Therapy that’s Just for Washington Women who are Navigating Infertility, Pregnancy, Postpartum, or in the Early Years of Motherhood
Takeaway: Nurturing the Sisterhood, a boutique therapy practice that’s just for women who want to become mothers, pregnant and postpartum women, and women in the early years of motherhood, celebrates the grand opening of its Bainbridge Island, Washington office! Founder and maternal mental health therapist Dr. Julie Franks shares the reason this practice is needed in Kitsap County, why it serves women throughout Washington State, and clinic’s judgment-free approach to therapy and support for women seeking pre-conception planning, coping with pregnancy loss, undergoing fertility treatment, and/or women who are pregnant, postpartum, and in the early years of motherhood.
“Therapy isn’t always designed with women’s needs in mind, especially for women who are navigating infertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and early motherhood. I’m here to change that.”
Dr. Julie Franks, DSW, LICSW, MTS
Dr. Julie Franks, founder and lead therapist, is thrilled to announce the Grand Opening of Nurturing the Sisterhood, a judgement-free mental health practice on Bainbridge Island that’s just for women who want to become mothers and women who are are going through fertility treatment, are pregnant, postpartum, or in the early years of motherhood.
At Nurturing the Sisterhood, we believe that the women need extra support as they navigate infertility or pregnancy loss, pregnancy, the postpartum period, and the many transitions we face as we become mothers. We understand that you go through many changes in the process of becoming a mother and that the highs and lows can feel unpredictable and challenging.
We believe that women do better when they have support, especially as they go through the many transitions associated with motherhood. Our mission is to provide that support to the women in our local Kitsap County community as well as women who live anywhere in Washington State.
Our Services
Nurturing the Sisterhood provides online therapy services to women who live in Washington State. Many of the women who work with our practice reside in Kitsap County, King County or Pierce County. We support women who:
Are just beginning to think about motherhood & want support with family planning
Are experiencing infertility or undergoing fertility treatment
Experience pregnancy loss, including miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, and stillbirth
Are exploring or going through the process of adoption or surrogacy
Are pregnant, including women who are experiencing high risk pregnancy
Are postpartum; we specialize in the care of postpartum anxiety, postpartum depression, and in supporting you with the many adjustments and transitions you face in new motherhood
Need support related to breastfeeding or chest feeding
Need support with managing the mental load of motherhood, finding a balance between work-parenting-domestic life
Are navigating the illness of a child, including food allergies
Are facing a family transition such as the birth of.a sibling, divorce, remarriage, deployment, a chance in a parent’s work status, or changes in childcare
We also offer in-person therapy groups and workshops on Bainbridge Island and in Poulsbo, WA. Our current offerings are posted as they become available for enrollment.
Our Approach
Nurturing the Sisterhood was born out of Dr. Julie’s recognition that the mental healthcare system is not designed with women’s needs in mind, and her belief that you deserve access to specialized care by experts in women’s health who get it. We’ve designed every part of Nurturing the Sisterhood to meet the unique needs of women during this stage of life. Above all, we are here to support each your journey, perspective, and circumstances without judgment. This is a safe place for you to find confidence, emotional healing, and support.
Dr. Julie’s Training & Experience
Dr. Julie approaches the care of each client with a combination of her specialized, advanced training in women’s mental healthcare and a willingness to share from her personal experience. Her personal style is collaborative, kind, and combines science-based and holistic approaches. She is a licensed independent clinical social worker (LICSW) in Washington State, holds both her doctorate and masters degrees in clinical social work, and is in the process of completing her Perinatal Mental Health Certificate (PMH-C). She has been supporting women and families for more than a decade in various social work positions and teaches clinical social work courses.
One of the unique features of therapy with Dr. Julie is her willingness to be honest about her own experiences with infertility, fertility treatment, high risk pregnancy, and anxiety. Her honesty serves to reduce the stigma that many women feel as they go through these experiences themselves. For many women, the understanding that Dr. Julie gets it is enough; she is also willing to discuss her experience with you if that is helpful and appropriate to your care.
Dr. Julie’s Story
Dr. Julie is a Bainbridge Island resident who has lived on the island since 2015. She is open about her own experience with navigating infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss, and high risk pregnancy while living on the island. The lack of specialized mental health and medical care for women facing these challenges means that women must travel to Seattle or Tacoma for fertility treatment, high risk pregnancy care, and for certain kinds of postnatal care. Needing to travel so far from home is isolating, exhausting, and leads many women to neglect their mental health needs. It is her awareness of this problem & the way it impacted her own experience of pregnancy and postpartum care that inspired Dr. Julie to open her own practice. Meeting women where they are at with their specific mental health needs in mind is something that Dr. Julie is incredibly passionate about. We believe that connecting with a therapist who gets it so close to home is an invaluable resource that our local community needs.
How does Nurturing the Sisterhood approach women’s mental health needs differently?
Every part of your experience is designed with the needs of infertility, pregnancy, and early motherhood in mind:
Our therapy sessions are conducted virtually to reduce the amount of time you need to travel or plan to be away from your family to receive mental health care. This is especially helpful to women who are undergoing fertility treatment, high risk pregnancies, and who are in the the postpartum period or who have young children.
Because our sessions are conducted virtually, you don’t need to worry about who you’ll see in the waiting room. We understand that women who are facing pregnancy loss or infertility struggle to see pregnant women and new mothers. We also take your privacy seriously, and being “seen” in a waiting room is often of special concern in our small local community on Bainbridge Island.
Infants, toddlers, and young children are always welcome in your counseling sessions. Your child will never be a problem for us; in fact, we enjoy meeting and seeing them. We can help you problem-solve ways to entertain your child while we meet for your session. We find that this approach supports the complex & changing schedules of young children, supports postpartum mothers, and reduces the cost of accessing mental healthcare because you don’t need to hire a babysitter (unless you want to).
Our clinic operates on a school calendar. When school takes a break, we take a break, too. Research shows that taking breaks like these from therapy can make therapy more effective, and it balances the increased demands mothers face at home when school is not in session. Most women look forward to the break and come back feeling ready to continue our clinical work. (But don’t worry; we won’t leave you hanging. You’ll have a care plan in place.)
We have relationships with other woman-positive healthcare providers in the local community & can help you access resources that are also designed to meet women’s needs during this time period.
How to Get Started with Dr. Julie
Dr. Julie offers a free 15-minute consultation where you can meet and determine if your needs are a good fit for her care. To schedule, please click here or call the Bainbridge Island office location at 509-866-6002.
