelsea Myers (30:14.535)
Yeah.

Chelsea Myers (30:19.028)
Who knows?

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (30:25.246)
we were just didn't know if it was like the right time just because of what I was experiencing, my husband was experiencing like you know it was just we were in like a South Philly row home that was not you know big right and so we I said you know what let's just let's let's ride with it let's see what happens right

Chelsea Myers (30:40.243)
Yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (30:48.728)
we were both on board and then like, you know, after a few days of like thinking about what we should do or like we got excited again. And I think that's kind of what also sparked me of like, you know, continuing to get my own personal support and help as well as doing like my own, trying to advance my career in this specific population and talking to other moms and feeling connected, right? Of just like,

you experienced this too. This is something that we can relate to in a lot of ways that people don't want to talk about. And so that was just, it was just a very, you know, even with my second was, it was still a positive experience. Right. I struggled on my own after that because of just some of the lack, like the milestones that he was not reaching. was.

Chelsea Myers (31:26.962)
Yeah.

Chelsea Myers (31:45.448)
Mm-hmm.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (31:45.91)
very much comparing it to my daughter and then just my own journey of like his diagnosis and that a lot of my things that I experienced postpartum came back when I noticed my son struggling and some of the isolation, the confusion. I felt connected to him.

Chelsea Myers (32:02.663)
Yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (32:09.792)
at that time and I'm very connected with my daughter. I just have to say she's my bestie, love her to death. We have an amazing relationship and same with my son. But with that, it was so hard figuring out services and I was confused and the isolation and people not understanding. So a lot of that came back again, go through professional help and also too of like even putting myself and go at getting into

bringing that population to my career, doing my own research and helping and connecting with other people who are experiencing this has also been very rewarding in a lot of ways.

Chelsea Myers (32:53.63)
Yeah. you literally just like hit every single bullet point on your like you are a pro at sharing your story. A number one like that's no. So I say this to everyone. Every time I have a guest that was like, my god, I'm sorry. I just had word vomit. I'm like, do you understand that that is

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (33:05.922)
I just like, kept talking. I do apologize.

Chelsea Myers (33:18.788)
the best thing that you can have. Like for you to be able to share your story and your experience with your full chest and for me to be able to take it in and not have to like poke and prod and be like, okay, all right, how are we gonna like, you own your story. And there are so many parts of it that I want, like I've been like pinging in my brain while you've been talking. Like, so like to highlight from the very beginning, like you said, like

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (33:23.055)
Love life.

Chelsea Myers (33:48.629)
first of all, there's this overarching theme for you of even before you had kids, you're like, yeah, we're just going to do this. I'm all in. We're going to do this. Yeah. And you kind of approached the whole motherhood journey and your journey with your partner in the same way. You're like, okay. Yep. We're doing this. This is what we're doing. so that that's on brand. but yes.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (33:56.365)
Yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (34:07.661)
Mm-hmm.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (34:11.144)
very much on the right and it's gonna be a trouble sometimes it's like I want like I'm a Libra so it's like I want to be spontaneous but then like I'm like I don't know if this is great once I'm in it very much on the ground

Chelsea Myers (34:25.69)
Yeah, I feel that. But then something we've also talked about this in the past on the show, but I think it's so important to highlight, especially for professionals in the mental health field. like you said, like licensed clinical social workers, correct me if I'm wrong, because I haven't checked recently. And by recently, I mean, like within the last year, but especially at that time.

Perinatal mental health disorders were not even classified in the DSM. They were like a subsection of a subsection of depression. No specific training in terms of for you to get your license or to graduate. There's no training in perinatal mental health. Those of us in this sphere are trying to change that. Yeah, and

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (35:18.446)
wonderful things that are coming out now, but right then there wasn't a lot.

Chelsea Myers (35:20.788)
Yes. No, no. And just like you said, like you said, like when you thought of postpartum depression, you saw the sensationalized version of postpartum psychosis, which isn't even how postpartum psychosis even presents itself every time like the Hollywood version. Right. So you didn't have an understanding of it and you're coming from a mental health background. And I think that that's really important to highlight.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (35:34.199)
Yes.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (35:38.891)
Exactly.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (35:47.913)
Yes.

Chelsea Myers (35:49.461)
Especially when you come back to the points when you're talking about like, started having all this anxiety even in the hospital and as a mental health professional, you can recognize them as signs of anxiety, but you can't, you weren't able to be like, maybe this is postpartum anxiety or maybe this is because now we have, like you said, you mentioned it, like we have all these diagnoses. We have postpartum PTSD, we have postpartum OCD, postpartum psychosis, but I could list the whole thing.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (36:18.476)
Yes. Mm-hmm.

Chelsea Myers (36:19.43)
I am also a PSI support person and peer mentor. like, I've got the whole speech memorized, but we won't go there. my God, PSI is doing amazing things. And I'm so honored and fortunate to be connected with them. And I'm so glad that you're connected with them.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (36:24.11)
Yeah, I that.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (36:30.222)
Such a great organization.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (36:35.582)
Love it.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (36:42.382)
They are, yeah, they're amazing. So I'm so glad to hear that you are too. So yes, world.

Chelsea Myers (36:45.682)
Yeah, I am. am a peer support group leader and I am recently certified as an Alma peer mentor. So I am now doing behavioral activation therapy with perinatal people. So that's exciting. it's, that's, it's not my story. It's not my time, but what I, I just, so, my God. Yeah. but I think it's important to highlight.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (36:58.222)
So.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (37:02.151)
wonderful!

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (37:09.25)
Now, put your head up.

Chelsea Myers (37:15.472)
because I think we have this vision of people working in the mental health field, like they should have this figured out, right? They should know, they should know what to look for and they should know what to do. And I think when you're in the throes of it, it doesn't matter what your profession is. It doesn't matter what you do. It doesn't matter if you're an OB or a gynecologist. If you're experiencing these things, they're real and you can't sometimes you can't see the forest for the trees, right? Like you're so consumed by it.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (37:37.484)
Yes.

Chelsea Myers (37:43.521)
And I wanted to highlight, you said so much. You have a village. You have this beautiful village. And we talk so much about how that village really doesn't exist for a lot of us and we have to build it ourselves. But even if you have a village, it is still valid. Your experience postpartum is still valid. You can have all the help in the world, all the help in the world and still be scared out of your mind. You talked about the sundown scaries that hit home.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (37:49.579)
Yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (37:56.408)
Great.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (38:05.358)
Yeah. Yeah.

Chelsea Myers (38:13.104)
Every day at 7 p.m. I would collapse on the floor. it was like, my husband's like, do I hold the baby? Do I hold my part? Like, what are we doing here? So like, yeah, so I'm just like, I'm highlighting these things to, and you said it too, to normalize the conversation around them. They should not be stigmatized because, like you said,

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (38:24.076)
Right.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (38:35.842)
Yes.

Chelsea Myers (38:41.584)
It is so common. And we like to say, as you know through PSI, it's not normal, but it is common.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (38:48.554)
Yes, exactly. Yes. And you know again with like this house Hollywood with sensational eyes like Postpartum depression as psychosis right there is that fear of if I say anything I'm or people notice right so I gonna take my baby away, right and

Chelsea Myers (39:09.298)
Mm-hmm.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (39:12.652)
So that, again, that's another reason why it can feel so scary, right? And I heard this too, and you saying it was like, there's not a lot of people really, like especially professionals understand maternal mental health. One of the first things that I heard when I took Karen Kleinman's training back, I think it was like 2021,

Chelsea Myers (39:17.374)
Yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (39:36.814)
Yeah, 21. She says like, you would never be able to tell a mom, like a mom or a birthing person is struggling by just looking at her at all, right? And so, and again, that can be for anyone else or a lot of people, but like, especially with this, it's like, moms never say, I'm struggling, right?

Chelsea Myers (39:47.934)
Mm-hmm.

Chelsea Myers (40:00.303)
I think we're starting to see it a little bit more just to and that may be the I sometimes I go back and forth of whether the tide is really shifting a little bit or if it's because we're in this sphere that we're starting to you know like when you buy a car and then you start to see that car everywhere

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (40:03.576)
Yes.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (40:20.566)
Yes. Yes.

Chelsea Myers (40:21.348)
Right? So like, I'm really hoping that the needle is moving a little bit and that more parents are starting to talk about it and that it's not, I bought the car and now I'm seeing it everywhere. But yes, but truly, truly. I mean, I feel like there is a shift sort of, if we want to get into like social media, it's less of, we're seeing less. There's still a lot of families and like family influencers that are showing this like

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (40:33.676)
Yes, I hope so too.

Chelsea Myers (40:49.916)
Pinterest Perfect Life, but I feel like there's a lot more...

they're calling themselves like D influencers and showing like, this is my messy house. This is me. I haven't showered in three days. This is me serving frozen chicken nuggets for the third day in a row. And that's okay. And this is okay. And it's okay to ask for help. And I appreciate that so much because it's like, yes, I feel seen. I feel like, and we need more of that, right? And

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (40:59.778)
Yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (41:06.956)
Yup.

Yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (41:15.054)
I need to.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (41:21.378)
Yes!

Chelsea Myers (41:22.864)
And you mentioned your husband was going through his own mental health stuff. And maybe like you said, maybe that was a little bit of mirroring. Maybe it was a little bit of like feeding off of your energy. But partners, non-birthing parents are just, they are also susceptible to postpartum mental health disorders. And that

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (41:29.102)
Thank you.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (41:44.748)
Right.

Chelsea Myers (41:46.973)
And there's this whole, you can go into the whole like biology of it. They're obviously not experiencing a hormone crash in the same way that the birthing person is, but that brings in the environmental factors and like the, right.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (41:54.797)
right?

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (41:59.598)
Of course, yes, the adjustment pieces of it.

Chelsea Myers (42:03.048)
Yes, and it's so important to acknowledge that it's important to acknowledge that our partners are also going through a shift. So whereas the birthing people are experiencing matrastans, which should be in the freaking dictionary. Our partners are also experiencing things and their mental health journeys are valid as well. like I said, like

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (42:15.402)
It really shed. man, it shed.

Chelsea Myers (42:27.68)
I love it when my guests can share their journey full chest and I don't have to like, bud in at all. I get to just sit back and take it in. No, I do because it is just like anyone listening right now. And this is a big reason why I do very minimal research on my guests beforehand is because I get to sit with you and share space and I get to experience this along with whoever's listening right now. And that's a privilege.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (42:36.034)
Good.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (42:53.742)
Yeah, no, I... Yeah.

Chelsea Myers (42:57.52)
I feel honored to be able to sit with you in this and to hear about it.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (43:04.287)
And again, with this idea of like connection, right, it feels very much like a safe space that you're providing, right. And also a connection in a way where it's like, yeah, you get it, right. Like, I don't have to feel scared to express my story to you, right. Going back real quick, and I know like, the idea, that's why I also really do enjoy working with couples, because in this period as well, because

Chelsea Myers (43:15.987)
Yeah!

Chelsea Myers (43:23.016)
I want you to, I want you to.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (43:33.886)
of just that full scope of everything, right? Of like, yes, there's mood and anxiety disorders with the birthing person, but the non-birthing person is also experiencing it. And that tends to get unseen. again, and I know again, it looks different in a lot of ways, but, you know, as we give birth, we give birth, we're also trying to learn who this little human is that we created.

We're also trying to learn who we are now because of this huge transformation and transition that we went through. We are very much different people than we were when we before we gave birth. And we also have to learn who our partner is as a parent now. Right. And so there's like these three components, but that component tends to get lost a little bit. And it might not be the main thing. Right.

Chelsea Myers (44:18.782)
Mm-hmm.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (44:31.192)
but it's also, still a component, right? And that's why, where I see a lot of couples struggle in that sense, right? Because we're seeing our partner in a lot of ways sometimes as like who they were pre-baby as well. And so it's, again, it's a lot of brain capacity, right? It's a lot to think about overload, right? And that's why I said it just kind of gets a little bit,

Chelsea Myers (44:33.992)
Yeah.

Chelsea Myers (44:47.667)
Mm-hmm.

Chelsea Myers (44:52.852)
Yes, overload.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (45:00.714)
It might not be like the main focus, right? But it's still a focus. It's still like a component of these things, right? So it's just an interesting thing I noticed working with couples during the postpartum period.

Chelsea Myers (45:16.18)
Yeah, absolutely. I, and again, like when you said that you were working with couples and in the ways that you're working with couples, I think that that is a niche that is incredible and is needed. I want to very briefly, I, I wouldn't, I'd give it so much more time if we had all day, cause I could, I could keep talking to you all day. But I want to briefly talk about the parallel that you

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (45:29.315)
Yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (45:39.053)
Right.

Chelsea Myers (45:46.107)
that you mentioned, like when your son, it was your son, correct? My brain dies all the time. When your son received his diagnosis and when you were realizing he wasn't hitting his milestones and how that kind of paralleled for you in terms of your mental health, you were realizing like you had these anxieties and these fears again and how valid that is and how challenging that must have been.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (45:52.654)
You're 25.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (46:08.59)
Mm-hmm.

Chelsea Myers (46:14.544)
to navigate. Like you said, you have Irish twins, so you have two very young kiddos. It's hard not to compare when they're that close in age. And then, and if it's something that's completely outside of your, like, area of expertise, I'll be completely vulnerable with you. And my oldest also has autism and ADHD. And

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (46:23.043)
my God, right.

Chelsea Myers (46:43.504)
I was an intensive needs special educator. I worked in intensive needs special education for 10 years and I still, I didn't see it at the time. So again, it's just like working in mental health and not recognizing maternal mental health, right? Like sometime, right. So you, I just want to acknowledge, cause you said like the grief that kind of came along with that, that is so valid. And even,

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (46:49.272)
Yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (46:53.218)
Yeah, right.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (47:03.82)
right

Chelsea Myers (47:13.076)
It just goes to show like even if you're in it in your day to day, it's different with your own kid. It's different with your own kid. Yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (47:19.022)
For sure. for sure. Like when there is that, you know, the meltdowns, right? I'm trying to work with him on like regulation. I'm trying to stay, and I'm trying to stay regulated for him. And I feel like, again, you can feel like you're failing your child, right? I'm like, but I do this for a living, right? Like I am trained in...

Chelsea Myers (47:25.321)
Mm-hmm.

Chelsea Myers (47:39.09)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah!

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (47:45.986)
Like DBT, so like I'm trained in emotional skills, I love DBT. And I'm also trained in EMDR. I'm newly trained in EMDR and I'm like, this is amazing too. I love it. I love DBT as well. think it's a skill that I feel like we should have at day one as we're born. But I could not, I can't figure it out with him and it just.

Chelsea Myers (47:49.097)
I love DBT. DBT saved my life.

Ugh. Yes.

Chelsea Myers (48:04.557)
Yeah, but anyway, sorry.

Chelsea Myers (48:11.432)
Mm-hmm.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (48:14.218)
makes you feel like, how can I, can't, like, what am I doing? Like, this is my, this is my career, but with my son, this is what I'm supposed to be good at. And the thing is, it's funny because it's like, I'm supposed to be good at being a mom, right? This idea of like being a good mom. And I have been a therapist for like 10 years at this point, right? I should know what I'm doing and I don't.

Chelsea Myers (48:21.054)
This is what I'm supposed to be good at. Yeah.

Chelsea Myers (48:39.795)
Yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (48:42.746)
Right? well, in that capacity, right? It's very different.

Chelsea Myers (48:43.284)
It's totally different. You do, right, you do, when you go to work, you are an expert in your field, you know what you're doing, and then you come home and it's a whole new world. It's a whole new world. I distinct, well, because autism presents differently in girls, I distinctly remember telling the pediatrician at the two year check when the, or the two or three year check when they do the autism screening, I'm like,

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (48:54.286)
whole new world.

Chelsea Myers (49:08.432)
Absolutely not. was like, she's fine. I am a special educator. She's okay. And then noticing things as she got older and thinking to myself, like, I'm only seeing this because, like, I'm making this up in my head, like, because I do this for a living. And then I'm sure you can relate to this in any parent who's parenting a neurodiverse child can, even if you know in your heart,

you receive the diagnosis and it isn't like for me at least it wasn't like god like it wasn't like no this is like a life sentence kind of thing but it's more like i should have known

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (49:49.162)
Yes.

Chelsea Myers (49:50.972)
Right? Like, how did I not know? Right?

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (49:54.094)
100 % and even to write There could be that like I was going through that as well. There was that part of me when we were going into the Evaluation like I think it's there. I think he does have it but then you don't really want to know right so then you when you do leave and you get it that comes up so much more it's like

Chelsea Myers (50:12.274)
Yes!

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (50:22.622)
Why couldn't I, why didn't I know? And then why didn't I trust myself? All right.

Chelsea Myers (50:25.81)
Yeah. Yes. Yep. So I wanted to touch on that because it does, ties, I mean, obviously it's a big part of your journey. It ties into this whole, not only maternal mental health, but just parenting in general. Everything is a challenge. The whole job, every season is different.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (50:31.33)
Yeah, 100%.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (50:43.35)
Yes.

and every season is saved.

Chelsea Myers (50:51.442)
That's something that I think is also can be very hopeful and for some people can also be not so hopeful. So I have had a lot of parents ask me like, when does this get easier? When does it get easier? Because like I said, I have a 10 year old and a three year old. And I'm like, you know, I'd love to tell you that it all gets easier. It just changes.

So the things that are hard today are not going to be hard a month from now, but you're going to find something else that's going to challenge you a little bit.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (51:17.987)
Yep.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (51:24.13)
right.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (51:28.594)
Exactly. everything will always have even when they are teenagers or in their 20s. There's going to be things that come up that are going to be challenging. It's a very motherhood is a never ending thing. It's like that constant like, letting go but also experiencing new things as it comes. It's a very it's an interesting journey.

Chelsea Myers (51:35.356)
Yeah.

Chelsea Myers (51:40.691)
Yeah.

Chelsea Myers (51:53.167)
Yeah, then we're still on it. I mean, we're never gonna not be on it. And I think it'll be especially interesting for you. And I'm not sure like I might not my youngest is three. So I'm not throwing any thing. She's just feral and three. So I don't know who she's gonna be. But for you to be parenting.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (51:55.35)
Yeah. Yup.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (52:09.619)
very much.

Chelsea Myers (52:14.15)
a neurotypical kiddo and a neurodiverse kiddo who are so close in age who are going to be going through some of these ages and stages at the same time but experiencing them very differently, I think that that's going to be an experience in and of itself.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (52:29.486)
Yeah, we're already like noticing it too. Like she's going to you know, birthday parties. He's hasn't been invited to birthday parties. And he's noticing he's like, I want to go birthday party. And it's like, how about we go to the park, right? Like, and it's just, it's kind of like, pick up like, man, this might be challenging when they're a little older.

Chelsea Myers (52:44.422)
Yeah. Yeah.

Chelsea Myers (52:53.512)
Yeah, yeah. I mean, I have full confidence that you, I mean, you're a badass. You're right with your whole, thank you. I don't feel it, but I'm gonna take it. I'm gonna take it. But like, just like I said earlier, like that's on brand for you. And I'm just getting to know you in the last hour. But just your whole sense of like, yep, we're gonna, this is gonna be what it's gonna be. And we're just gonna do it.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (53:00.11)
story, Earl.

Chelsea Myers (53:21.524)
Um, and I think that is only going to be to your benefit and to your kids benefit for sure as they, as they grow up and as you grow as a mom. Um, I love these sessions where I literally could spend the whole day with you if I could. Um, Oh my God. Oh my gosh. Well, also that

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (53:21.612)
Mm-hmm.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (53:30.402)
Thank you.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (53:39.178)
I could too. my God. I really could like chat with you for hours and hours.

Chelsea Myers (53:46.301)
I mean, that is the highest form of praise I can receive. you said earlier, that you feel safe in sharing, makes me feel I'm so humbled and I'm so grateful. Unfortunately, every podcast episode does have to end. I know, we're not like those, like my husband listens to D &D podcasts that go on for like three or four hours. And I'm like, I...

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (54:02.03)
I know.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (54:10.092)
What?

Chelsea Myers (54:12.644)
I don't think any mom has the capacity to listen for that long. I wish we did too. my god. But okay, so what I'm going to do before I get to my wrap up question, I'm going to ask you and all of this will be linked in the show notes. If my followers or sorry, if my listeners want to learn more about you and kind of follow along in your journey, where's the best place for them to look?

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (54:17.263)
No, I wish we did. I love it.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (54:41.806)
Instagram my Instagram handle is self care therapy and wellness, which is also my practice name and I am going to start my head I'm going to start to

Chelsea Myers (54:54.772)
That's okay.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (55:00.236)
have blog posts on my website, like, and newsletters coming out, and I wanna do a lot more blog posts about like, parenting children on the spectrum and sex therapy when it comes to pregnancy and postpartum and just, you know, all different stages of parenthood as well and mental health and how to take care of yourself as well. So.

on Instagram, self care therapy and wellness, as well as self care therapy and wellness.com.

Chelsea Myers (55:31.569)
Love it. I will continue to be following along. I'm excited for these blog posts. I'm all about the blogging. Yeah, so those will be in the show notes. Listeners, please check the show notes.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (55:38.254)
You too.

Chelsea Myers (55:44.469)
And so now I have started doing the ends of my episodes differently. We're going back, like you said, we're the same age. So growing up in the 90s, we know the days before cell phones, the days before text message, when you had to call and if the person wasn't there, first you had to hope their parents didn't answer. And then you had to leave a message on the answering machine, right? Or else they never knew that you called. So.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (56:05.347)
Yeah.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (56:12.043)
Exactly.

Chelsea Myers (56:13.012)
Right. So you don't know who my next guest is going to be. You don't know anything about them. You don't know if they're a mom, if they're a dad, what's going on. But you called Quiet Connection today and they weren't here to answer. So you got to leave them a message. And you can interpret that in any way you can interpret it as a message you want them to know. You can interpret it as just like an affirmation, literally anything. I've never got the same answer twice.

Um, and it's a, it's my little challenge and the fun part is you will have to go to this episode before yours to receive your message and see if it resonates. So, right. So it's a little experiment that I'm doing. Um, but yeah, what message are you going to leave for my next guest?

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (56:43.329)
Okay.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (56:55.822)
Okay.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (57:07.15)
Is it like a message that's like life in general?

Chelsea Myers (57:11.44)
anything you want it to be. Yup.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (57:15.782)
okay. My message is celebrate small wins. Always be kind to yourself. And if you ever need anything, listen to some good punk rock music.

Chelsea Myers (57:34.461)
Yes, listen to some punk rock, shut yourself in the bathroom for a little while and just let it out.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (57:40.632)
try, but no matter what, things will pass.

Chelsea Myers (57:45.748)
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Thank you so much for that. Thank you for sharing your story and your time and your space with me. of course, I can't wait. I can't wait to stay connected.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (57:54.048)
cool.

Of course, thank you for having me.

Leah Wright, LCSW, PMH-C (58:04.024)
Same here.

Chelsea Myers (58:05.621)
Alright.