PERINATAL MENTAL HEALTH
-
Our Approach
Empathetic and supportive therapy sessions for women seeking support during any part of the perinatal time period. This includes exploration of decision making surrounding children, pregnancy, immediate postpartum, and transition to motherhood. Let's work together to navigate these challenges with self compassion, grace, and care.
-
Why Get Help?
Transitioning to motherhood is the most significant identity shift in a women’s life. It can feel lonely, isolating, and overstimulating. But then in moments, feel rewarding, connective, and waves of gratitude, with all the other feelings in between! You deserve to explore and make sense of this transition in a way that allows for authenticity in where you are at, while identifying where you want to go. Finding oneself again after motherhood takes time, and we are here to help guide you on that journey!
-
When To Reach Out?
Pregnancy related struggles, birth trauma, or transition to parenthood can be some of why you may be looking for support at this time. With the support from a trained perinatal mental health therapist, you can find your way back to joy and confidence in your parenting journey. The sooner you reach out for support, the sooner you will be on your way to relief.
What does Perinatal Mental Health look like?
Perinatal Mental Health (also known at Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder-PMADs) struggles and symptoms can appear any time during pregnancy and the first 12 months after childbirth. (Though in my professional experience, I would say some variations over the first 2 years depending on risk factors!) These struggles can also occur or exacerbate during weaning phase of breastfeeding.
1 in 5 women will experience some type of PMAD and it remains the #1 complication of pregnancy and birth!
Despite the societal umbrella of “postpartum depression,” PMADs can present differently, and can come on suddenly or gradual over an extended period of time during pregnancy or postpartum.
PMAD struggles are 100% treatable, and you are here taking the first step towards getting the compassionate, specialized, and personalized help you deserve!
Click below to read about specific types of PMADs, presentation, and symptoms
What To Expect
There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to treatment. At Canary Counseling, we utilize a collaborative approach to make sure you are getting the best care for recovery. We also know that the role of partner and/or spouse is extremely important to recovery and healing, so we also welcome their participation throughout the treatment process. How this could be most supportive for you will be determined by you and your provider while working towards treatment goals.
Birth Trauma
A birth is said to be traumatic when the woman perceives that she and/or her baby are in danger of injury or death during childbirth.
It is important to note that it is all about the individual’s perception!
“Trauma is in the eye of the beholder”
Many mothers will usually experience extreme sense of helplessness, isolation, lack of care, fear and anxiety (Beck, 2004). Traumatic childbirth occurs in as many as 25-34% of all births! Approximately 1/3 of these will go on to develop PTSD. Early intervention, and even getting support prior to subsequent births can significantly increase positive mental health outcomes.
Our clinicians are trained in utilization of various modalities to support those struggling after a traumatic birth. We can offer short-term, trauma focused EMDR while working in conjunction with an individual therapist to address other co-occurring struggles and feelings.
