Waco Moms: I Don’t Milk My Own Cows and Other Reasons to Go to Therapy

Thrive Wellness • May 10, 2022

I Don’t Milk My Own Cows and Other Reasons to Go to Therapy

We at Waco Moms are for the de-stigmatization and promotion of therapy as a tool that should be encouraged and used by all mothers who find themselves in a place of needing assistance with their mental health. Thank you to Erin McGinty Fort, M.S., MHA, LPC-S, CEDS-S for sponsoring and providing us with this thoughtful insight.

This morning, I was laying in bed and reading one of my favorite blogs. This particular blog focused on an Instagram “momfluencer” who is a mother to almost seven, classically-trained ballerina, recent beauty pageant winner, makes sourdough bread from scratch, and owns a farm with her husband. I didn’t make it very far into the blog itself before I looked up her Instagram account, and- before I knew it- I found myself wondering why I, too, didn’t provide my family with fresh-from-the-teat cow’s milk every morning.

therapy resources

By the way, I won’t share this momfluencer’s name; this isn’t about her, because there is truly nothing more awe inspiring to me than a woman who does pirouettes while slicing beets. I mean that seriously. This post is about comparison, mom guilt, and why we all need someone to talk to about how that affects us.

If you’re anything like me, then you, too,  fall prey to comparisons with other moms.  Despite being told not to compare ourselves with others, it’s actually pretty hard to avoid. As a licensed mental health therapist of over 15 years, I spend hours every week talking with women about the negative effects of comparing our bodies, diets, parenting, and partnering with others. Yet there I was this morning, adding a yeast starter kit to my shopping cart because making bagels at home with a 3-year-old seemed like a good way to combat guilt from being gone all week on a work trip.

(Fantasizes about bagels for more time than I’d like to admit, returns to writing blog post that is due today.)

Broadly speaking,  guilt means that you feel as if you have done something wrong.   Sometimes guilt acts like our moral compass, letting us know when we are acting outside of our values. There’s also the idea of  toxic  guilt, which is when you feel guilty for, well, everything. When traveling for work, feeding your kid cereal for dinner, taking time away with friends or your partner, and forgetting about Crazy Sock Day at school create similar feelings to, oh, let’s say lying… then maybe something’s off about that.

If you just scoffed and mumbled, “Of course lying and socks aren’t the same” from the closet you’re hiding from your kids in, I get it. It sounds ridiculous to compare the two, and yet moms feel guilty all the time, from everything. Even one of the world’s greatest female athletes of all time spoke about her own mom guilt in a  recent interview.

Therapy postpartumNormally I would look for any reason to be in the same club as Serena Williams. With a pandemic, rising inflation, world conflict, nuclear threats, skyrocketing rates of anxiety in children, working full-time in a helping profession, and keeping it cool with a toddler, though, maybe the mom guilt club isn’t one that I want to be in. Nor should you.

Which brings us full circle to therapy.  As a society, we’ve made some progress on reducing the stigma related to mental health. Yet I’m still surprised that people believe that you have to be  really  struggling or really “sick” to go to therapy. In some ways, therapy is just this:

Person A  isn’t feeling great about something and/or has something they’d like to be different.
Person B  is the therapist, who is a person dedicated to listening to you, understanding you, and helping you to figure things out. They help to meet the same needs for you that you so lovingly provide to your families.

Together, both of them identify what Person A wants to be different, how they may have ended up where they are, and what might keep them stuck from changing. The process can be scary if you’ve never been through it, but- at the end of the day- your therapist is an imperfect human, too. We don’t judge, we definitely try not to bite, and we want to help you make things better.

And yes, sometimes those “things” are severe mental health issues. Sometimes they’re “things” like mom guilt, which really significantly impacts our quality of life. And that’s as a good of a reason I’ve ever heard to go talk to someone.

If you’re ready to unload that mom guilt you’ve been carrying around, here are a few resources to get you started:
  • Join Thrive Wellness Waco’s new monthly groupMom Guilt Detox , to meet other guilty-as-charged moms, eat snacks that your kids haven’t licked, and learn practical tips for shedding that guilt.
  • Thrive Wellness Waco  offers outpatient therapy, nutrition therapy, and psychiatry for you and your family’s mental health needs.
  • Check out  Waco Moms’ new resource page  to learn about other mental health help you can find locally and otherwise.

Erin Fort - Licensed TherapistErin McGinty Fort, M.S., MHA, LPC-S, CEDS-S

Interim Co-Chief Clinical Officer & Executive Director, Thrive Wellness Waco

Erin has over a decade of experience with exclusively treating eating disorders in men and women. She has worked at several nationally-known treatment facilities, including Rogers Behavioral Health, Castlewood Treatment Center, Monte Nido & Affiliates, and Eating Recovery Center. In addition to her role as a clinician, she has also served as a Program Director and Clinical Director. She has worked at all levels of eating disorder treatment throughout her career, including inpatient, residential, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and now outpatient. She previously was the Coordinator of Eating Disorder Services at Baylor University’s Counseling Center. She is intimately familiar with the anxieties that can come with seeking help, as well as the different challenges that individuals and their families face along the journey of recovery.

Erin is a licensed professional counselor and supervisor in the state of Texas, and has her graduate degrees in both Counseling and Health Administration. She is a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist through the  International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals (iaedp) , which allows clients to rest assured that they are receiving care from a highly trained, competent, and skilled provider in the area of eating disorders. Because of the rigorous demands that life throws at us and the flexibility needed for providing treatment, Erin is a Board Certified TeleMental Health Provider. She is a professional member of both iaedp and the Academy for Eating Disorders.

She has regularly provided eating disorder training and conference presentations to medical and mental health professionals.

A transplant from the Midwest, Erin has embraced Texas as her home. When not working at Thrive Waco, she enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter, and furry son.

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December 2, 2025
Like the fir tree, a symbol of endurance rooted in hope, our Family Inclusive Recovery (FIR) approach reflects the strength that grows when families face challenges together. At our new residential center “The Greenhouse”, FIR is more than a treatment model, it’s a philosophy of healing that places families at the heart of recovery for adolescents and young adults navigating eating disorders, anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We believe lasting healing doesn’t happen in isolation; it’s built with the support of families through perseverance, hope, and compassionate care. What Is Family Inclusive Recovery (FIR)? Family Intensive Recovery (FIR) is a specialized and immersive approach that actively engages caregivers as central agents in their child’s healing process. Rather than seeing families as contributors to a problem, we view them as essential partners in recovery. Drawing from two evidence-based frameworks, Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) and Family-Based Treatment (FBT), FIR helps families cultivate resilience, confidence, and connection throughout the journey to recovery. Grounded in SPACE and FBT Through the SPACE model, parents learn how to recognize and reduce well-intentioned but unhelpful behaviors known as accommodations that can reinforce anxiety and OCD symptoms. By shifting from rescuing to supporting and challenging, parents develop the confidence to guide their child through discomfort, helping them build distress tolerance and self-trust. Simultaneously, Family-Based Treatment (FBT) empowers families to take an active, compassionate role in their child’s nutritional and emotional recovery. Parents learn how to support weight and nutritional restoration, disrupt the eating disorder’s patterns, and reestablish boundaries that promote health and growing autonomy. Together, these approaches strengthen both the individual and family system, allowing recovery to take root within an environment of empathy and optimism. From Blame to Collaboration A cornerstone of the FIR model is removing blame. At Thrive, parents are not viewed as the cause of their child’s struggles, but rather as key partners in recovery. Treatment focuses on joining forces to create a safe, supportive environment where: Families learn to sit with their child's discomfort alongside them without rushing to fix or control it. Parents practice compassionate firmness, setting boundaries grounded in care and safety. Teens and caregivers rebuild trust through open, honest communication. This collaborative framework helps families reestablish a sense of connection and confidence, fostering long-term resilience and open communication that extends beyond the treatment setting. Why Family Matters in Recovery Recovery from eating disorders, OCD, or anxiety isn’t a one-person job, it requires integrated care including the family. When families learn to navigate challenges together, they can model emotional regulation, reinforce healthy boundaries, and create conditions for sustained recovery. Through FIR, we aim to strengthen attachment bonds, reshape family interactions, and empower every member of the family to grow. The result is not only symptom reduction but also a deeper sense of unity, hope, and shared endurance, just like the steadfast fir tree that stands resilient through every season. Moving Toward Hope Family Inclusive Recovery invites caregivers and loved ones to become active participants in change. It’s a journey of learning, letting go, and leaning into love and acceptance. Together, families and clinicians can cultivate the courage in clients to face uncertainty, and in doing so, help them discover that recovery is not just possible, but enduring. If you’d like to learn more about Family Intensive Recovery at The Greenhouse or how we support families in eating disorder and OCD treatment, reach out to our team today.
November 14, 2025
The Greenhouse at Thrive Wellness A New Chapter of Hope and Healing in Nevada On Friday, November 14 , we gathered with our partners at Molina Healthcare to share an important moment for our community. Together, we celebrated Molina’s generous $50,000 grant , an investment that is helping bring The Greenhouse to life. Their support is not only a financial contribution—it’s a statement of belief in the young people and families of Nevada who deserve access to compassionate, evidence-based mental healthcare close to home. This gathering marked the beginning of something we’ve dreamed about for years: a place designed specifically for adolescents and emerging adults to receive the care, connection, and support they need during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. Something New Is Growing In early 2026 , Thrive Wellness will open The Greenhouse , Nevada’s first residential treatment center devoted to adolescents and emerging adults navigating eating disorders, anxiety, and OCD . For too long, families have faced a heartbreaking dilemma—send their child far from home for treatment or go without the specialized care they need. The Greenhouse is our answer to that gap. It will be a place where young people can settle into an environment built for healing, where they are understood, supported, and surrounded by a team that believes in their capacity to recover. The Greenhouse represents a natural extension of our mission. It’s a living expression of our belief that recovery is possible—and that with the right support, families can find their footing again. 
November 11, 2025
Are you looking for a meaningful way to give back this holiday season? Thrive Wellness is excited to continue our 6th Annual Giving Tree Program in collaboration with Perenn Bakery this winter. This year, Thrive Wellness Reno and Perenn Bakery are proud to partner with Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Northern Nevada. The organization supports families with children receiving treatment at area hospitals, providing comfort, hope, and a home-away-from-home during challenging times. Ronald McDonald House Charities offers essential services, removes barriers, strengthens families, and promotes healing when children need healthcare the most. How It Works Simply take one (or a few) tags from the Giving Tree, each listing an item you can purchase and donate for residents of the Ronald McDonald House. Then, drop off your item(s) at one of our designated donation locations by Friday, December 19. Items Needed: Restaurant gift cards Walmart or Target gift cards Games, puzzles, and coloring books Toys (Barbie, Hot Wheels, Lego sets, craft sets, magnet blocks, baby dolls, action figures, journals, infant toys, etc.) Children's books (picture, chapter, and graphic novels) Toiletry sets (for adults) Lotion/self-care gift sets (for adults) Sweatshirts/hoodies (adults, XS-XXL) Scarves, gloves, fuzzy socks, pajamas (all sizes) Infant diapers, onesies, and baby bottles Bulk individually wrapped snacks (granola bars, chips, etc.) Please ensure all donations are new, in original packaging, and unwrapped. Donation Drop-Off Locations Please deliver donations by Friday, December 19, to one of the following sites: Thrive Wellness 201 W Liberty St., Suite 201, Reno, NV 89501 Perenn Grocery 7600 Rancharrah Pkwy, Suite 130, Reno, NV 89511 The first 50 people to return their donations will receive a complimentary ornament gift!  Why We Give Back Through our Giving Tree program, we’re honoring one of our core values at Thrive Wellness: staying rooted in community. This annual tradition allows us to give back to those who need support most during the holiday season. We invite you to join us by taking a tag at any Thrive or Perenn location and helping spread kindness throughout our community. There’s no better way to embrace the holiday spirit than by supporting local families with thoughtful, heartfelt donations. We are deeply grateful for your generosity and continued support. Thank you for helping us make a difference!
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