Perinatal Mental Health
The perinatal period — from conception through the first year postpartum — is one of the most emotionally complex seasons of a woman's life. Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders affect up to 1 in 5 women, yet remain widely underdiagnosed. You don't have to white-knuckle through this alone.
What It Can Look Like
- check_circle Persistent sadness, numbness, or emptiness during pregnancy or after birth
- check_circle Anxiety or worry that feels out of proportion — about the baby's health, your ability to parent, the future
- check_circle Intrusive or frightening thoughts (these are more common than most people know)
- check_circle Feeling disconnected from your baby or unable to bond
- check_circle Rage, irritability, or emotional reactivity that feels unlike you
- check_circle Difficulty asking for or accepting help
- check_circle Grief over the birth experience, identity loss, or the life you had before
- check_circle Fear of being judged or seen as a "bad mother" for struggling
Postpartum depression is the most well-known perinatal mood disorder, but it's not the only one. Postpartum anxiety, postpartum OCD, postpartum PTSD (often related to birth trauma), and perinatal depression that begins during pregnancy are all real conditions that deserve real treatment.
One of the hardest parts of perinatal mood disorders is the shame that surrounds them. New mothers are supposed to feel grateful and joyful. When the reality is fear, numbness, or rage, it can feel isolating and terrifying. Please know: these conditions are not a reflection of your love for your child or your capacity as a parent. They are medical conditions with neurobiological roots — and they are highly treatable.
Therapy during the perinatal period can address the psychological symptoms directly, but it also does something equally important: it offers a genuine space to process the magnitude of what you're going through. Becoming a parent is an enormous identity shift. That deserves acknowledgment, not just symptom management.
My Approach
I bring a warm, non-pathologizing approach to perinatal work. I'm trained in identifying and supporting perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and draw on CBT, interpersonal therapy, and trauma-informed approaches depending on what you need. I also help clients navigate communication with OBs, midwives, and psychiatrists when medication may be a component of care.