Hi! I’m Rachael!
I am so glad that you are here!
I am a wife, a mama of two and a licensed professional counselor based in Cincinnati, OH with a passion for all things maternal mental health, providing therapy virtually in Ohio and Kentucky.
I earned my Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Eastern Kentucky University, go Colonels! I also hold a Perinatal Mental Health Certification (PMH-C) though Postpartum Support International.
I’m also trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which I’ve found especially effective for moms navigating the emotional intensity and identity shifts of motherhood. DBT offers practical tools for holding the opposites that show up daily — like loving your child and needing space, feeling grateful and overwhelmed.
It’s Personal
I didn’t become a therapist for moms because it sounded like a nice niche. I became one because I was her.
I know what it’s like to be hit with the tidal wave of postpartum anxiety and depression. To love your baby deeply and still feel like you don’t recognize yourself in the mirror. I wasn’t prepared for how lonely it would feel, how quickly my sense of identity would vanish, or how much of my own history — the things I hadn’t yet faced — would surface the moment I became a mother.
No one really tells you how becoming a mom can shake the foundation of everything: your relationships, your routines, your sense of safety. I felt overwhelmed, unprepared, and like I had missed some secret manual everyone else got.
But over time — and with support — I found my way back. Not to the old version of me, but to someone stronger, more honest, and more grounded. And now, I help other moms do the same.
I created After the Glow Counseling to be the space I wish I had back then. Where you can feel seen, held, and supported through every messy, beautiful, exhausting layer of motherhood.
Whether you're navigating postpartum depression or anxiety, struggling with identity loss, dealing with relationship shifts, or just craving space to breathe and be you again, you're not alone.
“It’s not that you are doing motherhood wrong. It’s that you were never meant to do it alone.”
I am here to support you.
Working with me feels like exhaling after holding your breath for too long. I offer a space where you don’t have to pretend or perform—where the messy parts of motherhood, womanhood, and life are welcome. Whether you're showing up in pajamas after a sleepless night or holding back tears between sentences, you’ll be met with compassion, curiosity, and zero judgment.
I’ll gently challenge you when needed, cheer you on as you grow, and walk beside you when things feel heavy. You’ll feel seen, heard, and supported as we untangle the overwhelm, the “shoulds,” and the invisible pressures you’ve been carrying.
We’ll laugh sometimes. We’ll sit in the hard stuff too. Most of all, we’ll do the work at your pace, together.
In The Media
As a guest on podcast Lex Go Girls, Rachael dives deep into the critical topic of maternal mental health, shedding light on the complexities of pregnancy, postpartum and motherhood. Rachael and hosts Brooke Otis and Maxine Reyburn discuss Rachael’s own journey, her training in perinatal mental health and the importance of seeking support, listening to your body and finding community to support mental health.
Motherhood can be beautiful — and also deeply disorienting. So many moms experience a sense of loss of self in the transition into motherhood and struggle to reconnect with who they are in this new season of life. This week, licensed professional counselor Rachael Smith joins Emily for an empowering conversation on how moms can reconnect with themselves after having kids.
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