In this episode of Highly Therapized, I speak with Amberly Potter, LMFT, about her personal and professional journey through addiction, undiagnosed bipolar II disorder, and the path to renewal. Amberly vulnerably shares what it was like to navigate early trauma, substance use, motherhood, and mental illness—all while building a career as a therapist.

We discuss:

• The hidden struggles Amberly faced during grad school and early clinical work
• Living with untreated bipolar II disorder and the impact on identity, work, and relationships
• The normalization of burnout and perfectionism in the mental health field
• Amberly’s experience with hospitalizations and hitting multiple “rock bottoms”
• Navigating ethical fears and stigma as a therapist with a dual identity: healer and patient
• What real recovery, spirituality, and professional redemption look like
• How she reclaimed her story and her life on her own terms

This is a must-listen for clinicians, students, and anyone who wants an honest look at what it means to fall apart and put yourself back together in a system that often expects you to hide the mess.

Guest Info:

Connect with Amberly Potter, LMFT

🌐 Blog: Soul Centered Recovery: https://amberlypotter.substack.com

📸 Instagram: soulcentered_recovery: https://www.instagram.com/soulcentered_recovery/

🔗 LinkedIn: Amberly (Amero) Potter, LMFT: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amberly-potter-lmft-a32a60283/

Explore resources mentioned in this episode:

The Recovery Blueprint for Professionals: A Step-by-Step Guide for Lasting Sobriety: https://app.typeset.com/play/DYJV6N

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction to Highly Therapized

00:32 - Meet Amberly Potter, LMFT

01:30 - Early career beginnings and passion for storytelling

03:00 - From writing to psychology: the shift to mental health

05:15 - Trauma, perfectionism, and the hidden cost of caring

07:30 - Grad school, substance use, and undiagnosed bipolar disorder

10:45 - Practicum experiences and trauma in the field

14:00 - The pressure of productivity and clinical burnout

16:30 - Early signs of alcoholism and mood instability

20:00 - Misusing medication and suicide attempt

22:30 - Recovery setbacks and cognitive dissonance

25:00 - Working in crisis care while unraveling personally

28:15 - Being a therapist and hiding addiction

30:30 - Supervision, stigma, and ethical fears

34:10 - The myth of "high-functioning" addiction

37:00 - Domestic violence, arrests, and rock bottom

41:00 - Inpatient hospitalization and surrender

44:00 - Losing everything: identity, relationships, and stability

46:30 - Healing, recovery, and reclaiming her story

49:00 - What therapists need to hear about suffering and support

52:00 - Final reflections and Amberly’s message to other clinicians

#MentalHealth #BipolarDisorder #SubstanceUseRecovery #AddictionRecovery #TherapistBurnout #LivedExperience #TherapyJourney #MentalHealthPodcast #HealingNarratives #BipolarII #WomenInRecovery #TherapistLife #AddictionAwareness

In this powerful and deeply honest episode of Highly Therapized, host Jennifer Petersen, LPCC sits down with Dr. Heather Gonzales—a behavior analyst, mental health advocate, and mother—to explore what it’s like to navigate motherhood while living with a mental illness. Heather shares her lived experience with bipolar disorder, including the harrowing reality of postpartum psychosis after the birth of her daughter.

This conversation moves beyond diagnosis to examine the nuanced challenges of parenting with a mental health condition—making decisions about medication during pregnancy, unpacking the myth of the “good mom,” and navigating occasional stigma from within professional spaces. With compassion and clarity, Heather invites listeners into the messy, beautiful, and resilient truth of being both a professional and a parent with a diagnosis.

Topics covered:

• Living with bipolar disorder as a mother

• Experiencing postpartum psychosis

• Medication decisions during pregnancy

• The pressure to be a “good mom”

• Navigating professional stigma and personal growth

Guest Info:

Connect with Dr. Heather Gonzales

🌐 Blog: https://mentallyillmotherhood.wordpress.com/

🔗 LinkedIn: Heather Gonzales, Ph.D. linkedin.com/in/heather-gonzales-ph-d-🪷-8a74a33a

🏢 Business: https://www.alamobehavior.com/

Explore resources mentioned in this episode:

• (PSI) Postpartum Support International:

https://postpartum.net/

• The Mental Illness Happy Hour: https://mentalpod.com/archives/7051

• Perinatal Mental Health Certification (PMH-C): https://postpartum.net/professionals/certification/

#HighlyTherapized #MotherhoodAndMentalHealth #PostpartumPsychosis #BipolarDisorder #MentalHealthAdvocate #ParentingWithAMentalIllness #MaternalMentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness #BehaviorAnalyst #MentalHealthPodcast