Panel Highlights Hidden Struggles Facing Mothers and Families

In Garland County, Arkansas a panel on maternal mental health brought together healthcare workers and family support professionals. They noted that parents overwhelmed by isolation, trauma, and postpartum depression often struggle to find support to help with children when they are feeling overwhelmed. This can later result in a crisis that might have been prevented, they noted.

The conversation featured local professionals including Breanna Walden of the state's Baby & Me program, Anyah Lock of the AR MOMS program at CHI St. Vincent, and licensed marriage and family therapist Loretta Parker of Loving Life Counseling in Hot Springs.

Panelists emphasized that behind many family crises are parents who simply need support, connection, and someone willing to listen.

“I have had a lot of participants that don’t have anybody to talk to,” Walden said. “I am the only one that they can talk to. When you have a client that’s crying and just so overwhelmed because everything in life has been happening back-to-back-to-back, it’s heartbreaking.”

The seven-month curriculum of the Baby & Me program includes a lesson on essential parenting skills, as well as activities aimed at promoting parent and child interactions. Families are also connected to community services and supports as needed.

Panelists described how many mothers experience anxiety, depression, shame, and exhaustion.

Lock said one important resource she tells families about is Postpartum Support International. "It's free to moms and dads or anyone who is becoming a parent. They have free support groups."

AR MOMS (Arkansas Moms) connects at-risk, pregnant, and postpartum women with prenatal care, addiction support, and other resources.

Parker explained that maternal depression and generational trauma are deeply connected because unresolved trauma can shape how stress, relationships, parenting, and emotional regulation are passed from one generation to the next.

She noted that many of our beliefs are formed when we are children, shaped by the thoughts and opinions of those we see as trusted adults. If those adults are suffering from generational trauma, they could be teaching toxic behaviors. "So then we grow up and then as we have more experience we're like, 'Wait a minute, this doesn't quite make sense.' And then it's shifting that muscle in your brain to create a new pathway."

She said breaking generational trauma often means building entirely new ways of thinking, parenting, communicating, and coping than what people have known.

Parker went on to tell the story of her personal discovery of the reason behind why she was having unhealthy romantic relationships in adulthood. "When I got married, I kept having this overwhelming feeling that my husband was cheating on me. So I was searching through his things," she recalls.

"I was like, 'I don't wanna start a marriage like this.' So I went to my therapist and we did a brain spotting session. And where my brain took me was back to when I was a baby and my mom did not want me. A lot of unknown feeling of rejection. So I had to learn where was that feeling coming from. I think if you do not treat that mental health issue, then it can lead to other problems for an individual and also pass it along to other family members."

While the panel focused on emotional health, speakers said practical barriers often make recovery even harder.

Transportation was repeatedly identified as a major challenge for mothers trying to access healthcare, counseling, or postpartum services. One provider explained that some transportation systems currently allow babies to ride only to the child’s medical appointments — not the mother’s follow-up care.

Housing instability was another major concern. Panelists described mothers living temporarily with relatives, staying with friends, or sitting on housing waitlists for years while trying to raise children.

“There are a lot of people who are homeless here,” Lock said, discussing the lack of affordable housing options for mothers and families.

Several organizations in Garland County are working on transitional housing solutions for women and children, though panelists acknowledged the need far exceeds current capacity.

One of the strongest themes throughout the discussion was the need for better collaboration between healthcare providers, churches, nonprofits, schools, and community organizations.

“There’s a lot of resources out there,” Parker said. “But then we’re taking our time looking it up and calling.”

She said many families encounter disconnected systems where organizations are working hard individually but are not always connected together in a coordinated way.

Panelists praised efforts to improve collaboration and create shared systems that help families navigate available services more easily.

“It’s just getting everybody to work together,” Walden added. “To agree on how we can better work together and collaborate.”

As the conversation concluded, panelists stressed that preventing family crises often starts long before involvement with child welfare systems or emergency intervention.

It starts with checking on parents. Offering practical help. Listening without judgment. Creating safe spaces. Connecting families to support early.

“If a mother can't get out of bed, instead of asking why she can't get out of bed, ask 'How can I support you?',” said Parker.