A Day in the Life of a Perinatal Behavioral Health Coach: Danielle McClellan
Ever wondered what it takes to support parents through one of the most transformative periods of their lives? Our Day in the Life blog and webinar series shares the inspiring stories of Perinatal Behavioral Health Coaches who have cultivated meaningful careers supporting the mental health of new and expecting parents.
What is a Perinatal Behavioral Health Coach?
A Perinatal Behavioral Health Coach plays a crucial role in providing mental health support to parents navigating the challenges and joys of pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. PBHC Coaches are professionals trained through FamilyWell’s certification program, and specialize in addressing the unique emotional needs and stressors of motherhood. Their support is grounded in compassion, and they excel at offering validation, concrete coping tools, mental health education, and evidence-based wellness strategies.
Who can become a coach?
Anyone who is passionate about helping families thrive! PBHC Coaches come from diverse backgrounds, and include doulas, lactation consultants, sleep coaches, and parents who have experienced the toll of perinatal mental health conditions. No prior clinical experience is required to enroll in our certification program and become a coach.
With 1 in 5 birthing women experiencing postpartum depression and other perinatal mental health conditions, and 75% of these women struggling to access the care needed for recovery, the need for more Perinatal Behavioral Health Coaches has never been greater.
A Day in the Life: Coach Danielle
Danielle McClellan is a mom of two, and the Lead Perinatal Behavioral Health Coach at FamilyWell. In addition to her work as a coach supporting families nationwide during pregnancy and postpartum, Danielle also serves on the board of a local organization that offers support groups and other postpartum resources for new parents.
One of her coaching clients recently shared,
“Danielle has been so supportive throughout my prenatal and postnatal journey. I can’t say enough about her professionalism, care, relatability, and advice. Working with her has been everything I needed."
Here’s a behind-the-scenes look into why Danielle chose this meaningful career, and what her typical day looks like as a coach.
What inspired you to become a Perinatal Behavioral Health Coach, and how did you get started in this field?
“I have always had a lot of empathy (some may say too much at times) and felt a pull to help people. After the birth of my first child, I struggled deeply with anxiety and depression. It felt like I was missing something in the journey because other people seemed happy, and all around me people were asking, “don’t you love it?” And I really didn’t. I kept thinking, “I just need someone to come in here and tell me it is going to be okay and reassure me that it gets better”. Eventually, I got to a place where I could say that I did love it, but those early memories of feeling so sad and isolated stuck with me. It became my mission to provide that voice to other new moms.”
2. Can you describe a typical day in your life as a Perinatal Behavioral Health Coach?
“A typical day for me starts with looking at my sessions for the day and checking in on each of my clients’ progress, goals and biggest challenges. From there, I spend the day speaking with people from all walks of life, who are all in different phases of their perinatal journey, and help to give them support and validation for whatever they are facing. What has really landed for me through these sessions is that PMADs (perinatal mood and anxiety disorders) do not discriminate; they can touch anyone.”
3. What are the most common challenges that your clients face during the perinatal period?
“Acceptance of unmet expectations and finding comfort in the uncomfortable. As new mothers, we all desperately want to feel like we know what we are doing, and often that only comes with time and A LOT of trial and error. It can be so difficult to adjust to a life where the only thing that is predictable is unpredictability. It is important for clients to feel validated and be given space to grieve the image they had of how it was all going to be.”
4. How do you personalize your approach to meet the unique needs of each client?
“Each person has their own unique experience through the perinatal journey. But at the same time, the perinatal experience is so universal. For example, every pregnant person has experienced anticipation about the unknowns of childbirth for the first time. Every experience is different, but the ability to empathize with the struggles and feelings is what unifies all of us as birthing people.”
5. What are some of the most rewarding aspects of your job?
“Holding space for people to feel what they feel, even when it may feel wrong or shameful. Outwardly, we are expected to love every part of parenting. And 100% of the time that is not the case. Parenting is hard and we are afraid to say that because it may mean we aren’t grateful, or we don’t love our children. But really it makes us human and acknowledges that even though it is hard, it is worth it. Creating a space for people to speak openly about their challenges is deeply important to me.”
6. What types of techniques or strategies do you use to support your clients' mental and emotional well-being?
“The most important focus for me is helping clients to strengthen their mind-body connection. When we experience dysregulation in our moods, so much of us live in our heads; we overthink every part of our lives and pile feelings on top of feelings. By strengthening the mind-body connection, we can learn that our body gives us many cues about our mental health. Knowing what those cues are, and having mindfulness practices ready, can help us calm down our bodies and our minds. I am also a big fan of asking which bad reality shows my clients love, so that we have the option for some lighthearted distractions occasionally.”
7. How do you stay updated with the latest research and developments in perinatal mental health?
“The parents I speak to keep me the most up-to-date. They are more knowledgeable about their own experiences and what has worked or not worked for them more than anyone else. Beyond that, I have an amazing team of perinatal experts I work with who are always sending along articles, resources, and helpful information about new developments in the maternal mental health world.”
8. What advice do you have for someone considering a career as a Perinatal Behavioral Health Coach?
“Most people interested in this field are interested in it because it is deeply personal to them. If you are wondering if what you gained from your own experiences could be helpful to others in some way, then the answer is always yes. I talk to a lot of moms who struggle to ask for help because they don’t want to be a burden. I remind them that they are leaning on their support team during a time of need, and that there will come a time when they will be the person someone leans on, and they will have the chance to give back. Being a health coach allows you to be part of that support team, and eventually the clients you help may be able to help others. We are all supporting each other in this beautiful (and sometimes terrible) web of parenting. Bottom line: we are better together.”
9. How do you manage your own wellbeing and mental health while supporting others through such a significant period in their lives?
“I try very hard to live the life that I encourage my clients to live. I work hard to prioritize self-care, especially by moving my body and setting healthy boundaries, and I use breathing techniques and mindfulness practices to help regulate my own emotions. And sometimes I fail miserably, in which case I try and practice self-compassion the same way I would tell my clients to. Most importantly, I make space for Love is Blind and rom-com books.”
Interested in becoming a coach?
If you want to know more about the steps you can take to become a Perinatal Behavioral Health Coach, join our upcoming webinar on Wednesday, July 24 at 1pm EDT: “Launch Your Dream Career as a Perinatal Behavioral Health Coach”. During this free webinar, Danielle, alongside several other FamilyWell coaches, will share more about her coaching experiences and answer all of your questions.
