Tasha was driven to co-author Unveiling Weddings through her professional psychological background and her personal frustration with society demeaning brides for voicing their opinion during their engagement. Ms. Fitzgerald found that the whirlwind of emotions women experience during this rite of passage make it a profound and opportune time for psychotherapy. Through first handedly counseling individuals during this time and years of dissecting the subject matter, Ms. Jackson Fitzgerald became an expert on the best therapy approaches for brides. In her writing of Unveiling Weddings she discovered that the topic of brides needing emotional help is one that professionals have not yet dove into.

Tasha sees the issues within Unveiling Weddings as universal for anyone going through a life transition that involves relationships. She finds this process to be special as brides are given the chance to step back and view their relationships with their parents, in-laws and partners with an adult perspective.

As Tasha was engaged and in the process of planning her own wedding during the writing of the book, she was able to reflect on her emotions and experiences that came along with this process.

Receiving her Bachelor of Arts from University of San Diego and her a Masters degree in Counseling Psychology from John F. Kennedy University, Ms. Jackson Fitzgerald currently works in private practice as a marriage and family therapist in San Francisco. She has a particular interest in helping support woman through important times of transition which have been influenced by her specialized training in Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), which is a combination of Zen philosophy and Western thinking and her travels around the globe. She has guest spoken at The Association of Gay and Lesbian Psychiatrists “Queerspawn and their families: Psychotherapy with LGBTQ families” as well as at the National Lesbian Health Summit, 2009 “Counseling LGBT Families.” She has also spoken at the SF Child Crisis and Southeast Child and Family Services and at several graduate level classrooms on “Intro to Various Psychopathologies.” She is a member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT), San Francisco CAMFT, International Critical Incident Stress Foundation Inc. (ICISF), Early Childhood Education Initiative, C.O.L.A.G.E. (Children of Lesbian and Gays Everywhere) and Our Family Coalition. Recently, her work has been published in mental health industry trade journals.

Tasha Jackson Fitzgerald on Writing Unveiling Weddings together as co-authors:

“For me, the most moving narrative is the story between Rebecca and me. It started as Rebecca and I were networking together, having some overpriced lattes at a coffee shop when she introduced the idea of a self-help book for brides to me. A few months later, as we got to know each other more and she asked if I wanted to co-author it. I thought well she seems like a grounded, centered person. After our first brainstorming session, I really got what she was talking about. An engagement brings up a time when even the most confident woman can be filled with self-doubt; when a newlywed relationship can set its tone for the future; and when emotions are piqued to the point where the door is open for great self-reflection and self-realization. It’s a time when our culture expects the best and a bride may feel the worst. The book began to transform from that point forward when I realized this book needed to be written. Now, many more overpriced latte’s later, I really hate when society calls woman names (aka “Bridezilla”) when they have an opinion or emotional outburst during their engagement. The stereotypes about stressed out brides need real context and tools. That’s what this book offers.” — Tasha Jackson Fitzgerald, MA.

Favorite Story: “I was so touched by the story of Emily who got married by candlelight in the lobby of the hotel in New Orleans with the few friends and family members who had made it despite Hurricane Katrina. All of Emily’s wedding stress and disappointment was replaced with gratitude when the natural disaster put things in to perspective.”

Inspiration to write Unveiling Weddings came to co-author Dr. Sacerdoti through her work as a prominent clinical psychologist in San Francisco, Calif. In working with brides-to-be during their wedding engagement periods, she saw first-hand the whirlwind and intensity of emotions experienced by most women and how that time can be extremely positive for one’s self-growth, when given the right tools. Both in her private practice and personally, Rebecca has seen women seriously struggle when unsupported during their engagements, during what is perceived to be an “ideal” time in their lives.

She sees psychotherapy as an opportunity to build inner balance, strength, and clarity in the face of the challenges that times of transition invite and brings those resources into her co-authoring of Unveiling Weddings.

She also incorporates reflections from her own marriage preparation, which brought a roller coaster of emotions. She felt the subtle cultural and social expectations illuminated in every bridal magazine and felt apathetic to the wedding planning experience – not horrible, but not elated either. As a mental health professional, who makes a living by helping individuals navigate their way through major life challenges, she was struck by how difficult it was for herself to stay calm, and clear during her engagement.

Dr. Sacerdoti received her Doctorate of Psychology at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto and has been a guest speaker at numerous events including presentations for the Family and Children Services of Palo Alto, Ovarian Cancer National Alliance Conference, along with various workshop and group presentations. She is a member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists and the National Center for Equine Facilitated Therapy, which provides therapy for children with various genetic and neurological disorders. As Cancer is another major life transition that women struggle with she is fascinated by the rich opportunities this experience offers women for greater growth and understanding. With this interest she has published a few scientific articles on meditation and the sexuality/body image of gynecological cancer survivors. Her latest article coming out early next year in the Journal of Professional Psychology is titled, Sacerdoti, R. C., Lagana, L. & Koopman, C. “Altered Sexuality and Body Image after Gynecological Cancer Treatment: How Can Psychologists Help?”

Rebecca Sacerdoti on Writing Unveiling Weddings together as co-authors:

“When Tasha and I first met we talked about my work with brides and how the emotions and behaviors triggered by the whole wedding process are huge and often mystifying. We decided that we wanted to write a book that would support women through this important rites of passage by providing them stories and psychological insight so they could get the most of the their engagement. We wanted to write something that would normalize and illuminate a bride’s thoughts and feelings helping her to reframe as well as reclaim her experience within a larger context.

That fall we drafted an outline and began to write. That December Tasha got engaged and we did not stop writing until she got married that summer. That spring was a very exciting time: meeting each week as Tasha planned her wedding and we wrote chapter after chapter. As we wrote the book, we grew very close and we became life incredible friends. Tasha asked me to be one of her bridesmaids. After all the writing we had done on the subject, supporting her on her wedding day was an amazing feeling.” — Rebecca Sacerdoti, PHD

Favorite Story: “I love the lemon cake story. Lauren was in her residency at a prestigious hospital and did not have time to plan her wedding so she let her mom plan the whole thing – huge white dress, tent, large guest list, fancy everything. Lauren’s mom had been dreaming of her wedding day since Lauren was a little girl. Lauren’s only request was to have a lemon cake and she was totally disappointed when her mother chose a white cake with raspberry filling instead. Here Lauren was able to navigate difficult situations at the hospital every day and she could not even get her favorite cake at her own wedding. A few weeks before her wedding her friends threw her a mini shower and surprised her with a lemon cake. I love this story because it demonstrates the complexities of the wedding process. Even the most capable of women struggle to get what they want in the midst of family dynamics.”