Reproductive and Maternal Mental Health

The road to and through pregnancy is different for everyone, as are the emotions that accompany mothering. Whatever your experience, I provide a safe space where you can give voice to your emotions, gain insight, and develop coping skills.

You may have gone through a long journey of infertility and be struggling to embrace your pregnancy. If conception was achieved with a donor egg or sperm, you may be concerned about how you will feel about your baby.  And if you were not planning to get pregnant, you might need to explore how you feel and make some decisions. 

Pregnancy can be physically and emotionally challenging. The hormonal changes that occur impact every woman differently. You may be experiencing daily nausea or new emotional highs and lows. I specialize in Pregnancy & Fertility Therapy for women experiencing these issues and others.

The expectation that babies bring ultimate happiness is unrealistic. Our culture reinforces a story of motherhood that is absent of uncertainty, fear, and mixed feelings. This myth can be dangerous. New mothers feel pressured to project an image of pure joy and ease, when inside they may be struggling with a host of conflicting emotions. Even if you have always desired motherhood, once it arrives you may feel torn between who you were before and who you should be now. Many women are ashamed to speak about these feelings for fear of being labeled or judged. Many of my patients tell me that they have not heard stories about the challenges of motherhood from others, so they are shocked when they have difficulties bonding with their baby, breastfeeding, fighting with their partners or families, or just feel disappointed.  Many new mothers are unsure if what they are experiencing is the common “Baby Blues,” or something more serious. Postpartum Therapy can help here.

Depression and Anxiety

Depression and anxiety affect people differently and may be caused by both external and internal factors. Losing a loved one, getting fired from a job, going through a divorce, and other difficult life situations can lead you to feel sad, lonely and anxious. Some individuals anticipate disaster and worry more than seems warranted about actual events, or expect the worst even when there is no apparent reason for concern. 

Together we will explore your symptoms and their roots, and I will help you identify your triggers and develop coping skills.

Relationship Challenges

Relationships - whether with family, friends, or partners - have a significant impact on our sense of self and how we relate to others. They can provide us with security, affection, excitement and hope, but our closest relationships are often the arena in which our deepest vulnerabilities, most damaging behaviors, and unresolved past hurts come out. 

We will work together to explore your patterns of interaction to help you gain insight into your triggers, reactions and choices. We will also focus on developing effective communication skills so that you can have more satisfying relationships. 

Stress Management

Stress is your body’s response to changes in your life, and there is no avoiding it since life involves constant change. While we can’t eliminate all stress, we can work to eliminate unnecessary stress and learn to effectively manage the rest. 

Our experience of stress grows out of the unique ways in which we move through life. Our perception of events from the everyday to the monumental – like marriage, divorce, or death of a loved one – profoundly impacts stress levels. A situation may feel “stressful” to one person and merely “challenging” to another. Understanding your response to various stressors and learning coping skills will help you reduce your experience of stress and develop resilience.