Vania always wanted to be a mom. But when she unexpectedly became pregnant a few months into her relationship with her now-husband, she was nervous. “It definitely caused a lot of discord and strong emotions trying to navigate being a new parent and still trying to figure out who each other was.” The first year of motherhood was challenging for Vania, she felt anxious, and full of rage—a common symptom of PPD—and knew something did not feel right. “My rage episodes often happened when my anxiety would become unmanageable. It was hard and I often hated myself after it happened.” On her worst days, Vania found herself having intrusive thoughts. “I remember talking to my husband that I didn’t feel like myself, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.” It wasn’t until a few years later that Vania realized that she was suffering from postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety.

As with many good ideas, the name Nurture Therapy was conceived at brunch with friends. I was actually helping another friend brainstorm a name for her women-driven business and suggested Nurture. Nurture means to care for and encourage the growth or development of; to supply with nourishment. I liked that the name implied a feminine-strength and inherent caring of self and others. My friend politely declined the name suggestion and we decided that it would be a better fit for my future practice, if and when, I decided to start a group practice. And so the name was with me for almost a year before anything came of it.

Last Thursday, thousands of Yemeni bodega workers and fellow supporters protested against Trump's "Muslim Ban". This occurred right outside of my therapy office. My clients passed  by protesters on their way to our session and many expressed feelings of sadness, admiration, fear, powerlessness, bravery, anger and vulnerability. I found myself also mirroring some of these emotions.