We have known Veronica Kemeny of Women's Wellness Space in Raleigh for about a year, and we so happy that we do! Not only is she a wonderful provider to recommend to our clients, she has a wealth of resources to help us as we navigate the world of maternal health.

She is an experienced LCSW who enjoys working with women in all stages of their lives. She is also bilingual in Spanish and a first generation American so she is acutely aware of cultural issues that her clients may be facing.

We cannot recommend her enough and are excited to have her feature this month as our provider spotlight!

1. How did you decided you wanted to be a psychotherapist working predominantly with women?

My passion for working with women in psychotherapy emerged through my work with children. I began my career with the goal of doing kid’s therapy but found myself feeling more passionate about the parent guidance work. I also worked as a domestic violence advocate for a few years and, in that role, worked mostly with women and mothers so my career goals shifted slowly for me. What I find most gratifying is that by supporting moms, I am supporting their partnerships, their children and their contributions to their community. If moms are feeling healthy, happy and fulfilled, that positive energy has a ripple effect and I love being a part of their transformation and reflection.

2. What is your greatest tip for balancing life, work, motherhood, and relationships?

Big question! I would have to say just be kind to yourself and know you did your best: every moment, every hour, every day. Don’t get lost in the could, would and should….it’s easy to drown emotionally in those so choose to use self-compassion and know you did your best. Use whatever mistakes you made as the impetus to keep working on yourself.

3. Is there a common thread you notice between pregnant and newly postpartum people that we as a society could work on changing?

What I love about working with maternal mental health is that I feel like there is such room for growth with how we support moms and families. My social worker education instilled in me a love and appreciation for advocacy work and I think that each of us can make our mark in our social circle and community. First and foremost, avoid the question “when are you going to have kids?” or “your next kid?” as that is such a loaded, personal question that can trigger women who have chosen to be child-free, have trouble trying to conceive or have experienced loss. The biggest thread I see amongst my clients is the difficulty grappling with the mental load of motherhood. Sharing child-rearing responsibilities within a relationship is such a difficult thing to navigate and it is a universal theme across my work. I often encourage clients to access books, podcasts or couple’s therapy to help navigate these issues and in our individual work together, we work on their part of the dynamic as that is the only thing they can control.

4. What does a typically session look like with you?

Although I try to stay away from a typical session as it very much depends on each’s client’s needs, struggles and personality, I most often start treatment focusing on self-care and slowing down the negative chatter in their minds. I go into teacher mode a bit as I understand that the concepts I introduce are foreign to many of my clients and, by understanding the neuroscience and biological basis of these concepts, they are often more open to trying techniques like deep breathing, grounding and mindfulness. None of the deeper work can be explored if clients struggle to manage emotions so we work on first coping with overwhelming emotions both in their daily lives and then in sessions. Once beyond that initial phase, some clients wish to explore deeper wounds and unhealthy behaviors and I utilize various treatments that are based on research to help understand what a client needs.

5. What is one thing you want women to know about attending therapy?

Therapy at its core is a relationship built on trust and mutual respect. I encourage clients to research clinicians in their area that specialize in maternal mental health including asking your doctors and friends for recommendations. I would then recommend you call a few therapists to get a feel for the connection you have even by phone as well as their style, therapeutic approach and availability. Be an educated consumer and trust your gut as well when selecting a therapist to work alongside you.

6. When you aren't working with clients, where would we find you?

Relationships are at the core of what keeps me sane so you can often find me spending time with my loved ones, most importantly, my 3 year old daughter. I am also a person who greatly values my alone time so I prioritize alone time so I can practice what I preach when it comes to self-care: baths, mindfulness, deep breathing, reading, podcasts, walks.