Today we’d like to introduce you to Virginia Dalton.
Hi Virginia, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up in a military family and moved around a lot. I connected with a lot of people and recognized the struggles among young people and their families. I knew I wanted to help people but did not know in what capacity I would do that.
After feeling I wasn’t moving in the right direction career-wise, I was led to social work, not fully knowing the reach of the field. I fell in love and began to focus on mental health-related to those in the military and their families.
I focused a lot on trauma and interpersonal relationships, and I continue to practice like this today, only with a new population focus. I gave birth to my daughter in 2020, an already challenging year for obvious reasons.
Following her birth, I experienced postpartum anxiety and OCD, something I wasn’t as familiar with until then. As I went back to work, I experienced role and identity conflicts, in addition to so much guilt and anxiety.
Prior to having her, I worked at a children’s hospital for six years, supporting families with children in the NICU and special medical needs, so I had been contemplating specializing in maternal mental health for a long time and this gave me the push I needed.
I became a Certified Perinatal Mental Health Professional (PMH-C) last year, and today, I work with birthing persons and their families/partners at a group private practice, Usawa Wellness Services, PLLC, to help navigate changing identities and role conflicts, interpersonal relationships and communication, and to address a variety of Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs).
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Is it ever a smooth road? There is a sign in our offices at Usawa Wellness that reads, “If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.” I’m not saying that the challenges or outcomes are always positive, but these challenges do change us in some way.
I definitely struggled with my own mental health and changing roles and identity, not only as a new parent but as a professional. I struggled in my own journey to parenthood and had to grieve the loss of what I thought it would be. I continue to develop my own skills so I can effectively help others and to make sure I’m good myself before jumping into something new or challenging.
It was very dichotomous thinking for a while. I was either a good mom or a good therapist because in my mind I couldn’t be both and felt I was failing in both areas at some points. There were a lot of tears and moments of questioning my abilities for sure.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I received my Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from Texas State University in 2011 and went on to obtain my Master’s in Social Work (MSW) in 2014. I’ve worked in a variety of settings and capacities including schools, non-profits, hospitals, and now, private practice.
I previously worked mostly with children but working in many of these settings required me to work closely with their parents and families. I recognized how much support parents could use, and I was usually drawn to the maternal challenges unique to birthing or adoptive persons.
I focused a lot on areas of chronic illness, trauma, anxiety, depression, and changing identities, and how socioeconomic status can differently impact these experiences. Today, I specialize in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), primarily post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, and OCD. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Supervisor (LCSW-S) and Certified Perinatal Mental Health Professional (PMH-C).
This distinction has only been around for the last five or six years, so I feel that is pretty unique and the list of certified providers continues to grow. It is important to note there are so many non-PMH-C providers specializing in this unique population with so much experience and value. I am proud of my journey to parenthood and how it impacted me professionally.
I worked through my experiences to become healthy enough to support others experiencing similar journeys. I am proud of my work with Usawa Wellness and how we continue to give back to the community. Recently, we gathered donations for Dottie’s Deliveries, a fund used to put together care packages for new birth persons, and distributed them to birth centers, pediatricians, and OB/GYN offices in our community.
I feel my personal experiences set me apart from others, but more so the practice I’m a part of. We support wellness as a whole and make community engagement and client care a priority.
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
I’ve learned to ask for help and to manage my expectations.
Often people want to show up for you and they don’t know how, or we don’t let them. We also may not know how to ask for help or to let someone help us. Trust the process.
People may surprise us. I’ve learned how strong and accomplished I am while having help and support from the most amazing people.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.myusawa.org
- Instagram: @usawawellness | @mommymentalhealth2022
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/usawawellness
Image Credits
Deandrea Reese
