Child Psych Podcast Episode #189

In this deeply moving episode of The Child Psych Podcast, Tania Johnson sits down with Emily Souder, a licensed clinical social worker specializing in perinatal mental health, and Mahaley Patel, a licensed marriage and family therapist with expertise in birth trauma, grief, and infant loss. Together, they are the co-authors of Your NICU Story, a unique resource designed to help families process, reflect on, and make meaning of their neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) experience. Drawing from both professional expertise and personal experience, Emily and Mahaley offer a compassionate perspective on healing after birth trauma, NICU stays, and loss.

Content Note: This episode includes discussion of infant loss, grief, and NICU trauma.

Introduction to the Conversation

A NICU stay is something no parent plans for, yet it affects countless families every year. While the NICU can be a place of extraordinary medical care and hope, it can also bring overwhelming uncertainty, fear, grief, and trauma.

In this conversation, Emily and Mahaley explore the emotional realities of parenting through a NICU experience and discuss why many families continue to carry the impact long after leaving the hospital. Through personal stories, professional insights, and reflections from their book, they offer validation, support, and practical guidance for families navigating one of the most challenging chapters of early parenthood.

What We Discuss in This Episode

This episode explores the emotional and psychological impact of NICU experiences, including birth trauma, infant loss, grief, and the power of storytelling in healing. Emily and Mahaley discuss how parents often struggle to process the overwhelming medical information, uncertainty, and difficult decisions that accompany a NICU stay. They also examine the unique challenges faced by partners and siblings, the importance of self-compassion, and why creating space to tell our stories can be a powerful step toward healing.

The conversation also offers valuable insight into how friends, family members, and professionals can better support grieving parents. Listeners will hear a thoughtful discussion about grief, trauma, resilience, and the importance of feeling seen and understood during life’s most difficult moments.

What You’ll Learn

• Why NICU experiences can leave a lasting emotional impact on parents and families
• How storytelling and narrative work can support healing after birth trauma and loss
• The unique challenges parents face during and after a NICU stay
• What grieving parents truly need from family, friends, and support systems
• How self-compassion can help families move through trauma without self-blame

Who This Episode Is For

This episode is for parents who have experienced a NICU stay, birth trauma, medical complications, infant loss, or complicated transitions into parenthood. It is also a valuable resource for therapists, social workers, healthcare professionals, educators, and anyone supporting families navigating grief and trauma. Whether your NICU experience happened weeks ago or years ago, this conversation offers comfort, understanding, and a reminder that you are not alone.