Next Practices in Mental Health-Bringing Nonparents into the Room
October 11, 2022
Hosted by Christine Erickson
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Guest Information
Episode Description
In this episode, we will examine the presence of pronatalist influences throughout the mental health profession, from leadership and institutions to research and training. Within these critical roles and educational spaces, the mental health profession largely obscures the lived experiences of people without children. Given these influences, what is the impact on people without children, both as clients and practitioners in mental health? To help us navigate this conversation about what is needed to create greater inclusion and understanding of the needs of people without children, we will be joined by Katie Maynard. Katie is an experienced licensed Clinical Social Worker, who is advancing innovative and meaningful change in the mental health space, through her work with clinicians, to expand their competency with therapy that is affirmative of childless and childfree people. Join us for this relevant, insightful conversation!
New Legacy Radio
Tuesday at 10 AM Pacific Time on VoiceAmerica Variety Channel
New Legacy Radio is a social justice platform about people without children. This space is intended to bring visibility and change to our experiences, to connect with our allies and anyone committed to learning more from our community, which is reaching an estimated one-third of the global population. The show addresses the social, systemic, and structural realities perpetuated by reproductive and relational identity bias. We discuss the impact of pronatalist behavior and policies, through the perspectives of our community and allies, as we work to achieve meaningful change that recognizes the truly diverse, intersectional continuum of our experiences. New Legacy Radio is brought to you by New Legacy Institute (NLI), which is policy institute, focused on the global culture and impact of pronatalism. The Institute’s social justice advocacy serves the growing, global community of people without children. NLI’s mission is to generate constructive change in cultural, organizational, and institutional policies that exhibit biases against people without children.
Christine Erickson
Christine Erickson (she/her) is the founder of New Legacy Institute. The Institute’s purpose is to advocate for change around social realities and policy inequities faced by those who do not have children. Christine is involuntarily childless by circumstance (cxc), and touched on her experiences in her award-winning book, The Mother Within: A Guide to Accepting Your Childless Journey. (2015) A revised edition is forthcoming. Her current writing focuses on the unacknowledged impact of women who are childless/childfree due to circumstances. Christine is dedicated to advancing the diverse narratives and experiences of people without children. She is a staunch advocate of our community’s equitable inclusion and belonging in the workplace, media & entertainment narratives, and making visible the ways in which our community is impacted by culture and policy, and the change we seek. As an executive and entrepreneur, she has lived and worked globally, for the majority of her career. She is an experienced executive coach, leadership educator, and the founder of the Center for Consent-Driven Leadership. She is writing a forthcoming book: Consent-Driven: Rethinking the Culture of Leadership. Christine is an advocate for justice reform in family law and court procedures, involuntary pro se representation, and multifaceted accountability regarding violence against women. She has also consulted on international women’s law and development, gender equity and healthcare access initiatives.
