The NICU journey is full of emotions — joy, grief, gratitude, trauma, and everything in between. For some families, those emotions continue long after discharge, especially when facing loss or long-term medical complexities.
In this episode, I’m joined by Mahaley Patel, LMFT, PMH-C — a therapist specializing in perinatal mental health, grief, trauma, and infant/child loss, and the co-author of Your NICU Story. Mahaley shares her perspective as both a clinician and a bereaved parent, and offers families and professionals tools for processing their NICU experience in ways that honor both the heartbreak and the hope.
We’ll talk about why storytelling matters in healing, how to support grieving families with compassion, and the power of reflective practices like journaling to make sense of the NICU journey. Whether you’re a parent, doula, or professional, this conversation will invite you to see the NICU story as something worth telling — and worth holding with care.
Resources & Links:
Get my free guide: 5 Things Every Doula Needs to Know About NICU Babies and Their Families
Learn more about Mahaley’s work
Connect with Mahaley on Instagram
Check out Mahaley’s book: Your NICU Story: Reflecting on Your Family's Experience is a guided journal and healing tool to help NICU families process the emotions, questions, and memories that shape their NICU story. With compassionate prompts, parent stories, and reflections for partners, this book is an invitation to process grief, gratitude, and everything in between. Whether your child is thriving today or forever held in your heart, this book is for you.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to NICU Stories
01:55 Mahaley's NICU Journey
06:32 Creating Your NICU Story
09:10 When to Use the NICU Story Tool
12:48 Micro Moments of Healing
18:30 The Partner's Experience in the NICU
26:48 Supporting Families as Healthcare Providers
30:24 The Impact of Care in the NICU
34:17 Emotional Connections and Lasting Memories
38:33 Navigating Grief and Support
40:44 Practical Support for NICU Families
45:16 The Importance of Presence and Acknowledgment
52:05 The Power of Connection in Healing
SEO Keywords: NICU grief support, NICU family mental health, NICU storytelling, perinatal trauma, infant loss support, NICU journaling, healing after the NICU, NICU parent resources, NICU doula