Postpartum Therapy in Austin, TX

This wasn't how you imagined it would feel.

Everyone said you'd be tired. No one mentioned the intrusive thoughts that flash through your mind at 3 AM. The crying that comes out of nowhere. The strange disconnection from this baby you waited so long to meet. The shame of not feeling the way you think you're supposed to feel.

If any of this sounds familiar, please know: what you're experiencing is more common than almost anyone admits, and it's not your fault.

More than "baby blues"

The first couple of weeks after birth, most new mothers experience mood fluctuations—weepiness, irritability, and feeling overwhelmed. This typically passes. When it doesn't, or when symptoms are severe from the start, something more may be happening.

Postpartum depression affects roughly one in seven mothers, though many researchers believe the actual number is higher because so many women don't report symptoms. They worry about being judged. They're afraid someone will think they're a bad mother or, worse, take their baby away.

So they suffer in silence. They put on a smile for visitors. They scroll through other people's highlight reels and wonder what's wrong with them.

Signs that something isn't right

Perinatal mood disorders don't always look like the weeping mother in the corner that pop culture depicts. Sometimes they show up as:

• Rage or irritability that feels out of proportion

• Anxiety that makes it hard to put the baby down, even for a moment

• Intrusive thoughts about harm coming to yourself or your baby (these are more common than most people realize and don't mean you'll act on them)

• Feeling detached, like you're watching your life from outside your body

• Inability to sleep even when the baby is sleeping

• Loss of interest in things you used to enjoy

• Persistent feelings of inadequacy, guilt, or worthlessness

• Difficulty bonding with your baby

These symptoms can appear during pregnancy, immediately after birth, or any time within the first year. Sometimes they emerge after weaning or other hormonal shifts.

You haven't failed

The transition to motherhood asks more of your body and mind than almost any other life experience. Your hormones are in upheaval. You're sleep-deprived in ways you didn't know were possible. Your identity is reshaping itself in real time. Your relationships are shifting. Your body doesn't feel like yours anymore.

When you add in the cultural pressure to make it all look effortless—to be glowing, grateful, and fulfilled—it's honestly remarkable that more mothers don't struggle.

Experiencing postpartum depression or anxiety doesn't mean you're weak. It doesn't mean you're ungrateful for your baby. It doesn't mean you weren't cut out for this. It means you're a human being whose system is overwhelmed, and you need and deserve support.

How therapy helps

In our work together, you'll have a space where you can say the things you've been afraid to say out loud. Where the full range of your experience—including the hard parts—is welcome.

We'll explore what's contributing to how you're feeling. Sometimes there are identifiable triggers: a difficult birth, lack of partner support, a colicky baby, previous loss or infertility. Sometimes the causes are more complex, rooted in your own history or family patterns.

I draw from several approaches shown to help with perinatal mental health:

• Interpersonal therapy, which addresses the relationship changes and role transitions that come with new parenthood

• Cognitive approaches that help interrupt the spiraling thoughts many new mothers experience

• Somatic awareness for reconnecting with a body that may feel unfamiliar

• Practical coping strategies for getting through the hardest moments

We'll also talk about the practical realities of your life—sleep, support systems, what's sustainable—because mental health doesn't exist in a vacuum.

Partners and support people

If you're the partner of someone struggling with perinatal depression or anxiety, you may feel helpless, shut out, or unsure of what to do. Sometimes I invite partners into sessions to help improve communication and support. Your role matters more than you might realize.

When medication is part of the picture

Many mothers worry about medication, especially if they're breastfeeding. While I don't prescribe medication myself, I can help you weigh the options and connect you with psychiatrists or nurse practitioners who specialize in perinatal mental health if that's a route you want to explore. For some women, medication provides crucial relief. For others, therapy alone is enough. There's no single right answer.

Support for the full perinatal journey

My practice also supports women navigating:

• Pregnancy loss and miscarriage

• Infertility and the emotional toll of fertility treatments

• Difficult or traumatic birth experiences

• Anxiety during pregnancy

• Adjustment to motherhood, even when depression isn't present

• Weaning and the mood changes that can accompany it

Perinatal support in Austin

Austin has a growing community of perinatal professionals—doulas, lactation consultants, pelvic floor therapists, and maternal mental health specialists. When appropriate, I can help connect you with other supports in Central Texas.

Sessions are available in person and via telehealth. I know that getting out of the house with a newborn (or while pregnant and exhausted) isn't always possible. Sometimes you need to talk to someone while the baby naps, and that's fine.