Dr. Kristy Christopher-Holloway

Dr. Kristy Christopher-Holloway Dr. Kristy Christopher-Holloway is a well respected speaker, counselor, educator, and supervisor.

After experiencing a PMAD, it’s easy to fall into guilt or self-doubt — wondering if you’ve “missed your chance” to bond...
10/29/2025

After experiencing a PMAD, it’s easy to fall into guilt or self-doubt — wondering if you’ve “missed your chance” to bond or if you’re not doing enough.

But here’s the truth: your child doesn’t need perfect. They need present.

Psychologist D.W. Winnicott’s “good enough parent” theory reminds us that secure attachment grows through responsiveness, not flawlessness.
That means:

It’s okay if you sometimes lose patience — repair builds trust.

It’s okay if you missed a moment — consistency matters more than constancy.

It’s okay if healing feels slow — your self-awareness is part of the connection.

Being a “good enough” parent means not giving up when it’s hard, and showing your child what resilience looks like.

💬 Remember: “Good enough” is more than enough for healing — for you and your little one.
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Heading home!!My roundtable presentation on "The Hidden Struggles: Infertility, Mental Health, and Black Motherhood" was...
10/28/2025

Heading home!!

My roundtable presentation on "The Hidden Struggles: Infertility, Mental Health, and Black Motherhood" was SOLD OUT and went exceptionally well. It even went ten minutes over time, with such rich & lively discussion. So many connections made and so much great feedback.

I wholeheartedly enjoyed San Antonio & the Society for Reproductive Medicine Scientific Congress.

But as much as I love speaking & training, I'm ready to see my family and hug their necks.

Until next time...

I’m honored to share that I’ll be speaking at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine () 2025 Scientific Congress...
10/28/2025

I’m honored to share that I’ll be speaking at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine () 2025 Scientific Congress & Expo in San Antonio, TX on Tuesday, October 28, 2025!

I’ll be leading a roundtable discussion titled “The Hidden Struggles: Infertility, Mental Health, and Black Motherhood.”

This conversation is deeply personal and necessary — we’ll explore the emotional and psychological experiences that often go unseen in the fertility journey, particularly within Black motherhood. My hope is to help bridge the gap between reproductive medicine and mental health, ensuring that every story, every struggle, and every voice is acknowledged with compassion and care. 💛

ASRM 2025 kicks off October 25–26 with incredible sessions on the mental health aspects of reproductive care, and I’m truly grateful to contribute to this important dialogue.

If you’ll be attending, I’d love for you to join me for this meaningful discussion.

I was recently interviewed by the National Board of Certified Counselors () to discuss Counseling Clients Through IVF — ...
10/27/2025

I was recently interviewed by the National Board of Certified Counselors () to discuss Counseling Clients Through IVF — an article exploring the emotional complexities of infertility and the counselor’s role in providing informed, compassionate care.

As I shared in the interview, “Because infertility affects nearly 1 in 5 couples, it is likely that counselors will encounter clients navigating this experience. Counselors must be competent in understanding infertility, assisted reproductive technologies, and the psychological toll they can carry.”

Supporting clients through infertility and IVF requires cultural humility, sensitivity, and specialized knowledge of reproductive mental health. This work goes far beyond the medical process — it touches every part of a client’s emotional, relational, and spiritual life.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to raise awareness about this important area of counseling and to continue advocating for trauma-informed, inclusive, and compassionate care.

📰 Read “Counseling Clients Through IVF” at https://nbcc.org/resources/nccs/newsletter/counseling-clients-through-ivf (or by clicking the shortened link on the image)!

Many new parents struggle to explain what they’re going through — especially when their symptoms don’t match the “baby b...
10/27/2025

Many new parents struggle to explain what they’re going through — especially when their symptoms don’t match the “baby blues” stereotype.

Perinatal mental health conditions like Postpartum OCD (P-OCD) and Postpartum PTSD (P-PTSD) can involve intrusive thoughts, hypervigilance, nightmares, or intense anxiety, and it’s not easy to open up about those experiences to loved ones.

Often, family and friends may misinterpret symptoms as overreacting, being “too anxious,” or not being grateful for motherhood — when in reality, these are real mental health symptoms that deserve compassion and care.

💬 This post offers a few gentle scripts to help start that conversation —
whether it’s saying,

“These thoughts aren’t me — they’re part of my recovery,”
or,
“Listening without judgment helps me feel safe and supported.”

You deserve understanding, not shame. 💕

Save this post as a reminder that your experience is valid — and that you don’t have to explain it perfectly for it to matter.

We don’t talk enough about anger in the perinatal period—yet it’s one of the most common (and misunderstood) signs of po...
10/24/2025

We don’t talk enough about anger in the perinatal period—yet it’s one of the most common (and misunderstood) signs of postpartum depression and anxiety.

If you find yourself snapping easily, feeling tense all day, or overwhelmed by small things that never used to bother you, it’s not because you’re a “bad mom” or “too emotional.”
It’s because your nervous system is maxed out.

Here’s what’s happening behind the scenes:
• Hormonal changes after birth make mood regulation harder.
• Sleep deprivation strips the brain of patience and impulse control.
• Unmet needs—for support, rest, validation—build pressure until anger becomes the only outlet.

Unlike typical frustration, perinatal anger doesn’t fade with a nap or break. It’s deeper—persistent, consuming, and often followed by guilt or shame.

👉🏽 If this sounds familiar, it’s time to reach out—for therapy, support groups, or a conversation with your provider. You’re not “crazy.” You’re human, and your system is signaling overload.

When treated with care, anger becomes a doorway to understanding what you truly need—not a reflection of who you are.
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For many women, the delivery room can feel like a replay of past trauma—especially when medical environments trigger fee...
10/23/2025

For many women, the delivery room can feel like a replay of past trauma—especially when medical environments trigger feelings of powerlessness, pain, or fear.

A trauma-informed birth plan doesn’t erase those risks, but it helps create a foundation of safety and agency that can reduce the likelihood of developing Perinatal Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (P-PTSD).

Here’s what it can include:

✨ Safety: Identify triggers (like loss of privacy or unexpected touch) and note grounding tools that help you stay present.

✨ Choice: Ask your team to explain every procedure, pause for consent, and use your preferred language (“Check-in before touching me” can be powerful).

✨ Support: Bring people who make you feel safe—partner, doula, or therapist—and plan post-delivery emotional check-ins.

✨ Voice: Request that your birth plan be discussed collaboratively, not just documented. You should feel heard, not managed.

Creating a trauma-informed birth plan isn’t about fear—it’s about preparation with compassion.
It gives both you and your provider a shared roadmap for emotional and physical safety throughout the birth experience.
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Sometimes therapy—something meant to help—can start to feel like one more thing on your list.You sit in session and thin...
10/22/2025

Sometimes therapy—something meant to help—can start to feel like one more thing on your list.
You sit in session and think:
“I don’t even have the energy to talk about this anymore.”

That’s therapy fatigue, and it’s more common than most people realize.

When we’ve been surviving in high-stress or emotionally demanding seasons (like postpartum recovery or caregiving), therapy itself can start to feel like work.
You might catch yourself avoiding sessions, feeling emotionally flat, or guilty for wanting a break.

Here’s the truth:
✨ Fatigue doesn’t mean you’ve failed therapy.
✨ It means your system needs a softer pace.

Try these small, sustainable approaches:
• Focus on maintaining, not achieving — “I’m showing up as I am.”
• Ask your therapist to slow the pace or shift to check-ins.
• Let reflection happen between sessions, not just in them.
• Celebrate rest as part of your healing practice.

Progress in mental health isn’t measured by how fast you heal, but by how kindly you continue to.
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We often talk about perinatal mental health as an individual issue — but research consistently shows that when one paren...
10/22/2025

We often talk about perinatal mental health as an individual issue — but research consistently shows that when one parent experiences a PMAD, the other’s risk rises significantly.

Comorbid PMADs in couples—when both parents experience symptoms of depression, anxiety, or trauma—can create a compounding effect that touches every aspect of family life:

Emotional withdrawal or irritability from one partner triggers stress in the other.

Shared exhaustion and financial pressure heighten vulnerability.

When both partners are struggling, their ability to support one another collapses.

This isn’t about blame — it’s about biology, environment, and relational patterns.
And it’s why screening only the birthing parent is not enough.

When both parents experience PMADs, we see:
⚡ More relationship conflict
👶 Greater difficulty maintaining attuned parent-infant interactions
📉 Reduced treatment adherence and slower recovery

Therapeutic interventions that center the couple—not just the individual—are key.
Approaches like Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and Behavioral Couple Therapy (BCT) help rebuild communication, safety, and mutual care — which, in turn, support better outcomes for the infant.

💡 The takeaway:
When one partner shows symptoms, always check in with the other.
Healing together builds the foundation for recovery, resilience, and a healthier family system.

💬 How do you approach couple-based care when PMADs affect both parents?

The postpartum season invites massive change—physically, emotionally, and mentally.But somewhere between recovery and re...
10/21/2025

The postpartum season invites massive change—physically, emotionally, and mentally.
But somewhere between recovery and re-entry, guilt often sneaks in.

You might think:
🌀 “I’m not bonding fast enough.”
🌀 “I should be happier.”
🌀 “I’m not handling this like other parents.”

That’s guilt talking.
And while guilt can sometimes signal care, it often turns into shame when left unchecked.

Growth, on the other hand, looks quieter—but it’s far more powerful.
It sounds like:
✨ “I’m learning what I need.”
✨ “I’m doing my best with the energy I have.”
✨ “I can rest without losing my worth.”

In perinatal mental health, shifting from guilt to growth means allowing space for imperfection. It’s about recognizing that healing isn’t about “bouncing back”—it’s about building forward with compassion.

So today, give yourself permission to be in progress.
You are not failing—you are healing.
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Trauma can echo through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.Whether the trauma was medical, sexual, racial, or related to p...
10/21/2025

Trauma can echo through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
Whether the trauma was medical, sexual, racial, or related to prior birth experiences, it can quietly shape how someone feels, trusts, and connects in the perinatal period.

Trauma-informed care means slowing down, offering choice, and seeing each person as the expert on their body and experience.

Let’s move from “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you — and how can we help you feel safe again?”

💬 What trauma-informed practice do you use most often in your work or daily life?

Bonding with your baby doesn’t always look like the pictures you see online — especially after experiencing a Perinatal ...
10/21/2025

Bonding with your baby doesn’t always look like the pictures you see online — especially after experiencing a Perinatal Mood or Anxiety Disorder (PMAD). For many parents, attachment takes time, patience, and repeated repair.

Mood disorders can interfere with emotional availability, energy, and responsiveness — but attachment isn’t built through perfection. It’s built through repair. Every time you notice a missed moment and come back with warmth, you’re teaching your baby that relationships can be safe, flexible, and loving.

Here’s the truth: consistent presence matters more than constant joy. Healing the parent-child connection often begins with self-compassion — extending to yourself the same grace you want your child to feel.

💬 What practices help you or your clients strengthen attachment after PMADs?

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About Dr. Christopher-Holloway and New Vision Consulting and Training, LLC

Welcome! We are so glad that you are here! Dr. Kristy Christopher-Holloway is an Assistant Professor at Lindsey Wilson College, the Founder and Director of New Vision Counseling Center, LLC, a group private practice in Douglasville, GA, and the Founder of New Vision Consulting and Training, LLC. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Georgia, a National Certified Counselor (NCC), a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC), and an Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS).

As an educator and trainer, speaker, and consultant, Dr. Christopher-Holloway works with many helping professionals including counselors, counselors-in-training, social workers, as well as medical professionals. She has presented at conferences, workshops, and trainings locally, nationally, and internationally with focuses on cultural competence, African Americans and mental health, the psycho-emotional impact of infertility in African American women, addressing religion and spirituality in the counseling session, the strong Black woman syndrome and generational trauma, operating a successful private practice, incorporating wellness in clinical practice, and more.

Clinically, Dr. Christopher-Holloway’s research focuses on the mental health help-seeking experiences of religious or spiritual African American women diagnosed with infertility, as well as the psycho-emotional impact of infertility in African American women and couples. She works with minority women experiencing infertility trauma, birth trauma, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (postpartum depression, anxiety, etc), and pregnancy and infant loss (also commonly referred to as perinatal loss or reproductive loss). She has worked in settings to include private practice, in home, outpatient, and residential treatment, working with children, adolescents, and adults, providing individual, couple, family, and group counseling.