Each step along the journey of parenthood holds its own challenges, according to Holly Pomme – a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a certification in Perinatal Mental Health.
“People don’t always understand the significance of how everything changes,” she pointed out. In fact, “perinatal mood disorder is the number one complication of pregnancy.”
And it’s one few people have heard of, which is why Pomme – who has been in private practice since 2014 – felt, not only compelled to start a perinatal mental health practice but a clinic as well.
“There’s such a need in identifying and helping people early,” she said of the impetus for Gathered and Wise, the perinatal mental health clinic she opened with her husband, Nicholas, in Stayton in 2021. “I really wanted to lean into the niche that I love.”
The clinic offers a spectrum of care for parents and children along the entire length of the perinatal experience – from the decision to have children, to pregnancy, childbirth, parenting and everything in between including adoption and surrogacy.
“It really starts with trying to conceive,” Pomme said, describing the crafting of a “reproductive story,” as just one of the many methods the clinic uses. “Often people come in with a lot of historic trauma – body stuff and family trauma. When people come in, when they’re first trying or newly pregnant, we do a lot of work.”
Even for those who have not experienced previous trauma, the act of becoming pregnant can be fraught with issues like infertility and miscarriage.
“I’m seeing a lot of infertility and loss clients,” Pomme said, listing toxic positivity and a lack of support for women who have experienced the loss of a pregnancy as two of the most common problems.
“A lot of people really want to talk about their baby. We’re helping people to normalize and honor that experience.”
Normalizing all of the difficulties parents – and those looking to become parents – experience is what Gathered and Wise is all about.
“A lot of times people feel really overwhelmed by things,” she said. But those feelings can easily be swept under the rug. “A lot of people come in thinking, my problem’s not that bad. There’s a lot of that. But you’re sleep deprived, you’re sore, you can’t just leave your house – just having a place to admit that and miss yourself.”
It can be a real help.
“People just talk about, ‘How’s the baby?’ instead of, ‘How are you?’” Pomme said, describing the experience many parents have during the days and weeks following childbirth. “And often OBGYN appointments are about 15 minutes.”
But an appointment at Gathered and Wise is different because the clinic’s primary mission is to provide “excellent and experienced perinatal and maternal mental health care”.
“We believe that a well-supported mother has a tremendous positive impact on her children and her community,” the clinic’s website states. “We also believe women deserve wellness due to their own intrinsic worth; not based on what roles they hold, or what they can contribute to others. It is our hope and intention to create a warm environment where both clients and therapists feel respected, supported, and are given the tools they need to thrive.”
Gathered and Wise is located at 613 N. First Ave., Stayton. They can be contacted at 541-704-7511 or
www.gatheredandwise.com.
