Perinatal Mental Health

Perinatal Mental Health includes all stages of pregnancy and up to one year postpartum. Women might notice changes to their mental health as soon as they realize they are pregnant or up to one year after the birth of their baby. I work with clients to identify and provide evidenced based treatments for anxiety (prenatally and postpartum), depression (prenatally and postpartum), intrusive thoughts and other mental health issues that can occur during the perinatal time. Treatment planning includes support, evidenced based approaches and referral/collaboration with other key providers like family doctors, psychiatrists etc.

Perinatal mental health issues are not only diagnosed in the pregnant person, but can occur for the non-pregnant partner. Common struggles can be anxiety and depression and other mental health issues activated by the adjustment to pregnancy and/or parenting. Men experience postpartum depression as well. My practice includes many partners, impacted by the adjustment to this major life change.

What you work with me, you can expect a supportive and non-judgemental approach. People can be really afraid to reach out for help around these issues, there is so much expectation and romanticization of pregnancy and postpartum that sets up unrealistic expectations. By the time people reach out they often feel like they are failing at parenthood and are being really hard on themselves about why things aren’t going better.