Mental Health Matters: May Mental Health Awareness Feature

Kendra Vargas is an LCPC and PMH-C in the Chicagoland area. She offers private counseling services and group therapy for people struggling with infertility, pregnancy, prenatal, and postpartum (and many other things!). Christine Davis, our Acupuncture Director, talked with her about how mental health plays a role in the fertility and pregnancy journey. 

Hi Kendra! Please tell me a little about yourself and your practice. What do the letters after your name stand for? Why did you decide to go into the mental health field? 

Thanks so much, Christine! I’ve been in the field of mental health for about 10 years now. I’ve worked in community mental health and private practice settings, and recently started my Telehealth practice, Authentically You Psychotherapy. I’m a Certified Perinatal Mental Health Specialist through Postpartum Support International (that’s what the PMH-C stands for), and a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (those are the other letters after my signature, LCPC). I work with people who have infertility issues, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, and anything from pregnancy, prenatal, to postpartum and beyond. My clients range from teens to adults with depression, anxiety, ADHD, stress management, as well as issues related to self-esteem, gender identity, and racial identity. 

I went into this field due to my own experiences with mental health in my family system. I also worked with kids and families in a variety of settings prior to being a therapist, which led me to obtaining my degree in Counseling Psychology. When it comes to infertility, I know what that experience is firsthand, as my husband and I struggled to conceive for many years. Thankfully with the help of IVF, we now have a beautiful 7-year-old daughter who was well worth the wait! 

Do you see many clients who are struggling with fertility issues? Pregnancy loss? Prenatal / Postpartum concerns? How common is it to need this kind of support? 

A large portion of my caseload is exactly what you just mentioned. Recent research has now shown that 1 in 6 struggle with infertility, which used to be 1 in 8. Over 30% struggle with postpartum depression and anxiety, and these numbers and percentages increase when we look at different racial ethnic groups. There are so many physical and emotional changes that happen when trying to conceive, as well as the postpartum period and beyond. Oftentimes, therapy can really help people have a space to process it all and learn how to manage whatever it is that they’re experiencing. Thankfully as we continue to have more conversations and break stigmas, more people are reaching out for additional support.

How can your work help clients with these concerns? What types of sessions do you offer? 

Therapy can be helpful to people for a variety of reasons. Some people feel that having their own space to talk about their issues is plenty, while others use the space to learn coping skills to manage their symptoms and experiences, or to even learn ways to advocate for themselves while trying to conceive or when they’re pregnant. I find that when people are educated on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, or even knowing what to expect and what’s normal, they have a better understanding of what they are going through, and then the road ahead appears to be a little clearer. People can start to feel empowered to make decisions or move through their experiences in a different way.

I offer individual sessions, and also run a biweekly Fertility Skills & Support Group for women utilizing IUI or IVF. The group has been running for almost four years, and it’s a great space for people to put things into perspective, feel less isolated, and lean on one another for support. The women share their experiences, help each other get through tough periods in their treatment, celebrate the wins, empower one another, and so much more. I often hear the group members say they walk away feeling supported, informed, and understood.

I really don't like it when people say, "Just relax and you'll get pregnant!" Ugh. However, we know that stress can play a role in infertility. As an acupuncturist, I see a powerful connection between the psychological state and physical health. Can you talk a little about that? 

Absolutely! There are so many statements like that where I cringe inside, lol! People mean well, but I think there’s an overall consensus that shows statements like that are unhelpful. A lot of the work I do is helping my clients put boundaries in place, learn ways to communicate them effectively, or even how to be prepared with a response when hearing unhelpful statements like the one you mentioned, because there’s definitely a lot more like that!

There are different studies out there on the topic of stress and infertility, and what we know is that it’s not likely for stress alone to cause infertility, however, we know stress impacts us in a variety of ways, so it’s still recommended to learn ways to manage stress. Stress impacts our physical and mental health, and when left unmanaged, it can increase symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as physical illnesses like hypertension and diabetes. If someone is having sleep problems or ongoing headaches because of their unmanaged stress, that is going to have a negative impact on how they navigate their fertility journey, so when working with clients, it is very important for them to understand the mind-body connection and how to take care of themselves as a whole.

Kendra A. Vargas (she/her), LCPC, PMH-C, is a culturally responsive and inclusive psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, consultant, and infertility trainer. She is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) and holds a Perinatal Certification through Postpartum Support International (PMH-C). Kendra obtained her Bachelor's Degree from Columbia College of Chicago and a Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Her work in the field covers a variety of settings, including community mental health, hospital outpatient clinics, and private practice.

Kendra is the owner/founder of Authentically You Psychotherapy, a solo practice where she provides individual therapy and group therapy services, and specializes in perinatal mental health. She runs an ongoing Fertility Skills and Support Group for women utilizing Assisted Reproductive Technologies such as IUI and IVF, which is an area she has a deep, personal connection and compassion for. Kendra also has extensive experience in working with depression, anxiety, ADHD, gender identity, racial identity, transitioning to parenting, parent support, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, and infertility issues.