Counseling for Maternal Mental Health
Compassionate support during pregnancy, postpartum, and the unique stressors of motherhood
While bringing a new life into the world most times brings joy and excitement, it can also come with its challenges. As new mothers, so many things can come in to play from adjusting to role transitions, postpartum mood and anxiety disorders, the need to “know everything” right away, and even changes in your romantic partnership and expectations in parenting together can bring up challenges that you weren’t expecting. Having a new baby can be a difficult, exhausting, and isolating experience, even when everything goes according to plan. You may be feeling alone, or even experience feelings or shame or guilt about not being a “perfect” mother.
While almost all women will experience the baby blues at some point during the postpartum period, 1 in 5 women will experience a maternal mental health disorder such as postpartum depression. If you think that you or a loved one might be suffering from a maternal mental health disorder, therapy has shown to be an effective tool for improving the wellbeing of both mom and baby. Our maternal mental health counselors provide support, psycho-education, and self-care skills to mothers who have found themselves feeling alone, lost, and possible guilt due to the emotions they may be experiencing.
What Is Maternal Mental Health?
Maternal mental health recognizes the unique needs and challenges that mothers face mentally during pregnancy, postpartum, and when caring for young children. So many moms feel the pressure to show up perfectly, to parent differently than they were parented, to “break generational cycles”, to have it all together and compete with the expectations of social media.
Sometimes moms are also experiencing guilt and shame for feeling overwhelmed or not experiencing joy during what is supposed to be the “happiest time of your life” which can lead to not seeking help and suffering alone. Please know, mom, that you are not alone and you are not to blame for experiencing a wide range of emotions during this vulnerable time in your life. Motherhood is both invigorating AND exhausting. It can be joyous AND overwhelmingly frustrating at times.
How we can help
Blossom Forward counseling was created to help you navigate the unique joys and challenges that come with pregnancy, postpartum, and motherhood in healthy way. In addition to general counseling for new mothers, I offer specialized counseling in the following areas:
Postpartum Depression
Postpartum depression can manifest as feelings of anger or irritation, crying and sadness, lack of interest in the baby, feelings of guilt, shame or hopelessness, appetite or sleep disturbances, loss of joy or pleasure in things you used to enjoy, and possible thoughts of harming yourself or the baby. During counseling, you will be able to voice your struggles in a judgement-free space while working with a specialized counselor to identify and reduce negative thought patterns and develop new routines and coping skills to improve your wellbeing.
Postpartum Anxiety
Postpartum anxiety may feel like constant or persistent worry, inability to sit still, fear that something bad is going to happen, and racing thoughts. If you are struggling with symptoms of postpartum anxiety, working with a counselor can provide you with the tools, knowledge, and support you need to tame racing thoughts and manage feelings of anxiety or stress in a healthy way.
Postpartum OCD
Symptoms of postpartum OCD include fear of being left alone with baby, repetitive thoughts or mental images related to the baby, a sense of horror about intrusive or persistent thoughts, and doing things over and over to reduce fears or ‘obsessions’. If you think that you may be experiencing postpartum OCD, we will work together to help you identify and reduce patterns of intrusive thoughts and behaviors, reduce the distress you feel as a result of intrusive thoughts, and develop new routines.
