We know that finding a community of support is critical in all stages of parenthood. Our support groups are designed to provide space for thinking together about a variety of themes relevant to parents of young children including feeding, managing sleep, maintaining relationships, bolstering mental health, discussing self-image and sense of identity, and many more.
As facilitators, we bring our training and experience in infant and early childhood development as well as parent and perinatal mental health and wellness combined with our lived experience as mothers ourselves. And because we know how important it is to be with others on this bumpy road, our groups prioritize building these connections and scaffolding each other at every step of the journey.
Upcoming groups
New Parent Support Group
Facilitated by: Jen Clarke Pierson, MSW/MPH and Sarah Dobkin, LCSW, PMH-C
Spring 2024: Join us for our 6-week group beginning April 22, 2024 — our group will meet Monday mornings from 10am-12pm for 5 weeks (4/22, 4/29, 5/6, 5/13, 5/20). Due to the Memorial Day holiday (5/27), the 6th meeting will take place on Tuesday 5/28 at 10am in a local park.
This group is designed for parents of infants, and pre-crawling babies are welcome. Though we are both trained as clinical social workers, this group is not a psychotherapy group. If you need help finding therapy, please feel free to connect with us for resources.
Location: Yama Yoga, 2631 Ashby Ave A, Berkeley, CA 94705
Cost: $250 total
If you’d like to sign up for this group, click the button below to complete a short questionnaire with a link to how to pay.
You can find answers to some more frequently asked questions about our new parent support group on our FAQ page.
about us
All About Jen
Jen knows a lot about parenting a newborn - she’s done it three times!
Jen also knows about infant mental health and development, parent-child relationships, and helping caregivers navigate the complex emotions of the perinatal period. She has nearly 15 years of experience working with families as an infant mental health therapist, a maternity social worker, and a director of an early childhood program. Having spent several years as a stay at home parent to young children, Jen gained a new perspective to weave into her work while supporting families in this often isolating phase of life.
all about sarah
Sarah knows a lot about parenting newborns - she did it with twins!
Sarah also has worked with young children and their parents and caregivers for over 15 years. In her work, she aims to join her experience and knowledge of infants and mental health with parents’ experience and knowledge of their own children, all blended together with an openness to any and all “right” answers and a good amount of humor. Prior to beginning her own private psychotherapy practice, Sarah worked as an early childhood mental health consultant supporting early care and education providers and as a director of an early childhood program at a non-profit in San Mateo County. She is certified by Postpartum Support International in Perinatal Mental Health.