Perinatal Therapy
Prenatal and Postpartum Depression and Anxiety
Your body, thoughts, emotions, relationships, and social experiences undergo dramatic changes during pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. Drastic life changes - even when exciting or welcomed or planned - make our mind-body systems vulnerable to feeling “off.” Feeling off during your perinatal experiences might look like
feeling sad, numb, or uninterested in things you usually enjoy or feel excited about
feeling hopeless, unable to look forward to future experiences
struggling with sleeping or eating
physical aches, pain, and discomfort
feeling worried, scared, panicked, or guilty, constantly
feeling tense and on-edge, constantly
believing that you’re worthless or not good enough
Perinatal depression and anxiety might be making you feel like you’re being attacked by a mysterious force while you’re trying to adjust to this special time in your life. Mind-body therapy approaches can help you experience mental and physical relief as you go through this incredible transformation.
“You are not alone. You are not at fault. With help, you will be well.” - Postpartum Support International
Prenatal and Postpartum OCD
Experiencing obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) during pregnancy or the postpartum period is especially scary and exhausting. If you’re struggling with
upsetting, repetitive, negative thoughts about bad things happening to you or your baby and feeling upset about these thoughts that keep popping into your mind
intense feelings of guilt and shame
repeatedly doing something to try to keep the scary things from happening, but feeling trapped because you just can’t stop
you’re probably feeling stuck, frustrated, and anxious. Perinatal OCD makes it extremely difficult for parents to enjoy bonding with their babies, do helpful parenting and self-care practices, and have fun with family, friends, and community. Specialized OCD treatment helps your mind adjust your thoughts and feelings and their relationship with your senses to free you from being terrified by upsetting ideas.
Birth Trauma
If your pregnancy or birth experience was highly stressful and difficult (physically or emotionally), you might be
feeling intense, overwhelming emotions that are hard to control or cope with
feeling on-edge, tense, panicked, or afraid
feeling numb
feeling disconnected and distant from yourself and those around you
struggling to bond with your baby
feeling like you hate, can’t trust, or don’t recognize your body
having trouble sleeping
having flashbacks or nightmares
wanting to avoid your baby or other reminders of your pregnancy and birth
experiencing physical pain and discomfort (like headaches, stomach problems, muscle tension, or difficulty physically recovering from the birth)
To the postpartum mom reeling from the pain: peace is still possible for you. Trauma therapy teaches your body to feel safe, stable, and at ease, so postpartum can become a time of empowerment, rest, and renewal for you.
Perinatal Grief and Loss
Grief and loss connected to pregnancy, birth, postpartum, or parenting experiences feel especially complicated and isolating. If you have experienced
fertility challenges
pregnancy loss
pregnancy termination that feels difficult or complicated
medical crisis impacting fertility, pregnancy, birth, or postpartum
the loss of a child
the swirl of emotions can make you feel like you’re drowning. This loss alters your life story and you might feel as though you don’t know yourself anymore. It might be hard to imagine ever feeling peace again.
Mind-body trauma therapy helps grieving perinatal people experience comfort; it gives you a safe place to land in the midst of the chaos, helps you breathe deeply again, and supports you in finding ways to honor this part of your story.
Parenting Young Children
At times, parenting infants and toddlers feels like being thrown into the wilderness. The non-stop needs, demands, touch, sounds, and big emotions become overwhelming and draining. Feeling such deep, intense, fierce, gut-wrenching love and deep, intense, fierce, gut-wrenching stress sends you reeling.
Mind-body therapy approaches help parents of young children access and create inner peace in the middle of sensory whirlwind. It helps you to lovingly identify, examine, and adjust hurtful beliefs about yourself that arise as you strive to love your children well.
Healing Your Inner Child as You Parent
You know that you want to raise your children in a peaceful home, where they feel safe, nurtured, and supported as they become people who show gentleness to themselves and others. You want to speak calmly, teach calmly, and problem-solve calmly.
Painful, stressful, or frightening childhood experiences might be blocking you from feeling calm and confident in your new role as a parent. Parenting is challenging, but unresolved trauma leads to feeling intensely overwhelmed. Mind-body therapy approaches help your “inner child” receive the care you needed in past seasons, so you can operate as a peaceful parent now.
