Jane Honikman

Parental Mental Health Consultant

Jane Honikman, M.S., is an activist and advocate for parental mental health who was born and raised in Palo Alto, California. After graduating from Whittier College with a B.A. in Sociology in 1967, she and her husband, Terry, moved to Santa Barbara, California, in 1970, where she joined the local Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW). Her career was launched in 1977 as a co-founder of Postpartum Education for Parents (PEP) funded by a community grant from AAUW. In 1980, she received an individual research grant from AAUW to study the Growth and Dynamics of Postpartum Support Groups in the United States. Based on her research and the growing need for mental health support for parents, Jane founded Postpartum Support International in 1987 and directed it for 20 years. She received her M.S. in Psychology in 1995. Jane is recognized as an international pioneer in perinatal mental health and has spoken in Australia, Canada, England, France, Germany, Israel, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, South Africa, Turkey, and Wales. She co-founded The Parental Action Institute (PAI) in 2016, whose mission is to energize and revitalize professionals and parent advocates to support new families. Jane is the author of six books, a written training curriculum, and many articles. Her archives are part of the University of California, Santa Barbara Special Collections Library. Jane and Terry have three married adult children, eight grandchildren, and a cat.