Supporting Postpartum Wellness and Life Transitions: An Interview with Natasha Krol, LPC

by Tiffany Todd, LCSW

At InnerVoice Psychotherapy & Consultation (IVPC), Natasha Krol, LPC, offers therapy that meets people in the moments where identity, creativity, and change intersect. She works with leaders, artists, and others navigating career transitions and professional burnout, as well as parents moving through the profound transition into and through motherhood. With particular focus on peripartum anxiety, Natasha blends compassion and insight to help clients reconnect with themselves during life’s most demanding seasons. In this interview, she reflects on her path to therapy, postpartum wellness and the values that guide her work.

IVPC: What inspired you to become a therapist?

Natasha: I came to therapy both early and later in life. I studied behavioral neuroscience as an undergraduate and thought about becoming a therapist at that time, but I had absorbed various stigmas around mental health, especially in my own journey with anxiety and an eating disorder, and decided to move in a different direction. I spent about a decade in management consulting and social sector leadership before returning to pursue my master’s in mental health counseling.

At each career change, I found myself returning to the idea of becoming a therapist. It was where my mind and heart often led me. One of the turning points came while working at Mind Share Partners, where I supported leaders and teams in creating mentally healthy workplaces. Confronting stigma head-on was deeply meaningful, both professionally and personally. Eventually, I worked through the internal and external barriers and followed the path that had always called to me. It has been one of the most rewarding decisions of my life.

IVPC: Can you share a little about your background and what areas you focus on in your work?

Natasha: I often work with clients in moments of transition, whether that means becoming a parent, navigating career changes, or exploring challenges that have been present for a long time, such as trauma or anxiety. These periods of change tend to amplify past struggles but also open powerful opportunities for growth. Something inside or outside of us is inviting reflection and reorientation, and that is where therapy can be most transformative.

IVPC: How would you describe your style as a therapist?

Natasha: Research consistently shows that the therapeutic relationship is the most critical component of healing, and I experience that truth every day. I strive to develop caring, compassionate relationships that allow clients to bring all parts of themselves into the room. Compassion sometimes looks like accountability, such as challenging clients to notice where they may not be making values-aligned decisions. I see myself as a witness and companion on a client’s journey of becoming.

For those familiar with therapy modalities, I integrate approaches from person-centered, psychodynamic, IFS, ACT, and EMDR. Beyond labels, I am passionate about the shared goal across modalities, which is to make the unseen seen. That means creating safety to visit even our most vulnerable parts with compassion and curiosity, allowing for integration and healing.

IVPC: Many women experience emotional ups and downs around pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. What do you wish more people understood about mental health during these stages?

Natasha: Postpartum Support International (PSI) has a motto that I think is so powerful in this season: “You are not alone. You are not to blame. With help, you will be well.” I want clients to know that what they are experiencing is real, valid, and shared by many others. When I was a new mother, someone told me, “You are exactly the mother your child needs,” and I think about that nearly every day.

As Lucy Jones describes in Matrescence, the transition into motherhood involves emotional, physiological, psychological, social, and identity changes. It is an immense transformation that can hold both joy and struggle. For many new mothers, one of the hardest parts is the belief that there is only one “right” way to feel or to do things. When their lived experience doesn’t match that ideal, self-criticism can take hold, creating shame and isolation in a time that already feels vulnerable. When infertility or loss is part of the story, these pressures can deepen and become even more complex.

Therapy offers a space to hold every experience, including grief in its many forms. But we also need broader cultural change, more open conversations, accurate portrayals of parenthood in media, social support, and stronger parental leave policies. These systems are all integral to collective mental health.

IVPC: Infertility and perinatal experiences can be incredibly isolating. How do you help clients navigate those emotions?

Natasha: I help clients create space for all of their emotions, including the ones that feel “wrong” or “too much.” It is often about validating grief and uncertainty while helping them stay connected to hope and meaning. There is profound healing in realizing you do not have to go through it alone.

IVPC: What are some tools or strategies you often share with clients who are going through big life changes?

Natasha: Emotional regulation is one of the most valuable skills we can learn. Our culture tends to overvalue intellect and undervalue emotion, which paradoxically makes clear thinking harder. I work with clients to develop emotional awareness and regulation skills that allow for compassion and choice.

When we can make space for emotions rather than fighting them, our “thinking” brain can engage again, helping us respond instead of react. For many trauma survivors, this process can feel foreign or even frightening at first. But it is often the foundation that allows clients to reconnect with themselves and their lives more fully.

IVPC: What do you enjoy most about your work as a therapist?

Natasha: Everything. Truly. This work is so powerful. I have experienced its impact both as a therapist and as a client in my own therapy. Humans are extraordinary, resilient, creative, and endlessly complex. My greatest hope is to help clients see and appreciate their own beauty and strength.

IVPC: For someone who is struggling but hesitant to reach out, what would you want them to know about seeking support?

Natasha: Therapy is about getting curious about your inner world and giving yourself permission to be supported – listening for understanding, rather than judging or “fixing.” On my InnerVoice profile, I share a quote by Rupi Kaur: “There is a conversation happening inside you. Pay deep attention to what your inner world is saying.”

Listening to ourselves with compassion rather than judgment can be one of the hardest things we do, but it is also one of the most liberating. My role is to provide a space where that listening feels safe, supported, and deeply human.

Ready to begin your journey?

And if you’re ready to start your journey toward healing, contact us today to request a session with Natasha Krol, LPC. 

InnerVoice Psychotherapy and Consultation is located in Chicago, IL and Skokie, IL and provides in-person and telehealth services for anyone living in the state of Illinois.