We’re proud to introduce you to Dr. Maureen (Mo) Satyshur (she/her), GWK Academy’s new clinical family-building partner supporting lesbians and queer women with their biological family-building journeys. Dr. Mo is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in perinatal mental health, and she offers a rare blend of clinical expertise and lived experience—she’s not only a trusted provider, she’s also a queer parent navigating fertility treatment herself.
Mo and her wife, Tom Albert, met in Chicago in 2017 and now live in the Bay Area in California with their 20-month-old daughter, Orion. Their journey to parenthood began soon after their 2022 wedding. “We always knew we wanted to have a family and raise kids with a sense of adventure, compassion, and curiosity,” Mo says. Thanks to fertility coverage they had through their health insurance, they were able to begin their journey with a clinic, with Tom carrying their first child. Today, Mo is undergoing her own fertility treatments as the couple hopes to grow their family.
While their clinic was largely affirming, their experience wasn’t without its challenges. “In the ten minutes after our daughter was born, I was asked, ‘Who are you, the sister?’” Mo recalls. “Even though the clinician apologized, it was one of those moments that stayed with me during my transition to motherhood.” That moment, like others, reaffirmed for Mo the importance of LGBTQ+-affirming care—something she now works to provide to others.
As a psychologist, Mo specializes in supporting queer individuals and families throughout the family-building journey: from preconception counseling and fertility challenges, through birth, postpartum adjustment, and beyond. On her website, drmosatyshur.com, she offers resources and services for people navigating fertility treatments, adoption, and all the emotional highs and lows that come with becoming a parent. She also offers mindfulness meditation exercises that are for general emotional coping and for coping with emotions related to the family building process at https://insighttimer.com/mosatyshur.
“Let yourself “queer” the process of family building,” she says. “That means thinking creatively and intentionally about what you want your family to look like.” Mo also stresses the importance of community—not just for support, but for visibility. “We have many books about different types of families and talk about the different family structures with Orion all the time. This year, we’re even taking Orion to Pride!”
At GWK Academy, we believe that mental health support is a critical part of preparing for and navigating parenthood—and we’re thrilled to have a provider like Dr. Satyshur in our corner. Her clinical knowledge is deeply informed by her own journey, and her advocacy for LGBTQ+ families is rooted in lived experience and professional dedication.
As she puts it: “This is a difficult process, and there will be unexpected barriers. But you are not alone—find a community that can support you and reinforce and reflect back how beautiful and diverse LGBTQ+ families can be.”
We’re honored to introduce Dr. Mo Satyshur as one of GWK Academy’s trusted clinical providers. Learn more about her services by enrolling in GWK Academy for free.
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