“ My goal is to empower and nurture the identity shifts, mood changes, and the real, raw moments of becoming a parent — so you can feel like yourself again while growing into someone new.
Both children and parents deserve to be held in safe, responsive care as they navigate the shifts and changes of growth,”
-Dr Heather Buxton MD
Child, Adolescent and Perinatal Psychiatrist and Founder of Cradled Psychiatry
Cradled Psychiatry was born from a truth I lived as I struggled to balance my own career, mental wellness, and parenting.
Parenthood is full of opposites—and we are expected to cradle them all. Often, we do so without enough support.
We give birth, and the focus shifts from the mother to the baby. Yet, parents are cradling their children while also navigating complex emotions and identity shifts.
Joy and grief. Presence and ambition. Exhaustion and awe.
Parents are stretched between who they were, who they are becoming, and what their children need.
Cradled Psychiatry was born from the idea that all parents deserve mental health support as they navigate their evolving identities.
We honor the complexity of parenthood—and offer care that holds space for all of it.
This picture always brings tears to my eyes. It was taken during a time when I was balancing my child psychiatry fellowship with life as a new parent to my post-NICU baby. I was fortunate to have some flexibility—4 weeks where I could work from home after most of my maternity leave was spent in the NICU—but honestly, it still wasn’t enough. The reality is, no amount of flexibility can fully prepare you for the immense challenges of early parenthood.
Even as a doctor—someone trained in the very medical system meant to guide and support families—there were so many moments I felt lost. If it was this confusing for me, I knew it had to be even harder for others.
I longed for a space where I could speak all my truths freely—without judgment. I was deeply grateful my baby was alive and safe, but the toll of the pregnancy, the NICU, and the postpartum transition had left me raw and overwhelmed.
I created Cradled Psychiatry with the hope of building a space that is compassionate, non-judgmental, and free from over-pathologizing the normal—and often hard—struggles of parenthood. When a diagnosis is needed, I approach it thoughtfully, as a tool to help parents access the right support, not as a label that defines them.
Part of my work within Cradled Psychiatry also exists to advocate for systemic and policy changes that better support parents and caregivers. Parents deserve more supports:
Paid Family Leave for All
Extended Paid Leave for NICU and High-Risk Pregnancies
Improved access to Perinatal Mental Health Care
Affordable Childcare
Lactation and Feeding Support
Support for Fathers, Non-Birthing Parents, and Partners
Expanded Access to Postpartum Home Visits