Pergola
For the part of new parenthood nobody warned you about

Postpartum & Perinatal Therapy

Becoming a parent is one of the largest identity shifts a person can go through, and almost nobody prepares you for the emotional size of it. Perinatal mental health — the mental health of pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and the years after — is its own specialty, because the experiences are unlike anything else. Postpartum anxiety and depression are common. Birth trauma is common. So is the quiet, hard-to-name grief of losing your pre-parent self, even when the baby is wanted and loved.

The therapists on this page specialize in perinatal mental health. Many hold the PMH-C certification from Postpartum Support International, which means they've completed specific training in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, pregnancy and infant loss, birth trauma, and the particular clinical nuances of this stage of life. They know that sleep deprivation changes things, that intrusive thoughts in the postpartum period are common and almost never what they feel like, and that the cheerful scripts about motherhood leave out a lot.

You don't need to wait until it's severe. Reaching out earlier usually makes the work shorter and gentler.

1 therapist offering postpartum therapy
Hannah Weiss, LMFT, therapist in Los Angeles
Hannah Weiss, LMFT
Santa Monica

Postpartum, grief, and the seasons of motherhood

PostpartumGriefDepression
Accepting new clients$230/session

Common questions

How do I know if what I'm feeling is postpartum depression or anxiety, or just new-parent exhaustion?+
You don't have to know — that's what the first appointment is for. Postpartum depression and anxiety are much more common than the clinical picture suggests, and they often show up alongside (not instead of) the normal hard parts of new parenthood. If you've been feeling off for more than a couple of weeks, especially if it's affecting how you feel about yourself or your baby, it's worth talking to someone trained in this.
I've been having scary intrusive thoughts about my baby. What's wrong with me?+
Postpartum intrusive thoughts — sudden, unwanted, distressing thoughts of harm coming to your baby — are extremely common and almost always a symptom of postpartum anxiety or postpartum OCD, not an actual desire or plan to hurt anyone. They feel terrifying specifically because they conflict with who you are. A PMH-C trained therapist will recognize this immediately and knows how to treat it. You're not dangerous.
When should I get help — how bad does it need to get?+
Earlier than you probably think. Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders are treatable, and early treatment is significantly shorter and easier than waiting. If something has been off for more than two weeks and it's affecting your ability to function, enjoy your baby, or feel like yourself, that's a good time to reach out.
Can I do therapy during pregnancy too, or is this just for after the baby comes?+
During pregnancy is often the best time. Prenatal anxiety and depression are just as treatable as postpartum versions, and working on mental health before the baby arrives sets up a much better postpartum. Many perinatal therapists work with clients throughout pregnancy, birth prep, and into the postpartum period.
What about grief from miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss?+
Perinatal loss is within the specialty, and several of the therapists on this page have specific training in pregnancy and infant loss. This grief is real, often disenfranchised by the people around you, and deserves specialized care. You don't need to minimize what you've lost to qualify for help.

Related