Perinatal mental health refers to emotional and psychological well-being during pregnancy and in the period following birth, typically up to one year postpartum. Common concerns include anxiety, depression, rage, intrusive thoughts, grief, and identity disruption. If you're finding this season harder than expected, or harder than you think it should be, that's reason enough to reach out. You don't need to be in crisis to deserve support.

Not at all. While postpartum depression is one of the most recognized concerns, people seek perinatal support for a wide range of reasons, including birth trauma, pregnancy loss, fertility struggles, perinatal anxiety, relationship strain, adjustment difficulties, and the experience of parenting, bringing up unresolved material from their own childhood. Any of these is a valid reason to seek care.

Yes. The transition into parenthood affects both partners, and the emotional and relational toll is not limited to the birthing parent. Partners can experience their own anxiety, grief, identity disruption, and sense of disconnection during this season. We welcome all parents into this work and can support couples together or individuals separately, depending on what makes the most sense.

Absolutely. Pregnancy loss, including miscarriage, stillbirth, and termination for medical reasons, is a form of grief that is often minimized or rushed by those around us. Birth trauma is also real and deserves proper care. These experiences can have lasting effects on mental health, identity, and future pregnancies, and they respond well to trauma-informed therapeutic support. You don't have to process them alone or simply move on.

Your well-being matters independently of your child's functioning. And the truth is, a parent who is supported and regulated is one of the greatest protective factors for a child's development. Seeking support for yourself is not separate from caring for your child. It is part of it.

Parental counselling brings a specific lens to the relational, developmental, and identity dimensions of parenting. A therapist with perinatal training understands the neurobiological, psychological, and relational dynamics of this season in ways that inform how they listen and what they attend to. At Providence, our trauma-informed framework means we also look at how your own history and nervous system are shaping your experience of parenthood, which general therapy may not always address directly.