Meet Caitlin Skeens of SageWise Wellness

Today we’d like to introduce you to Caitlin Skeens.

Hi Caitlin, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 2015 I became pregnant with my first child. Despite years in the mental health field, at the time I did not recognize that I was plagued with prenatal anxiety throughout my pregnancy. The joy of my daughter’s birth was stained with the fear and powerlessness I felt, and followed by the hallmark feelings of isolation and inadequacy as a mother with Postpartum Depression. This persisted and tainted the first year of her life, and my first year as a mother.

After relocating to Arizona in 2017 from the Pacific Northwest, I found the sun, metaphorically and literally. And with this, a passion for Maternal Mental Health. Despite a difficult pregnancy loss in 2018, the birth of my second daughter in late 2018 gave way to a renewed sense of peace. I made it my mission in life to support other mothers throughout pregnancy, birth and postpartum. I began pursuing training and certification in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C) through Postpartum Support International. I took the leap into starting my private practice in 2021, and with the support of my encouraging husband, SageWise Wellness was born.

In witnessing the aftermath of the pain and trauma of so many of my clients giving birth during the pandemic, I felt pulled to train as a birth doula in 2020. Having this enlightening background equipped me to better support my clients in planning for, experiencing and processing their birth experiences. The knowledge I gained through the doula certification process inspired me to profoundly lean into my maternal intuition and birth my third child, and first son, at home.

Now, after the birth of our second son, my loving husband and I successfully operate a thriving private practice, homeschool our four children, and I am proudly serving my third year as an officer on the Arizona Chapter of Postpartum Support International.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
You have to face challenges to find meaning or passion in anything. My first pregnancy and postpartum experience shook me to my core. At the time I couldn’t see a way out, but today I am surrounded by countless blessings because of it. Professionally, I also faced hurdles at a group practice where I worked for a couple of years that was holding me back.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I specialize in supporting mothers, parents and families during pregnancy and postpartum. More specifically, in the area of birth anxiety and birth trauma. I am also a trained Brainspotting practitioner, specialized in this modality of deep-brain trauma therapy that utilizes one’s visual field to pinpoint the location of stored and entangled traumatic neurological activity. I support families across the state of Arizona through telehealth services.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Starting my practice was a big risk for me at the time, one that paid off for me personally, professionally and for my family.

Contact Info:

• Website: Sagewisewellness.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sagewisemom/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sagewisewellness/ 

Image Credits
Alexis Armenta tinyhumansphotography.com