By Breanna Francis, The Journal
MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — In hopes of offering validation and support to new mothers in the Mountain State and across the nation, a Martinsburg native and Eastern Panhandle counselor has written a children’s book aimed at normalizing postpartum depression and anxiety while helping mothers bond with their new babies.
Natalie Souders graduated from Martinsburg High School and obtained her Political Science Bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University, but said after interning in Washington D.C. she found the political environment wasn’t for her and went back to school to get her Masters Degree in Social Work.
In September of 2013, Souders started working at A Brighter Tomorrow, a counseling center in Martinsburg, where she said she works with teens and women to address a number of mental health issues, particularly with those facing postpartum depression and anxiety.
“In February of that same year I had my first child so there was really a lot going on because I was finishing my masters and starting a new job at the same time,” Souders said. “So I definitely faced my own struggles emotionally, including post partum depression.” …
