Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Weist.
Shannon, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Maternally Mindful Counseling Center was created in 2021 and was born out of my own experiences and struggles with postpartum depression and anxiety. When I had my first son, I was still in grad school for my masters in social work, and I knew a decent amount about how the system worked. Even with my knowledge, I had irrational fears that if I told someone how I was feeling that they would think that I was a bad mom or even worse, that I was unfit to care for my child. My experiences fuel my passion to support women in this space. Being able to instill hope and providing a nonjudgmental listening ear is central to our mission.
I have worked as a clinical social worker for many years and decided in 2021 that it was time to open my own practice to focus on providing therapy to women at all different stages of life, but with an additional specialization in pregnancy, postpartum, miscarriage, infertility, and birth trauma. As I started this work, I recognized that there was a significant need for specialized services in this area. The team has grown over the last few years and now consists of five other therapists from diverse backgrounds. All of our therapists are certified perinatal mental health clinicians through Postpartum Support International, and all of us had to take advanced coursework and an exam to earn the credential of PMH-C.
Maternally Mindful is founded on the idea of holistic care, recognizing that women in the perinatal period can also benefit from working with other birth professionals such as doulas, pelvic floor therapists, pregnancy/postpartum chiropractors, lactation consultants, among others. Therefore, we strive to build community partnerships with other birth professionals so that we can get mamas connected to the support they need.
We believe with the right support, a woman can thrive during this season of life.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Owning any business comes with its own set of challenges. I think that biggest obstacle is access to care. We accept many insurance plans making access a little easier, however there are many women across the state who are dealing with perinatal mood and anxiety concerns who do not have insurance or the means to pay for services. We are thankful for partners like the Georgia Perinatal Fund that provides 10 free sessions to women who are without insurance or are on Medicaid.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Our practice is made of a diverse group of women who are all local to Georgia. We offer sessions in Spanish as well. Having our staff represent the population of women we serve is very important to me. Since our services are virtual, we see women all across the state. As previously mentioned we accept many insurance plans including Aetna, BCBS, Cigna, Optum, Oscar, Oxford and United.
Our specialty is all things maternal mental health and when we say that is our specialty it truly is. We have all taken advanced coursework and an exam to be certified in this area. We are also expanding our work to cover the whole reproductive cycle, including working with women in perimenopause and menopause.
In our practice we also have a heavy emphasis on somatic healing through methods like Brainspotting and EMDR. We find that these methods work especially well for any type of trauma and it is able to accomplish things that traditional talk therapy cannot touch.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
It is hard to identify just one, I would say my favorite collection of memories are probably from elementary school when things were simple and carefree. I remember being outside a lot with my friends riding bikes, playing double dutch, taking walks, etc. We were always outside and did not have a care in the world.
Pricing:
- Self Pay Rates: $150 for the first session and $125 for all others
- Pricing with Insurance varies based on plan
- For women on Medicaid or with no insurance we encourage you to connect to the Georgia Perinatal Fund to apply for 10 free sessions. Applications open on the 1st every month and slots are limited.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.maternallymindful.org
- Instagram: @maternallymindful
