Susan Benjamin Feingold, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist, perinatal legal advocate, and author. In her clinical practice, she has specialized for over twenty-seven years in the treatment of women's reproductive-related mental health issues, such as pregnancy and postpartum (perinatal) depression and anxiety disorders, fertility issues, perinatal grief and loss, PTSD, adjustment issues surrounding parenthood and life-transitions, and couple-relationship issues and sexual disorders.
Recipient of, THE 2018 MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH INNOVATION AWARD IN POLICY AND ADVOCACY.
Member of, Advisory Council for Postpartum Support International
Member of Legal and Justice Committee, Postpartum Psychosis Task Force of Postpartum Support International
Author of, Advocating for Women with Postpartum Mental Illness: A Guide to Changing the Law and the National Climate (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020)
Author of, Chapter 3: A Groundbreaking Illinois Law Brings Hope for Change in the United States, in Infanticide and Filicide: Foundations in Maternal Mental Health Forensics (American Psychiatric Association Press, 2020)
Author of, Happy Endings, New Beginnings: Navigating Postpartum Disorders (New Horizon Press, 2013).
Dr. Feingold advocated to usher PA100-0574 through the Illinois Legislature. This groundbreaking criminal law was passed in January 2018. It is the first criminal law in the nation to recognize the effects of postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis. In 2019, the law was moved to relief from judgement and became known as IL PA 101-411.
Dr. Feingold presented at PRGLAC, the Federal Task Force developing clinical and practice guidelines for safe, effective strategies for pregnant and lactating women.
Dr. Feingold has presented on perinatal mental health issues and legal advocacy at numerous national and international conferences including: The International Marcé Society of Perinatal Mental Health in 2020; Postpartum Support International in 2020, 2019 and 2018; The American Psychological Association in 2018; at the Biennial Perinatal Mental Health Conference in 2017; she has provided webinars on perinatal legal advocacy for Postpartum Support International and MOMS 2020, and was featured on Dr. Kat’s Moms & Mind Podcast: 157 Postpartum Psychosis, Changing the Law, Advocating for Women.
Recipient of, 2016 Distinguished Alumni Award from Argosy University and The Illinois School of Professional Psychology for work in perinatal issues and women’s mental health.
She had served as President of the Board of Trustees of Depression After Delivery, Inc., and on the executive board for many years.
Advisory Board Member for UBS Financial, Barry Wealth Consulting Group.
Over the past few years, Dr. Feingold has taught training workshops for mental health workers sponsored by NAMI and the Lake County Health Department, presented at the Illinois Psychological Association and at the National Association of Social Workers, as well as has been a guest on radio talk shows in 10 major cities around the country.
Dr. Feingold served as an expert witness in the petition for Executive Clemency of Debra Gindorf. She participated in a national presentation at the Maternal Mental Illness & Criminal Justice System seminar sponsored by Postpartum Support, International.
Past honors include being a representative for the American Psychological Association at several local press conferences with Representative Bobby Rush (D-IL), as well as in the U.S. House of Representatives at the presentation and passage of the Melanie Blocker Stokes Postpartum Depression Research and Care Act.
Other distinctions include being a keynote speaker at the 2014 conference of Postpartum Support, International.
Dr. Feingold has been involved in facilitating support groups for perinatal women over the past eighteen years, has provided continuing education to nurses, physicians, medical students, mental health providers, midwives, doulas, social workers and lay audiences in the area of reproductive mental health, and has been involved in legislative efforts for women with postpartum depression on a state and national level.
Her earlier clinical work was in such varied settings as a VA Medical Center, an outpatient community clinic, an alternative school, and at Great Lakes Naval Hospital. She also worked as a school psychologist providing assessments and psychotherapy to children and adolescents.
Interviews of Dr. Feingold have appeared in, The Atlantic, CNN, Self Magazine, The Huffington Post, the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times, People magazine, the APA Monitor, and been featured on The Point, a production of Bill Kurtis TV, on Channel 7 TV News Report, and on WTTW Chicago Tonight with Phil Ponce.
Her published articles include: “The Illness That Robs New Mothers of Joy” in Motherhood: Pakistan’s First Parenting Magazine; “Adjusting After Baby” in Chicago Baby Resource Guide; “Postpartum Depression” in Birth Gazette: An International Journal for Midwives; and “There’s Help for Postpartum Depression” in Chicago Parent magazine and co-author of, “The New Law in Illinois PA 100-0574: Ground-breaking Legislation.”