As many as 1 in 5 women will develop a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder in the first year after having a baby.
The adjustment to motherhood is hard all on its own (in fact, 80% of new mothers will experience the “baby blues”), but if you are experiencing feelings of sadness, anger, rage, intrusive thoughts, fear/panic, or excessive shame or guilt, you may be struggling with a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder (PMAD).
The most common PMAD’s include depression, anxiety, OCD, and PTSD. You are not a bad mom, you are not personally failing, and it won’t always be this way. It is an illness that is diagnosable, treatable, and you can and will get better with help. I am here to help you get back to feeling like yourself and to be a healthy and whole mama for you and your family. Together, we will develop a treatment plan with practical tools and strategies to cope with the difficulties and help you adjust in this new role as mother. It’s not easy, it’s not always linear, but on the other side you will look back at yourself now and want to hold this version of you and tell her “just hold on, things get so much better”.
Adjustment/Transition to Motherhood
You don’t have to have a PMAD to experience the difficulties of postpartum adjustment and the upheaval a new baby brings to you personally and in your primary relationships! I’ve yet to meet a mother who hasn’t experienced some degree of relational difficulty, identity loss, irritability, guilt or worry. The term “Matrescence” refers to the physical, emotional, hormonal and social transition to becoming a mother. I’m here for the overwhelmed, touched out, shame bound, identity lost mama…I want you to feel safe and held without judgment, and to be able to provide feedback and support with the warmth of a friend but with sound knowledge and guidance you can trust.
Infertility/ pregnancy loss
The journey to conceive can be difficult and wrought with a roller coaster of emotions – from hope and excitement to disappointment or despair. Although each person’s journey is uniquely their own, the feelings of loneliness in fertility struggles or miscarriage is universal to all who have walked this path. You are not alone, and I want to walk alongside you as a trusted ear, and place to work through the trials, joys, and everything in between.
Anxiety – If you are struggling with excessive worry, overthinking, or panic that is interfering with your daily life, you are likely experiencing anxiety. In today’s culture, anxiety is so pervasive that it’s hard to know if it’s something beyond just the natural reaction to things like a global pandemic, political strife/unrest, culture wars, or doom scrolling on social media. But if you find that worry is impacting your relationships, you ability to meet your own goals or expectations, or performance at work, therapy can help. Together, we will come up with a plan to address the root cause, implement strategies to cope well, and adapt more effectively through life stressors. When beneficial, talk therapy in conjunction with medication by a prescribing physician can facilitate improved mood stabilization and functioning in your daily life.
Whether you are feeling the weight of depression for the first time, or it has been a struggle your whole life, therapy can help provide the support and tools you need to move forward. Based on your unique needs and history, treatment for depression may utilize tools like DBT, CBT, Behavioral Activation, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. When beneficial, talk therapy in conjunction with medication by a prescribing physician can facilitate improved mood stabilization and functioning in your daily life.
Trauma (either single event or ongoing complex trauma), grief or bereavement, perfectionism and people-pleasing, life transitions and adjustments, and women’s identity/self esteem.
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