Coming January 2027…‍ ‍

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Contact Victoria Heilmann at vfinley@wiley.com‍ ‍

A psychiatrist-parent's guide to understanding your emotions and raising resilient children

Nearly one in five children has a behavioral or mental health diagnosis, and 40% of mothers miss their postpartum visit, along with critical screening. Carry My Strength: A Parent's Guide to Growing and Thriving Alongside Your Child, written by double board-certified child and adult psychiatrist Debbie Raphael, M.D., decodes the hidden psychological forces shaping early parenthood, helping parents understand their own emotional patterns and build stronger connections with their children.

Through vivid vignettes from her own first years as a mother―documented while simultaneously training in child psychiatry―Raphael translates clinical concepts like reflective functioning, secure attachment, mentalization, and distress tolerance into relatable, actionable guidance. Parents learn how their internal histories and stress responses shape their child's developing mind, and how to interrupt intergenerational cycles of trauma while cultivating resilience and emotional regulation.

Written for new and expecting parents―particularly those navigating early life adversity, trauma histories, or postpartum emotional challenges―Carry My Strength is equally valuable for pediatricians, therapists, doulas, and early educators who support families through the demanding, formative years of early parenthood.

Excerpts:

“I’m hopeful that carrying it with you will grant you a similar type of strength—as a transitional object during a relentlessly transformational time in life.”

“I was not perfect. I made changes where needed. I listened to him. And I was good enough.”

“Carry My Strength is a beautiful and greatly needed addition to the field of parental mental health. In this deeply honest and illuminating book, Dr. Raphael helps to dispel myths of motherhood which often compound and even create postpartum depression and anxiety. With the very rare lens of both clinician and new parent, she explores the profound transformation of her baby’s development while simultaneously unfolding into her new role. Intimate, validating, insightful, as well as grounded in research, this book brings a uniquely layered perspective on healthfully growing a family, and embraces all the vulnerability, joy, doubt, frustration and wonder that comes with it. Carry My Strength is an absolute gem.”

Advance Praise:

—SHOSHANA S. BENNETT, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist, Perinatal Mental Health Certified Consultant, Past President, Postpartum Support International, Author, Postpartum Depression for Dummies, Children of the Depressed, and Co-author, Beyond the Blues: Understanding and Treating Prenatal and Postpartum Depression & Anxiety

“In Carry My Strength, Dr. Debbie Raphael offers a touching and deeply personal, insightful, and professionally informed guide to parenthood. This book aims to bridge the gap between academic understanding and lived reality, making psychological concepts accessible to all parents. It also offers reassurance and empowers parents to embrace their imperfections, find strength in community, and foster loving connections with their children.”

—FELICIA TORNABENE, M.D., F.A.C.H.E., Physician Executive

“Like a warm, supportive hug, Dr. Raphael’s book offers new parents an invaluable guide not only to succeed in their new role but also to enjoy it.”

—MICHAELEEN DOUCLEFF, Ph.D., New York Times best selling author of Hunt, Gather, Parent and Dopamine Kids

“Carry My Strength is a gift for all new parents whose lives are forever changed by the profound experience of parenthood. Dr. Raphael has done a masterful job of blending her training as a board certified child psychiatrist with her own experience of motherhood in an accessible, personal, and easily digestible way. Packed with scholarly and personal wisdom, this book is a compassionate and expert guide about being human while raising one.”

—DAN PETERS, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist/ Executive Director, Summit Center, Co-author, Bright, Complex Kids: Supporting Their Social and Emotional Development, Podcast Host - Make It a Great One with Dr. Dan

“Carry My Strength is a thoughtful and deeply compassionate look at the emotional realities of becoming a parent. Drawing on both her expertise as a psychiatrist and her lived experience as a mother, Dr. Debbie Raphael offers powerful insights about attachment, resilience, and the everyday moments that shape family relationships. This book is a reassuring companion for parents navigating the beautiful, messy, and transformative journey of raising a child.”