What is a perinatal mental health therapist?
Perinatal mental health refers to the mental well-being of a woman or birthing person during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
A perinatal mental health therapist has specialized training in working with mental health during pregnancy and the postpartum period. These therapists may provide therapy for things like adjustment to the postpartum period and new role as a parent, anxiety, depression, PTSD, bipolar, and OCD.
Why work with a perinatal mental health therapist?
Depending on where you live, finding a therapist with training in perinatal mental health can be difficult. It can be extremely beneficial though, as pregnancy and the postpartum are SUCH big life transitions that it can be challenging to work with a therapist who doesn’t have specialized training. For example, there are so many biological changes that occur during this period, and so having a therapist that specializes in perinatal mental health makes it more likely they will be able to differentiate signs of depression vs fatigue and inability to engage in activity you normally would due to being newly postpartum. Additionally, unless someone has frequently worked with people during pregnancy and postpartum or has been through pregnancy and childbirth themselves, they are unlikely to understand the mental tax of things like having a high-risk pregnancy, creating a birth plan, trying to find a daycare, dealing with illnesses and calling out of work, and the changes and stressors that can happen within your relationships.
How can I find a perinatal mental health therapist?
One excellent resource for finding perinatal mental health therapists is Postpartum Support International’s therapist directory. You can filter your search by city, insurance, and what you’d like to work on in treatment. Another directory you can search is the Trauma-informed Maternal Health Directory. If you’re in Colorado or Illinois and would like to get started with therapy for perinatal mental health, you can contact me here.
About Dr. Liz Culnan | Denver, CO & Chicago, IL
Dr. Liz Culnan is a licensed clinical health psychologist with specialized training in the areas of perinatal/reproductive mental health and behavioral sleep medicine. She is passionate about supporting women through reproductive and life transitions. Learn more here.
Other services offered at Mindful Health Psychology:
Mindful Health Psychology is a practice offering online therapy for Denver, CO, Chicago, IL and beyond in the states of Colorado and Illinois. We specialize in therapy for anxiety, depression, depression and anxiety during pregnancy, postpartum anxiety and depression, coping with miscarriage and pregnancy loss, PMDD, coping with fertility-related stressors, birth trauma, coping with a chronic medical condition, insomnia, nightmares, circadian rhythm disorders, and hypersomnia disorders. We provide online therapy, making treatment more accessible, which means you can be located in Denver, Chicago, or another city in Colorado or Illinois to receive services.