Taryn Zweygardt, LSCSW, PMH-C

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Taryn Zweygardt, LSCSW, PMH-C Taryn’s area of focus is in the treatment of perinatal mental health issues including postpartum d

08/26/2026

Sometimes I think motherhood has taught us how to be incredibly good at rushing. Rushing through breakfast. Rushing through the bedtime routine. Rushing through the mess. Rushing through the moments because there’s always something else that needs to be done.

But when was the last time you let yourself just… play? Color something. Sit in the sunshine. Make something with your hands. Laugh at something silly. Enjoy something that serves absolutely no purpose other than making you happy.

I think we sometimes forget that we’re allowed to slow down, too. We don’t have to earn rest. We don’t have to be productive to deserve joy. And we don’t have to make every moment meaningful. Sometimes the simple things are the meaningful things. So today, I’m reminding myself (and maybe YOU 😜) that it’s okay to slow down.

Color the picture. Play the game. Sit on the floor.
Enjoy a Carmel Apple sucker. Your kids don’t just need a mom who gets everything done. They need to see you enjoying your life, too. 🤍

I am admittedly VERY behind on promoting my podcast episodes. 🙃 But maybe there’s a reason I’m finally getting around to...
08/24/2026

I am admittedly VERY behind on promoting my podcast episodes. 🙃 But maybe there’s a reason I’m finally getting around to sharing this one now. There has been so much media attention surrounding the Lindsay Clancy trial lately, including conversations about postpartum mental health and the role severe sleep disruption can play when someone’s mental health is already deteriorating. While Lindsay’s story is incredibly complex and we should be careful not to reduce what happened to “she was sleep deprived,” it has made me think about how casually we talk about exhaustion in parenthood. We joke about it. We normalize it. We tell parents, “That’s just having a baby.” But sleep matters.

So this episode with Sara Skiles, owner of Wichita Doula, certified doula, pediatric sleep consultant, childbirth educator + mom of two, feels especially important to share right now. We talk about newborn sleep, why parents often feel unprepared for it, and how prolonged sleep deprivation can impact mental health, relationships, functioning + the postpartum experience. We also unpack why sleep support isn’t one-size-fits-all. It can simply mean understanding what’s developmentally appropriate, troubleshooting what isn’t working + finding strategies that align with YOUR family.

And this conversation goes beyond sleep.
We talk about the sleep gap + mental load, because even when two parents share nighttime responsibilities, one person may still be carrying most of the invisible work. Sharing the load isn’t just saying, “Tell me what you need me to do.” It’s taking ownership of figuring out what needs to be done, too.

And maybe the biggest reminder:
You do not have to wait until you’re completely depleted to deserve help. Wanting sleep doesn’t make you selfish. Getting support doesn’t mean you failed. We have to stop treating complete exhaustion as a parenting rite of passage. You don’t get extra parenting points for doing everything the hardest possible way. 🤍

🎧 Why Asking for Sleep Support + Sharing the Mental Load Doesn't Make You a Bad Parent with Sara Skiles is available now!

5 things I DON’T do as a perinatal therapist: I don’t tell moms to “just enjoy it because it goes so fast.” You can love...
08/18/2026

5 things I DON’T do as a perinatal therapist:

I don’t tell moms to “just enjoy it because it goes so fast.” You can love your baby and still be exhausted, touched-out, overwhelmed, angry, grieving, or struggling. Two things can be true.

I don’t assume every difficult postpartum experience is postpartum depression. Anxiety, OCD, birth trauma, rage, intrusive thoughts, identity shifts, relationship struggles, grief, and adjustment difficulties can all show up differently. PPD isn't the catch-all diagnosis for everything that happens after having a baby.

I don’t tell you that you need more self-care when what you actually need is more support. A bubble bath isn't going to fix an unsustainable workload, chronic sleep deprivation, or being the default parent. Sometimes the intervention is redistributing the load, not adding another thing to your to-do list. Sleep deprivation can significantly affect mood and cognitive functioning, which is one reason assessing sleep is so important in postpartum care.

I don’t shame you for having intrusive thoughts. Having an unwanted thought about something terrible happening to your baby isn't the same thing as wanting it to happen or intending to act on it. I want my clients to be able to tell me the scary thoughts without being afraid that telling me will make me think they're a bad mom.

I don’t make you fit into someone else’s version of what motherhood is supposed to look like. Breastfeeding or formula. Working or staying home. Medication or no medication. Cosleeping or crib. Wanting another baby or being one-and-done. Loving motherhood or absolutely freaking hating parts of it.

My job isn't to make you a “better mom.” My job is to help you feel more like yourself while you're becoming a mom. Because my job isn't about teaching you how to be the perfect parent. It's about helping you become a supported parent.

Does motherhood change your ambition… or does it clarify it?In this week’s episode of Reproductively Speaking, I sat dow...
08/10/2026

Does motherhood change your ambition… or does it clarify it?

In this week’s episode of Reproductively Speaking, I sat down with Audra Dinnell, founder of The Thread: A Women’s Leadership Collective, for a conversation about ambition after motherhood, redefining success, and embracing what Audra calls your “Act Two.”

We talk about changing goals, entrepreneurship + motherhood, burnout, comparison, people-pleasing, building self-trust, and what happens when you start defining success by YOUR values instead of everyone else’s expectations.

One of my favorite reminders from this conversation:
You’re allowed to change your mind about what you want your life to look like.

And the timing of this episode feels especially meaningful because The Thread is enrolling for its final cohort! If you listen to this conversation and find yourself craving more connection, clarity, confidence, or space to figure out what’s next, I encourage you to check it out.

Maybe your Second Act is dreaming bigger.
Maybe it’s slowing down.
Maybe it’s choosing something completely different.
Whatever it is—you’re allowed to create a life that feels like yours. 🤍

🎧 Listen to the episode wherever you get your podcasts + check out The Thread’s final cohort if this conversation speaks to you!

https://www.thethreadwichita.com/apply

Over the past two days, I had the privilege of attending the 2026 Kansas Maternal Mortality Prevention Conference, an ev...
07/31/2026

Over the past two days, I had the privilege of attending the 2026 Kansas Maternal Mortality Prevention Conference, an event that continues to remind me why this work matters so deeply.

This year, I had the honor of serving on the conference planning committee alongside an incredible group of professionals committed to improving maternal health outcomes across Kansas. Seeing months of planning come together into meaningful conversations, collaboration, and action was incredibly rewarding.

I was also grateful for the opportunity to facilitate a panel discussion, "Connected Care for the Mother-Infant Dyad," with an amazing group of professionals from across our state.

The discussion reinforced something I believe wholeheartedly: improving maternal mental health and reducing maternal mortality cannot happen in silos. It requires healthcare providers, mental health professionals, community organizations, public health leaders, and families working together to build systems that truly support parents.

Throughout the conference, I was reminded that while we have made meaningful progress, there is still so much work ahead.

We still have families falling through the cracks. We still have disparities that demand our attention. We still have barriers to accessing quality, timely, and culturally responsive care. And we still have opportunities to strengthen how we support parents long before, during, and after pregnancy.

Leaving this conference, I don't feel discouraged by the work left to do instead I feel energized by it.

I'm grateful to work alongside so many passionate people who continue to ask hard questions, challenge existing systems, and dedicate themselves to creating meaningful change for Kansas families. It is a privilege to be part of this movement, and I'm excited to continue advocating, collaborating, and building solutions that ensure every parent has access to the support they deserve.

Thank you to everyone who made this conference possible, to my fellow planning committee members, to the incredible panelists who shared their expertise, and to every attendee committed to making a difference.

The work continues and I'm grateful to be part of it. 💙

07/28/2026

If you’ve been silently carrying shame because of intrusive thoughts, I hope this video brings you a little relief. ❤️

07/27/2026

I hate talking into the camera but this deserves to be said. My blood has been boiling reading the comments on this story as it prepares for trial. My heart aches for Lindsay and her family, and so many other families who have been impacted by these mental health emergencies. We still have a lot of work to do to better help families impacted by postpartum psychosis. Please educate yourself and your family on the signs and symptoms of this medical emergency.

07/15/2026

A little over two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Los Angeles for the annual Postpartum Support International conference. It was my first time visiting the city, and I was excited to explore somewhere new while also attending advanced trainings and seminars to help me better serve the clients I have the privilege of holding space for every day.

The trainings were impactful. My notebook is overflowing with ideas, research to dive into, book recommendations, and pages of notes that will undoubtedly shape my work.

But the thing I can’t stop thinking about had nothing to do with the conference.

One evening after dinner, we decided to walk around and explore. As mentally tired as I was after a full day of learning, I wanted to soak in as much of this new place as I could.

That’s when I saw it.

From across the street, I couldn’t quite tell what I was looking at. As I got closer, I realized it was a tree covered in hundreds of tiny white tags, each with a handwritten message.

A wishing tree.

I spent a long time reading as many wishes as I could. They were written in different languages by people of all ages. Some wishes were wonderfully simple: a new puppy, their favorite team winning the World Cup. Others carried the weight of someone’s heart: healing for a loved one, peace in the world, love, understanding, hope.

Standing there, I was struck by something so beautifully human.

No matter where we come from, what language we speak, or what we’ve lived through, we all long for many of the same things. We all want to be loved. To belong. To feel safe. To heal. To find peace. To hope for something better.

If I had added my own wishes to the tree, they might have been these:

I wish for self-acceptance and self-love for every little girl who has ever been made to believe she was “too much.”

I wish for a world filled with more curiosity and less criticism.

I wish for a world that makes more room for thoughtful, meaningful questions instead of expecting everyone to have all the answers.

I wish for a world where people feel less pressure to measure their worth by productivity or success and more freedom to laugh, play, rest, and simply be.

For a moment, that tree reminded me that beneath all of our differences, our hopes connect us.

So I’ll leave you with the same question I’ve been asking myself…

If you could hang one wish on the wishing tree, what would it be?

One of the things I hear most often from parents after a difficult birth is, "I feel guilty for still being upset becaus...
06/29/2026

One of the things I hear most often from parents after a difficult birth is, "I feel guilty for still being upset because everyone keeps telling me I should just be grateful."

And while I understand where those comments come from, they can leave parents feeling incredibly alone. The truth is, your birth story matters.

You can be deeply grateful that your baby is here while also grieving the experience you had, the expectations you lost, or the way you felt during one of the most vulnerable moments of your life. Those feelings don't cancel each other out—they can exist together.

In this episode, I'm joined by my dear friend and fellow therapist, Leslie Thompson, a perinatal therapist whose own experiences with traumatic births, a NICU stay, and pregnancy loss have shaped both her healing journey and the incredible work she does with families today.

We talk about birth trauma, why fathers are often the "invisible parents," how comments like "At least everyone is healthy" can unintentionally minimize someone's experience, and how approaches like EMDR can help people process and heal from traumatic birth experiences.

If you've ever wondered why your birth still feels so heavy months—or even years—later, I hope this conversation reminds you of one thing: Your experience matters. Your story deserves to be heard. And healing is absolutely possible. 🤍

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts or at the link in my bio.

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10209 W. Central Avenue, Suite 1
Wichita, KS
67212

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Tuesday 9am - 8pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm

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