A vision inspired by the past, present, and future, across multi-generations
Dr. Elizabeth James, DMFT, MA, LMFT, LPCC, is an Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator for the online Marital and Family Therapy MS program in the Department of Counseling and Family Sciences at the Loma Linda University (LLU) School of Behavioral Health. Having graduated from LLU's Doctor of Marital and Family Therapy (DMFT) program in 2023, she promptly assumed her current faculty role. Alongside her teaching and program leadership, she is the founder of the ROOTS Prenatal Support Group, a pilot initiative offered through Loma Linda University Children's Hospital Birth and Beyond services.
ROOTS grew from the seed of Dr. James’ own story. Her mother, an immigrant from a war-torn country, experienced prenatal depression while pregnant with her. Years later, Dr. James also faced her own struggles with prenatal and postpartum depression. These experiences, layered with her clinical background as an attachment-based therapist, shaped her vision for a program that would support expecting women during one of the most critical stages of life.
ROOTS emphasizes two key areas often overlooked in maternal health. First is the lack of awareness and conversation around prenatal depression. While postpartum depression is increasingly recognized, the prenatal experience is rarely discussed, leaving many women without language or guidance for what they are going through. Even if awareness exists, mothers are often left asking the harder question—"how?" How do I navigate this? How do I find support? ROOTS seeks to close this gap by offering a pathway toward preventive care support, creating opportunities for women to receive guidance and connection before challenges deepen.
Dr. James explains that her experiential exercises are designed "to promote positive maternal-fetal attachment and healthier bonding," noting that "we want to prevent those non-desired outcomes after birth, the postpartum challenges." By centering both maternal well-being and the developing child, ROOTS emphasizes the importance of support before birth as a foundation for healthier outcomes in the early years of life.
Currently in its pilot phase, ROOTS is available to the community through LLUCH's Birth and Beyond classes and workshops. Now entering its third year, the group creates a supportive space for expectant mothers to address the often-overlooked experience of prenatal depression and to strengthen maternal-fetal attachment through guided, experiential interventions. Dr. James and her LLUCH team continue to refine ways to build continuity across sessions so participants can deepen their growth and connection over time. While future steps may include formal research, the current focus is clear: carefully supporting expecting women with consistent, preventive care.
Dr. Elizabeth James
Reflecting on her journey, Dr. James credits her mentors in the DMFT program for shaping both her academic and clinical vision. She recalls how Dr. Nichola Ribadu, her Program Director at the time, encouraged her discernment when she was deciding between programs and challenged her to imagine beyond limitations. Her professor and chair, Dr. Jacqueline Williams-Reade, was a steady source of support, guiding her to connect her lived experiences with prenatal depression to her research focus on attachment. Her professor, Dr. Douglas Huenergardt, also played an important role, deepening her clinical practice through practicum courses that emphasized reflection and integration. Together, these mentors helped Dr. James transform her personal story into the professional vision that became ROOTS.
Dr. James sees ROOTS not only as a support group but also as a call for broader awareness. Preventive care in mental health is often undervalued, yet ROOTS illustrates how tending to maternal well-being before birth can strengthen families for generations.
Her vision continues to grow. What began as a seed rooted in her mother's and her own experiences is now a program designed to nurture expecting women and their children. I reflected that promoting early support and attachment is not just preventative but essential. Dr. James affirmed this perspective, highlighting how vital it is for both maternal well-being and healthier family outcomes.
Interviewed and written by Audrey I. Perez, AMFT, Systems, Families, & Couples PhD student