
Momwell
We often enter motherhood envisioning joy, nurturing, peace, and love. But the reality can blindside us. Nobody tells us about Mom Rage, overstimulation, intrusive thoughts, or other mental health struggles. Unfortunately, when we seek help, we might face a lack of support, a system that doesn’t put moms first, and a world that turns a blind eye to the challenges of motherhood. We’re here to change that. We believe that moms deserve access to community, support, and mental health literacy. If you’re struggling with motherhood, you’re not alone–and you’re not failing. On The Momwell Podcast, host and psychotherapist Erica Djossa teaches strategies to help you cope with the psychological and emotional load of motherhood and prioritize your mental health and wellbeing. Erica shares the best kept secrets of the therapy world and interviews other professionals (psychologists, pediatricians, psychiatrists, fertility specialists, lactation consultants, and more!) who provide their expertise to empower you on your motherhood journey.
Latest episodes

Aug 14, 2024 • 47min
238: From The Vault: How to Help a Child With School Anxiety with Dr. Becky Kennedy, Founder of Good Inside
This is part 2 of a 4-part back-to-school series that revisits some of our old favorites from the vault! Starting school can be very exciting for many kids—but it can also be scary. We want to protect our kids, so when we see them worrying or anxious, we want to support them. But how do you help your child with school anxiety? Today, I’m revisiting my episode with clinical psychologist Dr. Becky Kennedy, founder of Good Inside. We discuss anxiety about starting school, our role in it, and how to support our children if they’re feeling apprehensive.Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3AnD0WH Book a Free 15 min Consult with a mom therapist: momwell.com Follow Momwell on Instagram: instagram.com/momwell Sign up for our weekly VIP Newsletter: momwell.com/newsletter Register for one of our popular guides and courses: momwell.com/shop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 7, 2024 • 44min
237: From The Vault: Is My Child Ready for Kindergarten? with Susie Allison, Founder of Busy Toddler
Is my child ready for kindergarten? What should I do to prepare? What skills do they need? More than ever, parents are scrambling to make sure their children have “kindergarten readiness.” But the skills our children really need for kindergarten are far different than we might think they are. Today, I’m joined by Susie Allison, founder of Busy Toddler, to break down how to really prepare your child for kindergarten.Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3yimdUp Book a Free 15 min Consult with a mom therapist: momwell.com Follow Momwell on Instagram: instagram.com/momwell Sign up for our weekly VIP Newsletter: momwell.com/newsletter Register for one of our popular guides and courses: momwell.com/shop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 31, 2024 • 1h 2min
236: Approaching Infant Feeding with Flexibility with Sarah O'Leary, CEO of Willow and Andrea Ippolito, CEO & Founder of SimpliFed
The pressures around breastfeeding are strong, but systemic support doesn’t always allow moms to feed the way they want to. That’s why I was so excited to hear about The State of Feeding, a research-driven report designed to shed light on the real feeding experiences moms are going through. Created as a partnership between Bobbie, Willow, SimpliFed, and Emily Oster, this report reveals so much about expectations, pressure, and the reality of infant feeding. This week on The Momwell Podcast, I’m joined by Sarah O’Leary, CEO of Willow and Andrea Ippolito, CEO and founder of SimpliFed, to discuss the takeaways from the State of Feeding, why moms feel so much pressure around feeding, how to increase support for moms, and why combination feeding is valuable for so many families.Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3YhSBRwBook a Free 15 min Consult with a mom therapist: momwell.com Follow Momwell on Instagram: instagram.com/momwell Sign up for our weekly VIP Newsletter: momwell.com/newsletter Register for one of our popular guides and courses: momwell.com/shop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 24, 2024 • 59min
235: Emotional Regulation Skills for Moms with Dr. Amber Thornton, Clinical Psychologist
Developing our own emotional regulation skills isn’t something that happens overnight. It takes a lot of work, learning, and unlearning. The more awareness we can build about what triggers our dysregulation and how it shows up for us, the better we can become at responding and regulating our emotions. This week on The Momwell Podcast, I’m joined by clinical psychologist Dr. Amber Thornton, host of Dr. Amber’s Know and Grow Podcast, to discuss how we can strengthen our emotional regulation skills and the importance of setting realistic expectations.Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3LCwrBXBook a Free 15 min Consult with a mom therapist: momwell.com Follow Momwell on Instagram: instagram.com/momwell Sign up for our weekly VIP Newsletter: momwell.com/newsletter Register for one of our popular guides and courses: momwell.com/shop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 17, 2024 • 56min
234: Overcoming Anxiety About Introducing Solids to Baby with Jenny Best, Founder & CEO of Solid Starts
Introducing solids to our babies can feel scary, but it doesn’t have to follow one strict guide. We can overcome anxiety and create an environment around food that establishes healthy long-term eating habits. This week on The Momwell Podcast, I’m joined by Jenny Best, founder of Solid Starts, to discuss how we can rethink our approach to feeding and learn how to trust ourselves and our baby.Show Notes: https://bit.ly/4cWPRNoBook a Free 15 min Consult with a mom therapist: momwell.com Follow Momwell on Instagram: instagram.com/momwell Sign up for our weekly VIP Newsletter: momwell.com/newsletter Register for one of our popular workshops and courses: momwell.com/shop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 10, 2024 • 58min
233: How Intensive Mothering Creates Overwhelmed Moms with Jess Grose, Opinion Writer for The New York Times
Intensive mothering, unrealistic pressures, and gender norms have created an unattainable ideal of motherhood—one that is taking a toll on modern moms. If we want to break out of this mom overwhelm, we need to recognize those expectations and determine what works for us. This week on The Momwell Podcast, I’m joined by Jess Grose, author and opinion writer for The New York Times. We discuss why moms are so overwhelmed and what we can do to create more support.Show Notes: https://bit.ly/4cuZkMhBook a Free 15 min Consult with a mom therapist: momwell.com Follow Momwell on Instagram: instagram.com/momwell Sign up for our weekly VIP Newsletter: momwell.com/newsletter Register for one of our popular workshops and courses: momwell.com/shop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 3, 2024 • 55min
232: Fostering Emotional Development in Our Children with Alyssa Campbell, CEO of Seed and Sew
Fostering emotional development goes beyond validating feelings or sticking to a set script—it takes inner work, nervous system regulation, and plenty of self-awareness and self-compassion. This week on The Momwell Podcast, I’m joined by Alyssa Campbell, CEO of Seed and Sew and co-author of Tiny Humans, Big Emotions. We discuss the importance of emotional intelligence, the role our own upbringing plays, and how we can foster positive emotional development for our children.Show Notes: https://bit.ly/4eXXvZUBook a Free 15 min Consult with a mom therapist: momwell.com Follow Momwell on Instagram: instagram.com/momwell Sign up for our weekly VIP Newsletter: momwell.com/newsletter Register for one of our popular workshops and courses: momwell.com/shop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 26, 2024 • 53min
231: A Deeper Look Into Mommy Wine Culture with Amanda White, Author and Founder of Therapy for Women Center
Mommy wine culture is often viewed as a lighthearted joke—with moms turning to wine or a mimosa to cope with stressful parenting moments. And plenty of moms can enjoy an alcoholic beverage without falling into unhealthy patterns. But alcohol use isn’t always lighthearted—for some moms, there are mental health concerns that are being overlooked and coping mechanisms that aren’t healthy. This week on The Momwell Podcast, I’m joined by Amanda White, author of Not Drinking Tonight and founder of Therapy for Women Center. We discuss the drawbacks of mommy wine culture, the differences between healthy and unhealthy alcohol use, and the mental health concerns of motherhood.Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3KTEIkFBook a Free 15 min Consult with a mom therapist: momwell.com Follow Momwell on Instagram: instagram.com/momwell Sign up for our weekly VIP Newsletter: momwell.com/newsletter Register for one of our popular workshops and courses: momwell.com/shop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 19, 2024 • 55min
230: Navigating Culture and Mental Health in Motherhood with Sahaj Kaur Kohli, Founder of Brown Girl Therapy
Our individual upbringing and the culture we were raised in impact the way we show up as parents and the way we approach our own mental health. It’s important to listen to voices in this area who understand firsthand the nuances of culture and mental health, breaking cycles, and carving out individual paths as moms. One of those voices is Sahaj Kaur Kohli, founder of Brown Girl Therapy—the first and largest mental health and wellness community organization for adult children of immigrants. This week on The Momwell Podcast, Sahaj joins us to unpack the relationship between culture and mental health and its impact on parenting.Show Notes: https://bit.ly/4clFL8zBook a Free 15 min Consult with a mom therapist: momwell.com Follow Momwell on Instagram: instagram.com/momwell Sign up for our weekly VIP Newsletter: momwell.com/newsletter Register for one of our popular workshops and courses: momwell.com/shop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 12, 2024 • 55min
229: Understanding Brain Development in Children with Tammy Schamuhn, Psychologist
Meltdowns, defiance, and other behaviors are signals of needs—and if we can meet those needs proactively instead of punitively, we can support our children while still teaching and guiding them. This week on The Momwell Podcast, I’m joined by psychologist Tammy Schamuhn, co-founder of the Institute of Child Psychology to discuss how to approach our children’s behavior from a brain development perspective.Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3KDY2lI Book a Free 15 min Consult with a mom therapist: momwell.com Follow Momwell on Instagram: instagram.com/momwell Sign up for our weekly VIP Newsletter: momwell.com/newsletter Register for one of our popular workshops and courses: momwell.com/shop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices