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