Exploring Life & Business with Brittany Dwyer of Melanated Maternal Therapy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Dwyer.

Hi Brittany, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, how can you bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in KCK (Wyandotte County), and I always knew that somehow, some way, I wanted to make a difference. I’ve always been a big dreamer and had big goals for myself. I am the mother of two beautiful, amazing Black little girls and the wife of a supportive Black man. I am where I am today because of the three of them. While completing my master’s in Social Work at the University of Kansas, I fell in love with supporting the perinatal population. I was also disturbed by the lack of providers of color specializing in perinatal mental health in Kansas City. It was then that I knew that, at some point, I had to be that safe space for my community.

We all face challenges, but would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road for me yet; I knew to keep moving forward. As a Black woman, I have experienced racism in many forms. I have also worked in systems that actively caused harm to people of color. This was probably the most challenging part of my journey. Feeling defeated and being labeled as “angry” because I would challenge these systems and call out racism further solidified that I was meant to create my table.

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about Melanated Maternal Therapy?
Melanated Maternal Therapy was created in 2022. I specialize in providing therapy to birthing people experiencing perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. This may include but is not limited to Postpartum Depression and Postpartum Anxiety. When I created Melanated Maternal Therapy, I wanted to ensure that people of color knew my practice was built for them. As one of the only Black clinicians in Kansas City certified in perinatal mental health, Melanated Maternal Therapy is built for us by us. My practice is different from any other practices in the KC area. It is history in the making. To alleviate some of the barriers to receiving mental health treatment, it was important to me to be intentional about accepting insurance. I currently offer virtual individual therapy sessions (50-60 minutes). I accept KS Medicaid, MO Medicaid, BlueCross BlueShield, United Healthcare, and Cigna. I also offer self-pay options.

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you, and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share?
What did I learn during COVID? My village is everything! I also saw an increase in Black-owned businesses opening during the pandemic. This is proof that, as a community, we are building our tables!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.melanatedmaternaltherapy.com/