Allison Staiger
Clinical Social Worker/Therapist - LCSW, PMH-C
Becoming a parent can be a landmine. What is often billed as simple, linear, and seamless can be filled with complicated emotions, experiences, and a sense of overwhelm. I work with people on all points of the birthing path- whether you are just thinking about having a child, trying to conceive, are pregnant or postpartum . This includes people struggling with infertility, pregnancy and infant loss, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, and birth trauma, as well as partners and birth workers.
I believe that the ways people learn to create safety and stability when they are young imprint within their minds and bodies and are often activated when they experience destabilizing events (which, let’s be real, becoming a parent is one of those events, even in the best circumstances). I work with clients to examine those safety measures, honor them for how they once helped, but work to create new measures that reflect their current needs. As the worlds of perinatal mental health, COVID-19, and racial justice intersect, finding safety, support, and self-regulation is overdue. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and certified in Perinatal Mental Health through Postpartum Support International. I have specific training in EMDR, Advanced EMDR for the Perinatal population, birth trauma, perinatal loss, infertility, trauma-informed/sensitive yoga, and birth justice.
I refuse to separate my clinical work from larger systemic issues of birth justice and trauma. I believe strongly in the core values of the social work profession, and disagree that those of us working in a clinical capacity should be a blank slate. As a white woman, I feel it is incumbent upon me to avoid doing harm with my many privileges, and to have difficult conversations about who created the fields of mental health and psychology, and power differentials within these fields and who they serve. As someone who works extensively with trauma and maternal health, it is impossible for me to “be neutral” about how issues of race, gender, class , etc show up in these populations. Although I am proud of the work I do on an individual level with clients, and have unending respect for their resilience, I am also aware that my work does not end there, and that issues of trauma and maternal health must be addressed on a systemic level as well.
Skills and Expertise
Adjusting to Change / Life Transitions
Adult
Anxiety
Attachment Issues
birth
Caregiver Issues or Stress
Depression
Family of Origin Issues
Fertility Issues
Inadequacy
Infertility
Isolation
Loss or Grief
Mindfulness based therapy
Mood Disorders
Parenting
Perfectionism
Postpartum Depression
pregnancy
Self Esteem
Single Parenting Issues
Stress
Trauma and PTSD
Women's issue
Treatment Orientation
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Eclectic
EMDR
Feminist
Health/Wellness-based
Interpersonal
Mindfulness
Therapeutic Yoga
Therapeutic/Mindful Movement
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Trauma Focused Therapy
Modality