Is the transition into parenting harder than you thought it would be? Maybe you’ve been in therapy before but it didn’t help as much as you had hoped it would. Perhaps you’re overwhelmed by pregnancy or parenting in general and need a therapist who understands this life transition.
Twenty percent of women experience a postpartum mental health disorder (PMHD), with the majority being depression and anxiety.1 It is estimated that over half of those with postpartum depression and anxiety go undiagnosed and untreated.2 This could be due to stigma, fear of asking for help, or not knowing where to start.
If you are questioning whether you have postpartum anxiety or depression, read on to see how you can start therapy and improve you and your family’s lives. Or click here if you are in the state of Kansas and ready to schedule a session.
Why is it important to see a therapist who specializes in postpartum?
The nuances of postpartum, birth, and early parenting struggles are distinctive. They impact how you view the world, how you view others, and how you view yourself. It is important to work with a therapist who understands the difficulties, the joys, and the mundanities that come with this transition.
Therapists who specialize in postpartum will have specific insight into how to help you in your stage of life. They will take into consideration feeding challenges, relationship stressors, sleep-deprivation, physical recovery, hormones, and birth experiences. They will teach your coping skills that are able to be done with screaming toddlers or a hungry baby. They are familiar with how depression, anxiety, OCD, and bipolar disorder display themselves in postpartum. They will know to ask you the questions other therapists might not: What were your other pregnancies like? Have you experienced any losses? Abortions? What was your previous birth experience like? How did you and your partner cope with pregnancy and postpartum last time? Did you feel heard during your birth?
If you are a resident of Kansas, I have specialized training in postpartum mental health with immediate availability to schedule a session. As a mom of three, I know all too well how hard postpartum is. Even though our experiences won’t be exactly alike, I think that’s the beauty of sitting together. I look forward to meeting you and sharing space as you navigate this new, chaotic but beautiful life.
How is therapy helpful during postpartum?
Seeing a therapist after you’ve had a baby helps in a variety of ways. This includes:
- Mood fluctuations – Pregnancy and postpartum is a time of mood changes. It is a huge life transition and many emotions come alongside a new baby – no matter if it’s your first or fifth.
- Processing your own childhood – Becoming a parent might lead you to question how you were parented. You might grieve the childhood you weren’t given as you give it to your child now. This is completely normal and common!
- Processing birth trauma or disappointment around your birth – Our birth experiences often don’t match our birth plans. This can bring about feelings of sadness, loss, anger, and more. Birth trauma adds an additional layer onto this, whether you felt unheard and unseen or if your baby visited Special Care or the NICU, it is important to identify and process these experiences to move forward.
- Grieving previous pregnancy or infant loss – Pregnancy after loss is a difficult road to walk, but you can seek support during this time! It is possible to hold both emotions: the excitement over being pregnant and the utter fear and grief that comes alongside your previous loss.
- Boosting your self-esteem – Whether it involves your parenting skills, identity shifts, body changes, or something unrelated to parenthood, it can always benefit a person to improve their confidence in their abilities and strengths. We would love to walk alongside you in a strengths-based approach to therapy.
- Enhancing your bond with baby – Parent-infant attachment is a significant factor in a child’s healthy development. Did you know activities in therapy can help enhance that bond? Small five to ten minute activities can be incorporated into individual sessions.
- Improving your relationship – You aren’t alone if you and your partner are having a difficult time. Click here to read more about couples therapy during pregnancy and postpartum.
Please note this is not a comprehensive list. Becoming a parent affects everyone in unique ways. Therapy is your experience, and you guide your treatment.
What type of therapy is best for postpartum?
The method of therapy will depend on you, your therapist, and what goals you are trying to achieve. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is proven by research to help with OCD, anxiety, and depression. It is considered the “gold standard” of treatment3, but its effectiveness can often be increased by integrating other methods.
- Strength-based approaches can shift the focus towards the strengths of you as a person and as a parent.
- Experiential therapy can allow you to tap into your creative, playful side while processing the meaning of becoming a parent.
- Couples therapy with the Gottman Method can enhance you and your partner’s communication and intimacy – physical and emotional.
- Narrative therapy can help you rewrite the story you tell yourself about pregnancy and postpartum.
- EMDR therapy can create opportunities for you to process negative beliefs about yourself or previous traumatic experiences.
In the therapy room, I enjoy using a somatic approach as well. Pregnancy, postpartum, and birth are dependent on your mind-body connection. While you are healing your mind, it’s important to also address physical symptoms. This might look like taking a moment in therapy to pause and notice areas of tension, incorporating grounding techniques to regulate your nervous system, practicing breathing strategies to use when baby cries, or simply introducing yourself to your new body – one that has experienced pregnancy and postpartum and deserves to be held.
How do I find a postpartum depression therapist near me?
Postpartum Support International maintains a Provider Directory as well as online support groups for pregnant and postpartum individuals.
The same advice for finding a therapist for postpartum anxiety below applies to finding a therapist for postpartum depression. Often, the two (anxiety and depression) go hand-in-hand.
How can I find a postpartum anxiety therapist near me?
It is important to find a therapist who is trained in postpartum anxiety, too. A great place to start could be asking your ob-gyn or midwife for their recommendations. Lactation consultants, pediatricians, and chiropractors might also have connections within the community.
Additionally, the Postpartum Support International directory is a useful tool that lists perinatal mental health professionals. That said, it depends on your area for how many therapists are listed in the directory.
Even if they are trained in postpartum mental health disorders, your therapist should be a good fit for YOU. If you are looking for a therapist that loves to use humor, cusses a little bit in session, prioritizes creativity and playfulness in the therapy room, and challenges you for the better, I can help! As a mom of three, I have personal experience with the good, the bad, and the ugly of postpartum. As a clinician, I have extensive training in postpartum mental health and am continuously educating myself each day. If we’re a good fit, I look forward to sitting alongside you as you heal one step at a time.
Perinatal Mental Health Therapist in Wichita, KS
Riley Blanton, LMFT is a therapist who is passionate about reproductive mental health. Riley is trained by Postpartum Support International and serves as the Communications Director for the Kansas State Chapter! Riley offers individual, couples, and family therapy in her office in Wichita, KS or virtually through a secure video platform if you reside in the state of Kansas.
In the therapy room, we might talk about your childhood, what examples you had for parenting, what messages you heard about being a parent, and more. Additionally, we might assess how you are talking to yourself (Are you telling yourself you aren’t a good mom? Scared you aren’t taking care of your baby well enough?), what stories you are telling yourself (Convincing yourself you shouldn’t have had a baby?), as well as the effects of the birth on your life (How is your bond with baby? How are your relationships? What had to change in your life in order to have a baby?).
Overall, there’s not one right way for postpartum therapy. We will work together to understand how therapy can benefit you and take small steps towards improving your mental health as a new parent.
If I am not the best fit for you, I’d love to send you some referrals and get you scheduled with someone who can help! Postpartum is a vulnerable time. You deserve to find support, and I’d be honored to help you in that.