Katherine Stone

Katherine Stone is a national advocate for maternal mental health and a recognized voice in the field of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. After experiencing postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety following the birth of her first child, Stone shared her story in a personal essay published in Newsweek, which marked the beginning of her advocacy work. Before focusing on maternal mental health, Stone worked in corporate marketing at the Coca-Cola Company.

Stone founded PostpartumProgress.com, a widely read blog dedicated to postpartum depression and other mental health conditions related to pregnancy and childbirth. The site provides news, commentary, support group listings, treatment resources, and personal stories from mothers and others affected by perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Stone later established Postpartum Progress Inc., a national nonprofit organization focused on raising awareness and providing support for mothers experiencing conditions such as postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety. Her work has been recognized by medical institutions including Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Women's Mental Health and University of North Carolina Center for Women's Mood Disorders, which have recommended her resources to patients.

Stone expanded her advocacy through the creation of Climb Out of the Darkness, a fundraising event that became a significant gathering for raising awareness of maternal mental illnesses, including postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety and OCD, postpartum PTSD, postpartum psychosis, postpartum bipolar disorder, and pregnancy depression and anxiety. The event attracted participants from across the United States and internationally, raising substantial funds for maternal mental health initiatives. Stone also launched the annual Warrior Mom conference, providing a community space for mothers in recovery to connect and share experiences.

Stone has received the Becky Hatfield Award for Family Support from the National Perinatal Association and the Maternal Mental Health Champion Award from Maternal Mental Health Now in Los Angeles. Additional honors include the inaugural Bloganthropy Award, recognition on More magazine's Fierce List, designation as a WebMD Health Hero, the Health Activist Hero Award at the WEGO Health Awards, and induction into Babble.com’s Mom Blogger Hall of Fame. Stone has served on the boards of Postpartum Support International and the Perinatal Depression Information Network.

Stone is a frequent speaker at conferences and events on topics such as postpartum depression, parenting, social media, and patient empowerment. Her work has been featured by CNN, Huffington Post, Yahoo, AOL, PBS, The Today Show, HLN, ABC News, iVillage, Health.com, The Washington Post, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Through her advocacy, Stone has contributed to increased awareness and support for maternal mental health, helping mothers worldwide access resources and community.