Perinatal Mental Health
What to Expect from Perinatal Mental Health Counseling
Our therapists are trained in perinatal mental health and offer evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT). Each treatment plan is individualized to meet your specific needs, ensuring compassionate and holistic care during every stage of the perinatal journey.
Adjusting to Life as New Parents
Becoming a parent is a profound transition that brings both joy and challenge. Therapy can help new parents strengthen attunement and attachment, better understand emotional responses, and adapt to the needs of their baby and themselves.
Through counseling, you can:
Explore shifting identities and expectations
Build emotional awareness and regulation
Develop healthy communication and coping strategies
Strengthen your bond with your child
This work fosters confidence, self-compassion, and resilience as you adjust to life with your growing family.
Grief and Loss in the Perinatal Season
Grief in the perinatal period can be isolating and deeply painful. Whether through miscarriage, stillbirth, or neonatal loss, therapy provides a supportive space to process the complex emotions of heartbreak, guilt, anger, and sorrow.
Our therapists offer a trauma-informed approach, helping individuals and families find validation, healing, and renewed hope. Through tailored interventions and compassionate care, therapy supports you in honoring your loss while moving gently toward restoration and meaning.
Types of Traumatic Loss
Miscarriage – the loss of a pregnancy before 20 weeks, occurring in approximately 10–20% of known pregnancies
Stillbirth – the loss of a baby after 20 weeks of gestation and before birth
Neonatal loss – the loss of an infant within the first 28 days after delivery
Perinatal Mood + Anxiety Disorders (PMADs)
While many new parents experience temporary “baby blues,” lasting emotional struggles may indicate a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder. About 80% of parents experience mild mood swings in the first few weeks postpartum — but when symptoms persist or intensify, professional support can make a crucial difference.
Perinatal Mood + Anxiety Disorders can include:
Depression
Anxiety
Bipolar disorder
Postpartum PTSD
Postpartum psychosis
Therapy provides understanding, structure, and tools to manage these symptoms, helping parents reconnect with themselves and their families.
Prenatal Trauma and PTSD
Birth and pregnancy can sometimes bring experiences of trauma — whether from unexpected medical complications, loss, or feeling unsafe or unheard during care. Counseling provides a safe, nurturing space to process these experiences and reclaim a sense of peace and control.
Therapeutic interventions such as CBT and EMDR help reprocess distressing memories, reduce emotional intensity, and restore emotional balance. Support groups and individual sessions also provide community and shared understanding, reminding you that you are not alone in your healing.
Examples of Birth Trauma
Unplanned or emergency C-section
Use of vacuum or forceps during delivery
Baby admitted to NICU
Feelings of powerlessness or lack of communication during birth
Miscarriage, stillbirth, or neonatal loss
Severe medical complications such as hemorrhage, preeclampsia, or physical injury
Prior trauma history (e.g., sexual assault or abuse) increasing vulnerability to postpartum PTSD
Common PTSD Symptoms
Flashbacks or nightmares about the traumatic event
Avoidance of reminders, people, or places
Emotional numbness or detachment
Irritability, difficulty sleeping, or hypervigilance
Anxiety or panic attacks
Feeling unreal or disconnected from self or surrounding
“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths.”
— Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
You’re Not Alone
Whether you’re struggling with infertility, adjusting to new parenthood, or grieving a loss, therapy offers a pathway toward healing and strength. At New Chapter Therapy, we are honored to walk alongside you as you write this next chapter with compassion, courage, and hope
Book an appointment.
Ready to begin your journey toward healing and growth? Whether you’re seeking clarity, relief from anxiety, or simply a space to reconnect with yourself, therapy can help you move forward with purpose. At New Chapter Therapy, we’ll work together to create meaningful change—one step at a time. Book your appointment today and take the first step toward your next chapter.