A Happy, Healthy Mom

“So many mothers carry a quiet, persistent sense of not being enough. A Happy, Healthy Mom is a deeply needed offering—a reminder that true caregiving must include ourselves. With wisdom and practical guidance, this book shows how stress, depletion, and isolation take root—and how, with care, we can restore balance. An empowering and reassuring guide, it supports mothers in reconnecting with their innate resilience, vitality, and capacity for joy.” —Tara Brach, PhD, author of Radical Acceptance and Radical Compassion “This book offers thoughtful, compassionate support for mothers navigating the very real demands of raising children while also trying to care for themselves. With warmth and practicality, it reminds us that tending to a parent’s well-being is not a luxury; it’s foundational to the health of the whole family. A reassuring and encouraging resource for any mom who has ever felt overwhelmed or depleted.” —Tina Payne Bryson, PhD, New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Whole-Brain Child “A Happy, Healthy Mom is a compassionate and much-needed guide for the realities of modern motherhood. Grounded in science and real-life experience, it helps mothers restore their energy, health, and emotional balance without judgment or self-blame. Rather than asking moms to do more, this book offers practical, realistic ways to feel supported and well—so they can truly thrive, not just get through the day.” —Kristin Neff, PhD, author of Self-Compassion and Fierce Self-Compassion “This indispensable book is both a rallying call for nurturing motherhood, the most essential function in human life, and also a thoughtful primer for moms and those who support them. Wise, practical, and in places uproariously witty, A Happy, Healthy Mom is a gift to the generations, present and future.” —Gabor Maté, MD, New York Times bestselling author of The Myth of Normal “For mothers who feel as though they are swimming upstream, this book offers both recognition and relief. The authors illuminate Depleted Mother Syndrome with clarity, compassion, and deep practical wisdom, and offer a treasure trove of strategies for addressing stress at the personal, physical, and relational levels. Written in a voice that is warm, wise, and deeply reassuring, this is a book readers will return to again and again. I highly recommend it for mothers—and for women in any caregiving role.” —Diana Divecha, PhD, assistant clinical professor at Yale Child Study Center “As a mother and clinical psychologist, I believe one of the most important questions we can ask is: How do we help mothers use their precious energy in ways that sustain both their well-being and their families? A Happy, Healthy Mom answers that question with wisdom, compassion, and a deeply holistic, science-informed view of motherhood. It is a powerful reminder that caring for mothers is the wisest use of our energy. Healthy moms change the world.” —Diana Hill, PhD, author of Wise Effort: How to Focus Your Genius Energy on What Matters Most “As someone who has spent decades exploring how relationships shape the developing brain, I know that a mother’s well-being is never separate from her family’s. A Happy, Healthy Mom fills a critical gap—offering mothers the science-informed, whole-person care they deserve but rarely receive. Rick Hanson, Jan Hanson, and Ricki Pollycove have created something genuinely valuable: a compassionate, practical guide for replenishing mind, body, and relationship through every stage of the parenting journey.” —Daniel J. Siegel, MD, New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Whole-Brain Child and Parenting from the Inside Out

Rick Hanson, PhD

Rick Hanson is a psychologist, a senior fellow at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, and a New York Times bestselling author. His seven books have been published in 33 languages and include Making Great Relationships, Neurodharma, Resilient, Hardwiring Happiness, Just One Thing, Buddha’s Brain, and Mother Nurture, with over a million copies sold in English alone. He is the founder of the Global Compassion Coalition and the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom, and the cohost of the Being Well podcast, which has been downloaded over 25 million times. He offers free newsletters, and his online programs have scholarships available for those with financial needs. He has lectured at NASA, Google, Oxford, and Harvard. An expert on positive neuroplasticity, his work has been featured on CBS, NPR, the BBC, and other major media. He began meditating in 1974 and has taught in meditation centers worldwide. He and his wife live in northern California and have two adult children. He loves the wilderness and taking a break from emails.

Jan Hanson, MS, LAc

Jan Hanson is a licensed acupuncturist and integrative health practitioner with more than four decades of experience in nutritional medicine, functional testing, and holistic approaches to wellbeing. Building on early training in biochemistry, she is one of the early pioneers in bringing evidence-informed nutritional medicine into mainstream complementary care. Jan has taught widely, offering practical guidance on topics such as digestive health, allergies, and women’s wellness. Known for her clear, compassionate teaching style, she has supported individuals and families in improving their health through accessible, step-by-step methods. She lives in northern California with her husband, psychologist and author Rick Hanson, and enjoys time with their two adult children.

Ricki Pollycove, MD, MS

Ricki Pollycove is a nationally recognized expert in OB-GYN, caring for women through all stages of their lives. She is passionate about helping to optimize health and inspire self-care despite multiple demands in a complex world. She is a mother and grandmother, having delivered babies while also raising her own daughter from age 3 as a single mom. In active clinical practice for over 40 years, she authored The Pocket Guide to Bioidentical Hormones and has appeared on national TV, radio, podcasts, and YouTube videos on fertility, motherhood, nutrition, hormones and mood, breast cancer, perimenopause, and healthy aging. She has authored scientific papers on testosterone, female sexual dysfunction, osteoporosis, and every aspect of menopause. Dr. Pollycove continues to provide medical education to doctors and clinicians worldwide.

Renee Brna

Renee Brna is a clinical therapist-in-training in the marriage and family therapy program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her work focuses on parental wellbeing, burnout, and mindfulness-informed approaches to supporting families. She brings experience in crisis counseling, community programming, early childhood education, and psychological research. A mother of two, she first turned to the original edition of A Happy, Healthy Mom during her own early parenting years and later contributed new writing and updated research to this revision. Before entering clinical training, Renee worked professionally as a Broadway and television performer.

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