Previa Alliance Podcast

Here's a version that feels more like the Previa podcast—conversational, relatable, and with a little humor.

You pay your own bills, have a career, maybe even kids of your own... so why does one comment from your mom have you feeling like you're 15 again?

In Part 1 of this two-part series, Sarah Parkhurst and Whitney Gay, LCSW, unpack the invisible family roles that shape who we become—from the Peacekeeper and the People Pleaser to the Responsible One and the Achiever. You'll laugh, cringe, and probably text your sibling before the episode is over.

If you've ever found yourself saying, "Why do I always end up doing everything?" or "How did I get pulled into this...again?" this episode is for you.

Because sometimes the hardest part of growing up isn't becoming an adult—it's realizing you're still playing the role your family gave you years ago.

Don't worry...we're just getting started. Part 2 drops next, where we'll uncover even more family roles and talk about what it actually looks like to step out of them.

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In this episode, Sarah Parkhurst and Whitney Gay, LCSW, dive into the world of therapy speak and the ways words like boundaries, triggered, trauma dumping, and protecting my peace can sometimes bring clarity—and sometimes keep us from taking accountability.

Have we started labeling normal friendship conflict as something deeper? Is saying "I was triggered" easier than saying "I overreacted"? Is "we're just not aligned" sometimes code for "I stopped showing up"?

Join us for an honest, thoughtful, and occasionally uncomfortable conversation about healthy boundaries, real accountability, and why the strongest friendships aren't the ones without conflict—they're the ones willing to repair after it.

Because maybe they're not toxic. Maybe they're just human.

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Emily Gilmore DPT is back from last week to discuss with Sarah and Whitney what we may all experience but do not want to discuss…yep we are talking about peeing on yourself, painful intercourse, and mama pooch. No matter if your baby is a newborn or 20 years old, this is a episode you need to turn in to.

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October is National Physical Therapy Month, and you might be wondering, "Why would I need a physical therapist as a mom?"

Grab your headphones as we replay one of our most valuable episodes featuring Emily Gilmore, DPT, a pelvic health physical therapist. Whether you're pregnant, preparing for birth, newly postpartum, or years into motherhood, your pelvic floor plays a vital role in your health.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What the pelvic floor actually is
• How pelvic floor therapy can help prepare your body for birth
• Common symptoms that aren't "just part of being a mom"
• How physical therapy can support recovery after delivery and improve long-term health

If you've ever experienced leaking, pelvic pain, pressure, painful intercourse, or wondered if your body could feel better after having children, this episode is for you.

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Grief doesn’t always arrive when you expect it—or look the way you thought it would. It can sneak into ordinary moments, surprise you years later, and change parts of you that you never saw coming. In this episode, we talk honestly about the unpredictable nature of grief, the ways loss can reshape us, and what it means to keep living while carrying someone or something we’ve lost.

If grief has caught you off guard lately, you’re not doing it wrong—and you’re not alone.

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Grief is something we all experience, but few of us truly understand. In this episode, Sarah Parkhurst and Whitney Gay, LCSW, take a deeper look at the five stages of grief—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance—and discuss what they really look like in everyday life.

Whether you're grieving the loss of a loved one, a relationship, a dream, or a season of life, this conversation offers insight into why grief isn't linear, why no two people grieve the same way, and how understanding the grieving process can bring hope and healing.

If you've ever wondered, "Is what I'm feeling normal?" this episode is for you.

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You're scheduling pediatrician appointments, packing lunches, answering school emails...and helping your parents navigate doctor's appointments, medications, and life's next chapter.

Welcome to the sandwich generation.

In this episode, Sarah and Whitney explore the emotional weight of caring for children while also supporting aging parents—and why so many moms feel like they're being pulled in every direction at once.

Together, they discuss:

• What it means to be part of the sandwich generation
• The invisible mental load of caring for multiple generations
• Why it's okay to feel gratitude, grief, and exhaustion at the same time
• How caregiving can impact your mental health, relationships, and identity
• Practical ways to protect your well-being while caring for the people you love

If you've ever felt like everyone needs something from you—and there's nothing left for yourself—this conversation will remind you that you're not alone.

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You've heard of an OB-GYN. You've probably heard of a psychiatrist. But have you ever heard of a reproductive psychiatrist?

If the answer is no, you're not alone.

In this episode, Sarah sits down with reproductive psychiatrist Dr. Claire Smith to explain why one of the most important specialties in maternal mental health remains one of the least known. Together, they discuss what reproductive psychiatry is, why so few specialists exist, how this training differs from general psychiatry, and why so many women never learn this specialty is available until they're already struggling.

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She scheduled the doctor's appointments.

She Googled slime recipes.

She packed lunches, answered school emails, signed permission slips, and showed up for her kids.

So...how could she possibly be struggling?

In this episode, Sarah and Whitney use the Lindsay Clancy trial to examine one of the biggest misconceptions in maternal mental health: we mistake functioning for wellness.

Why do we have such a hard time believing that a mother can be doing everything for everyone else while quietly battling postpartum depression, anxiety, OCD, trauma, or even a more severe mental illness? Why do we judge a mother's mental health by how well she cares for everyone else instead of listening when she tells us she isn't okay?

This isn't an episode about guilt or innocence. It's about challenging the assumptions that keep mothers suffering in silence and asking a question every family, provider, and community should consider:

What if we've been looking for the wrong signs all along?

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Hayden Panettiere helped bring postpartum depression into the national conversation more than a decade ago. Her story reminds us that postpartum depression doesn't always look the way people expect—and that's exactly why so many mothers go unseen.

Sarah and Whitney unpack Hayden's experience, the stigma that still surrounds maternal mental health, and why mothers deserve to be believed before they reach a breaking point. This is a conversation about courage, compassion, and what every family should know about postpartum depression.

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Sarah and Paige unpack the Lindsay Clancy trial through the lens of perinatal mental health and the gaps in care that can leave maternal mental health crises overlooked. Paige, a licensed clinical social worker and founder of the Motherhood Center, explains why conditions like postpartum depression and anxiety often go undiagnosed and how postpartum psychosis, while rare, requires urgent attention. They explore the lack of specialized training among healthcare providers, the need for better collaboration and education, and what parents and professionals can do to improve maternal mental health care.

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Everyone talks about helping kids adjust to a new school year—but what about the parents?

Behind the first-day-of-school photos are moms juggling schedules, worrying about teachers, packing lunches, coordinating drop-offs, paying activity fees, and wondering if they're doing enough. For many parents, back-to-school brings excitement, but it also brings stress, grief, and an enormous mental load.

In this episode, Sarah and Whitney explore why this season can feel so emotionally overwhelming, the science behind life transitions, and practical ways to navigate back-to-school without burning yourself out before the year even begins.

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Ever notice your patience gets shorter, your anxiety feels higher, and everything seems harder during a heat wave? You're not imagining it.

Extreme heat doesn't just make us sweat—it affects our brain, nervous system, sleep, hormones, mood, and even how we interact with the people we love.

In this episode, Sarah and Whitney unpack the science behind why hot weather can leave us feeling exhausted, emotionally reactive, overstimulated, and mentally drained. They also share practical ways to protect your mental health during the hottest months of the year, especially for parents, pregnant women, and anyone already carrying a heavy mental load.

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Do you ever feel like you're not giving enough to each of your children? You're not alone. Sarah and Whitney unpack the guilt that often comes with raising multiple kids, what research says children truly need, and practical ways to let go of the pressure to be everything to everyone. A must-listen for moms navigating mom guilt, sibling dynamics, and the mental load of motherhood.

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Sometimes the healthiest response is no response at all.

In this episode, Sarah and Whitney explore why not every action deserves a reaction. We discuss boundaries, emotional regulation, people-pleasing, protecting your peace, and how choosing silence can be one of the strongest forms of self-care. If you've ever struggled with difficult relationships, conflict, or knowing when to walk away, this episode is for you.

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Nobody should walk into labor, an epidural, or a C-section feeling like the process is a mystery.

In this episode, we discuss why clear patient education is often missing, how fear of the unknown can increase anxiety and contribute to birth trauma, and the real-world challenges providers face in preparing families for delivery.

We also share practical ways to advocate for better communication, set realistic expectations for birth, and process difficult experiences, offering support for anyone who is pregnant, postpartum, or helping a loved one navigate the journey.

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Ever feel like your brain has 47 tabs open at all times? Same.

This week Sarah and Whitney are talking about the invisible mental load moms carry every single day — the constant remembering, planning, anticipating, organizing, managing emotions, and making decisions for everyone around us.

From school forms and meal planning to emotional regulation and “default parent” responsibilities, motherhood is mentally exhausting in ways people don’t always see. And sometimes it’s not the big things that break us… it’s one more person asking us one more question after making 10,000 decisions already that day.

They discuss:

• decision fatigue in motherhood
• why moms feel overstimulated
• invisible labor and emotional load
• perfectionism and over-functioning
• why we struggle to delegate
• practical ways to reduce mental overload

If you’ve been feeling mentally drained, snappy, numb, overstimulated, or like your brain never shuts off…this episode will make you feel seen.

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Motherhood can be beautiful and grief-filled at the exact same time.

In this deeply honest episode, Sarah and Whitney talk about something many moms feel but are terrified to admit: missing their freedom, independence, identity, and old life after becoming mothers.

This is not about regret. This is about the very real identity shift that happens in motherhood.

Together they discuss:

• loss of independence after kids
• identity changes in motherhood
• matrescence and emotional shifts
• why moms feel guilty admitting this
• resentment, burnout, and invisible sacrifices
• reconnecting with yourself outside of motherhood

If you’ve ever thought:

“I love my kids…but I miss parts of who I used to be,”

... You are not alone.

This episode is a reminder that grieving pieces of your old self does not make you a bad mom — it makes you human.

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From the moment our babies are born, we become experts in them.

We notice every pattern.

Every cry means something different.

Every shift, every need—we just know.

We become mind readers.

But what happens when that same mindset shows up in our adult relationships?

When we expect our partner to just know what we need…

When we don’t say it out loud because it feels obvious…

When the expectations go unspoken—and unmet…

That’s where resentment builds.

This week, we’re breaking down the “mind reading trap” in motherhood—why it happens, how it impacts our relationships, and how to shift from silent expectations to real communication.

Because your partner isn’t your baby…

And mind reading doesn’t work both ways.

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Ever felt like you were the only one seeing the truth?

Something felt off.

The charm didn’t sit right.

The stories didn’t fully add up…

But everyone else? Completely pulled in.

Almost like they were under a spell.

In this episode, we break down the “narcissist spell”—why some people are so convincing, how they draw others in so easily, and why you were able to see what others couldn’t.

If you’ve ever questioned your gut, doubted yourself, or looked back and thought how did I miss that?—this episode will hit.

Because you didn’t imagine it.

And you’re not the only one who’s been there.

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Keep the questions coming by sending them to info@previaalliance.com or DM us on Instagram!