 ☀️Although I’m not able to make it to the annual Postpartum Support International conference in New Orleans next month, I’m honored to have my book included in the PSI bookstore of recommended reading for perinatal professionals and the communities they support. Check out the full list of summer reads here!
Post by Sharon Itkoff Nacache ATR-BC LCAT LPAT PMH-C
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 🎨Still glowing from Friday's incredible arts-based wellness retreat with mobile health workers via the NYC Health + Hospitals partnership with the Whitney Museum of American Art called HHArt of Medicine. I'm so grateful to be a part of this dream team of educators: Cris Scorza, Camilo Godoy, and Hollie Ecker! Our workshops wouldn't be possible without the crucial hands-on AND behind-the-scenes support of the Arts in Medicine Department and the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund.#creativeresilience #artheals #arttherapylife #artcenteredpractice  It was so wonderful to be featured on the latest episode of the "Securely Attached" podcast with Dr. Sarah Bren. We explore some of my favorite topics including my new picture book for expectant parents, art therapy, perinatal mental health, creative resilience skill-building, and caregiver burnout. Listen here!
This one goes out to all the guilt-riddled, over-committed, high-functioning, stressed-out caregivers out there and is something I‘ve been thinking about a lot lately and is somewhat taboo, which is basically this: no matter how much we love our children they can also, equally, annoy us beyond belief. Both can be true and this doesn’t make us insensitive or “bad” parents, contrary to how this era of intensive/gentle parenting can make us feel. In fact, one symptom of caregiver burnout that always strikes me (and catches others off guard) is the high reactivity we can feel toward the most vulnerable in our lives, i.e. our own children –and sometimes the populations we support as mental health professionals and/or birth workers if we are in operating under chronic stress with little support. After naming this, I wonder if instead of feeling guilty for being so frequently irritated or easily triggered, I wonder if we can reframe it as a sign that we actually care too much and are thus are simply emotionally depleted from the constant state of hypervigilance involved in their care and less able to respond from a place of abundance and endless patience. This may free up some bandwidth for self compassion around our own unmet needs so we can begin to take a beat and apply some self care. For example, my oldest child and I are extremely close, and my husband likes to joke that we are “exactly alike” in how we react when upset. Although I don’t fully agree with that assessment, I do see how often we get stuck in a vicious cycle or power struggle when we argue. I feel similarly about my relationship with my own mom, a connection I refer to sometimes as “electric” because it is charged with so much love and emotion that can both empower but also hurt us at times. (It’s interesting that I relate to both parent and child in these examples.) Emotional attunement to childrens’ needs, which is something “good-enough” caregivers are certainly able to provide, may also translate to children knowing exactly how to push the buttons of those caring for them. They are expertly attuned to what activates a response, so when seeking connection it may manifest as provocative or attention-seeking behavior, since they lack the nuanced tools to navigate exactly what kind of response they will get but know they need something. Of course I know all of this in theory, but in practice it is so very easy to forget once the cortisol and adrenaline start pumping. Healthy authentic relationships with emotional intimacy and secure attachment all involve a degree of “rapproachment,” a coming back together to repair after a rupture, a reuniting after a separation, a time to “reset” and try again. So let’s normalize the frustration embedded in our imperfect attempts to synchronize when communicating and caring for others around the clock. It’s demanding work, it’s ok to feel annoyed and love your kids more than anything at the same time. And it’s also ok to take a hot second (or two!) to regulate. Post by Sharon Itkoff Nacache ATR-BC LCAT LPAT PMH-C  I am so excited to share my latest passion project with you: a participatory perinatal picture book called The Days Before I Met You The back story: I originally wrote and illustrated it during my first pregnancy in 2017. At the time it was an intuitive use of art and narrative therapy that helped to channel my growing pains into something tangible during a difficult third trimester. And now, I'm ready to share it with the world so it may provide a helpful resource for other first-time expectant parents in their own family building adventures. You can check it out, purchase, and review it on Amazon here: https://a.co/d/7TM6wrz Please take a look and share widely! Sharon Itkoff Nacache ATR-BC LCAT LPAT PMH-C   The overhead view of artmaking in progress and scattered supplies beautifully captures the burst of creative energy that flowed through today’s wellness workshop. Busy, bright, layered, bold, playful! Another example of this powerful, hands-on approach to addressing workplace burnout, one team at a time!💥 #artheals #artsinmedicine #caregiverburnout #creativeresilience #artastherapy
Post by Sharon Itkoff Nacache ATR-BC LCAT LPAT PMH-C 🌷Politics is personal when your country is in crisis. Cory Booker’s historic 25 hour speech is helping to wake up disempowered Americans and remind them what they can do on a micro level to enact positive change on a macro level. 🌷Today marks the first-ever National Day of Action for Maternal Mental Health to rally Americans to contact their federal elected officials to protect the funding of maternal mental health programs. 🌷Mental health conditions are the MOST COMMON complication of pregnancy and childbirth, impacting 1 in every 5 mothers in the U.S. or 800,000 families each year. Mental health conditions are a LEADING CAUSE of maternal mortality in our country, accounting for 22% of pregnancy-related deaths. 🌷To address this crisis, The Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance has helped to establish two federally-funded programs that have proven effective in helping mothers get the support they need: The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline and The Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Program. 🌷Turn your despair into hope and make a massive impact for maternal mental health in just a few minutes. The campaign is today only. Contact your elected officials: https://lnkd.in/g-dc8rtW 🌷We need you. Moms need you. Your voice matters. Post by Sharon Itkoff Nacache ATR-BC LCAT LPAT PMH-C  🌱It's always a joy to see what hardworking hospital employees will create when provided with a designated time and space to play with art media and creative inspiration through NYC Health + Hospitals HHArt of Medicine program in partnership with the Whitney Museum of American Art. 🌱This chilly Spring morning was spent exploring our inner and outer worlds inspired by Women's History Month and the bold mixed media art of Emma Amos. Experimenting with watercolor resist mandalas helped us tap into the gratitude that often dwells below the daily tension, with some participants even manifesting their own peaceful islands to visit whenever needed.#healthehealer #staffworkshop #burnoutprevention #artheals #artsinmedicine #creativeresilience #womenshistorymonth2025 #arttherapylife Post and Photo by Sharon Itkoff Nacache ATR-BC LCAT LPAT PMH-C  Mothers are master multi-taskers. But is this an evolutionary superpower, or simply a result of society’s overreliance on caretakers’ invisible labor? In this intensive era of parenting, too many parents are doing too much without systemic support in place, including but not limited to adequate federal leave policies and access to affordable childcare as well as perinatal and mental health treatment. Inevitably, the endless demand and constant overstimulation leads to caregiver burnout, mom rage, or physical ailments. My work is dedicated to helping new and expecting parents move that heavy pendulum from surviving to thriving. And my mental health “hack” as a perinatal art therapist and working mom of 2 is this: focus on the quality of how you are spending your time to reclaim some peace of mind. Find a way to practice mindfulness that works for you and your lifestyle. Mindfulness is the antithesis of multitasking because it entails complete presence in the “here and now.” But how do we stay mindful when there’s so much to do?? My mindful moments come in the form of being relational, embodied, or creative. For example, when I’m in session with a client or even meeting with a close friend, I am completely honed in on our conversation and relationship at the moment. I am fully and wholeheartedly with them. When I’m running or dancing, I am completely in my body and following the music. And when I find a creative flow, I am transported to a different time zone where nothing else exists. These experiences feel nurturing and restorative, so that I am able to carry on from a place of abundance rather than deprivation. Can you find the areas of your life where you feel fully engaged and lean into them to cultivate a mindfulness practice of your own? Post by Sharon Itkoff Nacache ATR-BC LCAT LPAT PMH-C   🎨What a gift to be able to spend this chilly Sunday in creative collaboration with The Drawing Center and The Creative Center during the 2025 Creative Center Training Institute for fellow clinicians, educators and creatives.
🎨Inspired by the prolific drawings of avant garde Jazz musician John Zorn on display, we engaged in various forms of intra and interpersonal listening, explored the mind-body connection, and experimented with multimodal forms of expression using mixed media. 🎨I left feeling energized and inspired by the artwork, the creative process, and my colleagues. Grateful to be able to practice and share the work I love! #artastherapy #arteducation #teachingartist #artinmedicine #artheals #creativeconnection #community Post by Sharon Itkoff Nacache ATR-BC LCAT LPAT PMH-C |
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