Essential Pathways Counseling & Consulting, PLLC

Hold the mother, not the baby.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Because the baby’s being taken care of—⁣⁣
fed, snuggled, and given all the love in the world—⁣⁣
by not only the mother,⁣⁣
but her partner, grandparents, siblings, cousins, and friends.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
But the mother,⁣⁣
may have gaps in her mind from lack of sleep,⁣⁣
may be mechanical in her motions as she’s healing,⁣⁣
may feel more like a mess than a mother,⁣⁣
may be sitting in bed, crying, feeling overwhelmed in her body and life,⁣⁣
may be full of mom guilt because in her mind, "she's not good enough,"⁣⁣
and she’s bleeding, wincing in pain, swollen and emotional.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
And the mother’s that baby's whole world and needs to be seen, so she doesn't disappear into that postpartum fog.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
So, hold the mother, not the baby.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
A mother agrees that her baby matters more.⁣⁣
But she’s hurting, while she’s the person behind the baby,⁣⁣
in the background, making it all happen:⁣⁣
feeding her baby at all hours,⁣⁣
snuggling her baby close to comfort newborn cries,⁣⁣
and being that baby’s everything.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
So, it’s the mother who needs your love.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
And a mother will remember who held her up.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
So instead of “I’m coming to see the baby,”⁣⁣
try saying, “I’m coming to see you 𝘢𝘯𝘥 meet the baby, too.”⁣⁣
⁣
Because the mother needs to be held more.⁣⁣
⁣
✍️: Living FULL
📸:
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My Children’s Book 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘖𝘬𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘖𝘬𝘢𝘺: 𝘈𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴 𝘎𝘦𝘵 𝘉𝘪𝘨 𝘍𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘛𝘰𝘰 is out everywhere: https://amzn.to/317TvVc

Happy Black History Month! We are excited to share with you in the month of February, tips and facts concerning mental health awareness for the Black community. Each week we will highlight Black leaders and trailblazers in the field of psychology, social work, and social sciences.



Today Essential Pathways Counseling acknowledges Francis Cecil Sumner, Ph.D., who is widely known for being the first African American to receive his doctorate in psychology. Dr. Sumner, who is endeared as the “Father of Black Psychology”, was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas in 1895. He earned his Ph.D. in the summer of 1920. Much of his work in education and psychology was dedicated to eradicating White Eurocentric methods of psychology that were used during that era. Dr. Sumner often critiqued the way the educational system treated African American students.

Dr. Sumner struggled to maintain funding during his tenure, in which he has attributed to racial discrimination, however he prevailed and worked with editorial boards for the Journals of Social Psychology and Psychology Bulletin. He is remembered by man of his students as motivational and encouraging.

Black mental health awareness and cultural responsive therapy began with the works of Dr. Sumner! Let us continue his great legacy by furthering our efforts of de-stigmatizing mental health in the Black/African American communities.



Take the time this week to acknowledge a loved one who is a black psychologist, everyday they make a difference!