individual psychotherapy Austin

Perinatal Therapist In Austin, TX

Your Mental Health Matters at Every Stage of This Journey Before, During, and After.

Becoming a parent was supposed to feel a certain way. And yet here you are anxious, grieving, numb, or simply not okay. Wondering why no one told you it could look like this. Perinatal mental health covers the full emotional landscape of reproductive life: the struggles to conceive, the losses you carry quietly, the anxiety that takes hold during pregnancy, and the depression or rage that can arrive after birth.

These experiences are real, they are common, and they deserve real clinical support. At Marsha Lowes Psychotherapy in Austin, TX, I specialize in perinatal mental health across every stage of the reproductive journey. Whether you're facing infertility, navigating pregnancy loss, or managing a mood disorder during or after pregnancy, I provide the focused, compassionate care you need to move forward.

Signs You Need to Hire Perinatal Therapist in Austin

As a perinatal therapist in Austin, I work with women who are:

Struggling with anxiety or depression during pregnancy

Navigating the emotional toll of infertility and fertility treatments

Dealing with birth trauma or a difficult delivery experience

Processing the grief of miscarriage, stillbirth, or pregnancy loss

Experiencing postpartum depression, anxiety, OCD, or rage

Adjusting to the identity shift of becoming or trying to become a mother

individual psychotherapy Austin
individual psychotherapy Austin

Infertility Counseling: Because the Trying Is Hard Too

Infertility is one of the most emotionally isolated experiences a person can go through. Month after months of hope and heartbreak. Invasive treatments. Uncertainty. The grief of a future you're not sure you'll reach. Infertility counseling provides a private, judgment-free space to process all of it: the anger, the grief, the strain on your relationship, the identity questions, and the exhausting work of deciding how far to go and when enough is enough. Infertility counseling may help you if you are:

1) Going through IVF, IUI, or other assisted reproductive treatments 

2) Experiencing repeated pregnancy losses or failed cycles 

3) Navigating the emotional complexity of donor egg, donor sperm, or surrogacy 

4) Grieving the path to parenthood you expected 

5) Feeling disconnected from your partner or unsupported by people around you 

6) Trying to decide whether to continue treatment or pursue other options

My Approach as Your Perinatal Therapist in Austin

Perinatal mental health is a specialized area that requires more than generalist therapy. I bring focused training and extensive clinical experience to every session — this is not an add-on to my practice. It is the core of it. My work draws from evidence-based approaches validated specifically for perinatal mental health, including:

Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)

Proven effective for perinatal depression, addressing role transitions, grief, and relationship changes.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Targets the anxious, distorted thinking patterns common in perinatal mood disorders.

Grief-Informed Therapy

Specialized support for pregnancy loss and infertility that honors the depth of reproductive grief.

Somatic Awareness

Reconnects you with a body that may feel out of control, foreign, or unsafe.

Attachment-Informed Work

Addresses relational patterns with your baby, your partner, and yourself that are being activated now.

individual psychotherapy Austin

Pregnancy Loss Counseling: Grief That Deserves to Be Named

Miscarriage. Stillbirth. Termination for medical reasons. Ectopic pregnancy. Chemical pregnancy. These are real one's losses and the grief that follows is real grief. Pregnancy loss counseling gives that pain the recognition it deserves. I provide a space where you can grieve without explanation, without a timeline, and without being told how you're supposed to feel. Pregnancy loss counseling can help you:

1) Process the shock and disbelief that follows sudden loss 

2) Work through guilt, shame, or self-blame that often accompany loss 

3) Navigate grief that feels out of step with the people around you 

4) Manage anxiety and fear in a subsequent pregnancy 

5) Rebuild trust in your body after loss 

6) Honor the significance of a pregnancy that others may have overlooked 

Prenatal Mental Health: Support During Pregnancy

I provide prenatal mental health support in Austin for women navigating:

Anxiety about the health of the pregnancy or baby

Depression, hopelessness, or emotional numbness during pregnancy 

Fear of childbirth (tokophobia) 

History of trauma that is surfacing as the pregnancy progresses 

Relationship challenges and shifting dynamics with a partner 

Pregnancy after loss the hypervigilance and emotional complexity this brings

Why Choose Marsha Lowes Psychotherapy for Perinatal Mental Health in Austin

Specialized Training

Perinatal mental health is not a side service; it's a clinical focus I've built my practice around.

Flexible Options

In-person in Austin and telehealth across Texas, so geography or a newborn's schedule never blocks your access to care.

All-Stage Support

I work with women from pre-conception through the first year postpartum, including those navigating infertility and loss.

Affirming and Inclusive

I serve all women and birthing people, including LGBTQ+ parents, single mothers, and parents through surrogacy or adoption.

No Judgment

Whatever you're feeling rage, ambivalence, grief, numbness, this is a space where your full experience is welcome.

Community Connections

I connect clients with trusted Austin-area specialists when the situation calls for it.

individual psychotherapy Austin

You Deserve Support That Meets This Moment. Let's Talk.

Whether you're in the middle of fertility treatments, carrying a loss you haven't been able to talk about, or struggling to feel like yourself during pregnancy you don't have to navigate this alone. I work with women throughout Austin, TX and surrounding communities including Bee Cave, Lakeway, West Lake Hills, Dripping Springs, Rollingwood, and Barton Creek. Both in-person and telehealth sessions are available.

Contact Marsha Lowes Psychotherapy today to schedule a free consultation call. Real support is closer than you think.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • A perinatal therapist treats mood and anxiety disorders across the full reproductive journey including prenatal depression and anxiety, postpartum mood disorders, infertility-related distress, and pregnancy loss of grief. I address every stage, not just the postpartum period. 

  • Perinatal mental health therapy uses evidence-based approaches validated specifically for the reproductive context including hormonal, relational, and identity factors unique to this life stage. It goes beyond generalist talk therapy to address what's actually driving your distress right now. 

  • I primarily work with individuals but can incorporate a partner into select sessions when communication and relational support are part of the work. Infertility puts enormous strain on partnerships and addressing that strain is often an important part of treatment. 

  • There's no mandatory waiting period. Some women benefit from starting pregnancy loss counseling within days of a loss; others need time first. I follow your lead. Reaching out whenever you feel ready even just to talk is always the right move. 

  • If you're questioning it, that's enough reason to reach out. Perinatal mental health challenges exist on a spectrum — you don't need to be in crisis to deserve support. Early intervention produces better outcomes and prevents symptoms from deepening over time.