How Decolonial Therapy Helps Families Thrive with Ana Irazabal De Sanchez

Send us Fan MailFeeling pressured to “have it all together” after birth? We sit down with Dr Ana Irazabal DeSanchez—licensed clinical social worker, doctor of social work and certified perinatal mental health professional—to unpack what truly supports families during conception, pregnancy, loss and postpartum.Drawing on her story as an immigrant from Caracas and founder of YAI Wellness, Ana shares how culturally grounded care and radical love can lower shame, reduce anxiety and help parents thrive—without chasing perfection.We explore why a decolonial lens matters: much of mental health care was built around Western, male-centred norms that don’t fit every body or story. Ana explains how she blends tools like CBT and breathwork with spiritual practices, community support and deep respect for language, faith and identity. By naming the toxic “bounce back” myth and algorithm-driven performance pressure, she shifts blame from individuals to systems—creating space for slower, kinder healing.We also discuss the overlooked mental load on non-birthing parents, how bringing the whole family into care improves outcomes, and what it takes to practise with integrity outside hospital systems. Ana offers honest advice for clinicians and parents alike: centre history, invite culture into the room, and treat love as a method.She closes with a preview of her upcoming book for the perinatal season, designed to help readers face transformation with clarity and compassion.If this resonates, subscribe and share with someone who needs it.Guest BiographyDr. Ana Irazábal de Sánchez, DSW, LCSW, PMH-C  is a licensed clinical social worker, certified perinatal mental health professional, and founder of YAI Wellness. As creator of the Embodied Decolonial Therapist Framework™, she helps individuals and families thrive through culturally grounded, trauma-informed care. Her work weaves clinical science, ancestral wisdom, and radical love to support healing beyond traditional models. She’s currently writing her first book on decolonial approaches to early parenthood. Guest Contact & Socials🌐 Website: www.yaiwellness.com📧 Email: [email protected]📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yai.wellness/🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/the-radical-love-doctor/Subscribe on SubstackVoices in Health and Wellness is published on Substack, as part of The Diagnostician. Every episode lands there with written notes and reflections you won't find in the podcast feed. Free to subscribe.👉 https://thediagnostician.substack.com/s/voices-in-health-and-wellnessAbout the podcastVoices in Health and Wellness features conversations at the intersection of medicine, lifestyle, and human potential, with clinicians, scientists, and thinkers shaping the future of care.About Dr Andrew GreenlandUK-based medical doctor and founder of Greenland Medical, specialising in Integrative and Functional Medicine. Trained in both conventional and root-cause approaches, Andrew helps people optimise health, performance, and longevity, with a focus on cognitive resilience and healthy ageing.