Perinatal Mental Health
Support for your mind, body, and story in every season of your perinatal journey
Pregnancy and postpartum aren’t always the glowing, joy-filled seasons people talk about.
You might be…
Overwhelmed by mood swings, anxiety, or intrusive thoughts
Grieving a loss or a birth experience that didn’t go as planned
Feeling guilty for not “loving every minute”
Struggling with identity, sleep, or relationship changes
Trying to hold everything together while feeling like you’re quietly falling apart.
You are not failing. You are not alone. And you don’t have to “just push through.”
At New Chapter Therapy, I walk alongside birthing people and parents in Hendersonville, Nashville, and across Tennessee (online) through pregnancy, postpartum, fertility journeys, and pregnancy loss with compassionate, trauma-informed care.
What Is Perinatal Mental Health?
Perinatal mental health includes your emotional, mental, and relational well-being:
During pregnancy
After birth (postpartum)
During fertility treatments or trying to conceive
After miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss
During adoption or surrogacy journeys
Common perinatal mental health concerns include:
Perinatal / Postpartum Depression
Perinatal / Postpartum Anxiety (including intrusive worries and “what ifs”)
Birth trauma or traumatic delivery experiences
Pregnancy after loss
Pregnancy or infant loss and grief
OCD-like symptoms (repetitive, disturbing thoughts or compulsive behaviors)
Adjustment, identity changes, and relationship stress
It’s okay if you’re not sure what to call what you’re going through. If this season feels heavier than you expected, that’s enough reason to reach out.
How Perinatal Mental Health Challenges Can Show Up
Emotional & Mental Signs
Persistent sadness, hopelessness, or numbness
Irritability, anger, or feeling “on edge.”
Racing thoughts and constant worry about the baby, yourself, or the future
Intrusive or scary thoughts that feel out of character
Shame or guilt: “I shouldn’t feel this way,” “I’m a bad parent.”
Feeling detached from your baby, partner, or your old self
Physical & Behavioral Signs
Changes in sleep (even when the baby is sleeping)
Appetite changes or weight fluctuations
Restlessness, panic, or feeling physically tense all the time
Withdrawing from friends, family, or activities
Over-functioning or trying to be “perfect” to cope
Relational & Identity Signs
Feeling misunderstood or alone, even with support around you
Increased conflict or disconnection with a partner
Struggling with the shift in roles and responsibilities
Grieving your old life or the version of parenthood you imagined
None of this makes you a bad parent or an ungrateful person. It makes you human in a very demanding season.
How Perinatal Therapy Can Help
Perinatal therapy at New Chapter Therapy offers a space tailored to you, your story, your needs, and your mental health. Together, we can:
Normalize what you’re feeling and reduce shame
Process birth trauma or medical trauma in a safe, paced way
Make sense of intrusive or scary thoughts and learn how to respond to them
Build coping skills for anxiety, mood swings, and overwhelm
Navigate grief and loss including miscarriage, stillbirth, or fertility struggles
Support your relationships as roles and responsibilities shift
Reconnect you with your identity beyond just survival mode
You don’t have to wait until you’re in crisis. Therapy can be both a safety net and a nurturing space to grow through this season.
Perinatal Mental Health Therapy
Perinatal work is integrative, trauma-informed, and grounded in mind–body–spirit care. It is tailored to your unique story, needs, and nervous system. Depending on what you’re facing, we may use:
EMDR
To process birth trauma, medical trauma, pregnancy loss, or past experiences that are impacting how safe you feel now. EMDR can help your brain and body store these experiences as “in the past,” so they feel less overwhelming in the present.
Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT):
To explore how this season is affecting your relationships, roles, and support system. IPT can help improve communication with partners and family, navigate role transitions, and rebuild connections where there’s strain or distance.
Narrative Therapy:
To honor how pregnancy, postpartum, loss, or fertility struggles are reshaping your story, and to gently rewrite the narratives of blame, shame, or “not enough” that often show up in this season.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT):
To identify and shift unhelpful thoughts like “I’m failing,” “I should be happier,” or “Everyone else is handling this better than me.”
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills:
To build practical tools for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and grounding when big waves of emotion or anxiety hit.
When helpful, we can also incorporate journaling, values exploration, and nervous-system regulation practices to support you in and between sessions.
Parts Work (IFS-informed):
Parts work helps you understand and support the different inner parts of yourself with compassion, creating more balance, clarity, and emotional healing.
Common Struggles During Pregnancy, Postpartum, and Beyond
Adjusting to Being New Parents
Grief and Loss
Types of Traumatic Loss
Prenatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMAD)
Types of PMADs
Prenatal Trauma and PTSD
Types of Birth Trauma
PTSD Symptoms
The adjustment period helps the new parent(s) to acclimate to life with a baby. Therapy during the adjustment period helps with the attunement and attachment needs of both parent and child. By attuning to needs, new parents gain a better understanding of their emotions and behaviors, along with adjusting to their child’s emotions. Therapy allows parents to develop or enhance a multitude of skills, ranging from seeing life from a different perspective to building healthy relationships with their children.
Therapy provides essential support for parents and families navigating grief after miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal loss, or difficult postpartum experiences. It offers a safe, compassionate space to process complex emotions, develop coping strategies, and receive validation from a clinician trained in perinatal mental health. Through this guidance, individuals can find understanding, resilience, and a renewed sense of hope during an incredibly painful and challenging season.
Miscarriage is the sudden loss of a pregnancy before the 20th week and occurs in roughly 10-20% of known pregnancies.
Stillbirth is the loss of a baby after the 20th week of gestation and before birth. A small number of stillbirths can occur during labor.
Neonatal loss is the loss of a child after delivery, within the first 28 days of life.
Mood and anxiety disorders in new parents can range from common "baby blues" to more serious perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs). About 80% of new parents experience mood swings and weepiness, known as the baby blues, within the first 2-3 weeks after giving birth, peaking around 3-5 days post-delivery. This is a normal adjustment period that usually resolves without medical assistance. In contrast, PMADs are more severe and typically do not resolve on their own, requiring professional intervention.
Risk factors for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) vary widely and depend on the specific disorder. Addressing PMADs involves understanding the unique risk factors associated with each category to provide effective support and treatment.
Depression
Anxiety
Bipolar disorder
PTSD
Postpartum Psychosis
Therapy plays a crucial role in healing from traumatic birth experiences by providing a safe and caring space for individuals to process their emotions and experiences. Standard talk therapy offers a platform for individuals to express their feelings and receive validation, which can reduce feelings of isolation and helplessness. Through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), individuals can identify and shift negative thoughts and beliefs stemming from the traumatic event, helping to alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is another effective technique, and it aids in reprocessing distressing memories and reducing their emotional intensity. Additionally, participating in support groups also allows individuals to connect with others who have had similar experiences, fostering a sense of community and shared understanding. These therapeutic approaches collectively help individuals integrate the traumatic experience, promote emotional healing, and build resilience, ultimately aiding in their overall recovery and well-being.
Prolapsed cord
Unplanned C-section
Miscarriage, Stillbirth, Neonatal Loss
Use of vacuum extractor or forceps to deliver the baby
Baby going to NICU
Feelings of powerlessness, poor communication and/or lack of support and reassurance during the delivery
Women who have experienced previous trauma, such as rape or sexual abuse, are also at a higher risk for experiencing postpartum PTSD.
Women who have experienced a severe physical complication or injury related to pregnancy or childbirth, such as severe postpartum hemorrhage, unexpected hysterectomy, severe preeclampsia/eclampsia, perineal trauma (3rd or 4th-degree tear), or cardiac disease.
Intrusive re-experiencing of a past traumatic event (which in this case may have been the childbirth itself)
Flashbacks or nightmares
Avoidance of stimuli associated with the event, including thoughts, feelings, people, places, and details of the event
Persistent increased arousal (irritability, difficulty sleeping, hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response)
Anxiety and panic attacks
Feeling a sense of unreality and detachment
What to Expect in Perinatal Therapy
Before We Meet
In Your First Session
Ongoing Sessions
You’ll complete secure online paperwork through my client portal, sharing as much as you feel comfortable about your current season, history, and supports.
We’ll talk about:
What brings you to therapy right now
The physical, emotional, and relational changes you’re experiencing
Any history of loss, trauma, or mental health concerns
What you hope might feel different or more manageable
You do not need to have the “perfect” words. Tears, silence, and “I’m not sure where to start” are all welcome.
Over time, therapy might include:
Practicing grounding and coping skills tailored to your daily life
Processing birth experiences, losses, or medical trauma at a safe pace
Exploring your identity as a parent, partner, individual, and whole person
Creating realistic expectations and gentler self-talk
Supporting you through milestones, anniversaries, or new pregnancies
Our goal is not to create a “perfect parent.” It’s to help you feel more supported, steady, and connected—to yourself and the people you love.
You’re Allowed to Ask for Help
Seeking support in this season is a sign of strength, not failure.
You were never meant to carry all of this alone.
In-person perinatal counseling in Hendersonville + Nashville
Online perinatal therapy for adults in Tennessee
