Online Therapy for Pregnancy

Therapy for overwhelmed parents

You’ve been looking forward to this day for years. You’ve been trying to get pregnant, and it's finally here. You’re getting ready to step into the next chapter of your life. Even though this is likely a welcomed change, preparing for a baby can feel overwhelming, resulting in increased anxiety, low mood, and general ups and downs in mood. Pregnancy and the perinatal period can bring joy, but they can also bring unexpected stress, fear, and emotional challenges. You’re feeling not like yourself and not sure what to do.

As a clinical health psychologist providing prenatal and perinatal therapy in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, I help women and their partners navigate the emotional complexities of pregnancy, birth preparation, and early parenthood with compassion and evidence-based care.

What Is Prenatal and Perinatal Mental Health?

Prenatal and perinatal are two sides to the same coin. Prenatal mental health focuses on emotional wellness during pregnancy, whereas perinatal mental health includes both pregnancy and the first year after birth. At any point in your pregnancy or postpartum journey, you may find yourself needing more support.

Is it normal to experience anxiety and depression during pregnancy and postpartum?

Yes! It is not uncommon for women to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety during pregnancy and postpartum. Despite this common occurrence, many women feel scared to talk about it. 

You may notice the following symptoms:

  • Constant worry about the baby’s health

  • Difficulty sleeping due to racing thoughts

  • Irritability or mood swings

  • Feeling tearful or numb

  • Loss of interest in things you used to enjoy

  • Physical tension or restlessness

  • Guilt about not feeling “grateful enough”

Talking with a trained therapist can be helpful process these feelings.

Why Seek Prenatal Therapy Before Baby Arrives?

The prenatal stage is more than medical appointments and nursery planning. It is also a major developmental transition. Your brain, body, relationships, and sense of self are all adjusting.

Prenatal therapy provides a safe, confidential space to:

  • Reduce anxiety and intrusive thoughts

  • Stabilize mood changes

  • Process grief, trauma, or previous loss

  • Prepare emotionally for childbirth and postpartum

  • Strengthen coping skills before your baby arrives

  • Provide support along the journey

  • Identify your support system

  • Create realistic expectations about motherhood

Caring for your mental health during the prenatal period is not selfish — it is foundational. Research shows that supporting maternal mental health during pregnancy benefits both mother and baby.

You do not have to wait until postpartum to seek support. Early intervention during pregnancy can make the transition into motherhood feel steadier, more grounded, and more supported.

When should my partner see a therapist before the baby arrives?

Having a baby is a big identity shift for partners too. Even though our partners may not be growing the child, they are also preparing for a big life-transition and are often pressured into stepping more into the provider role and be encouraged to engage in more caregiving work in the home. It’s common for our partners to feel unprepared for this transition. 

Your partner should reach out to a therapist if they are experiencing the following symptoms:

  • Seem overwhelmed or shutdown

  • Irritable

  • Emotionally distant

  • Financial anxiety

  • Fear of labor complications

  • Health anxiety

  • Change in sleep

  • Changes in communication

  • History of anxiety or depression

  • Increased use of unhealthy coping strategies

  • Struggling with identity shift

  • You’re worried about them

As a clinical health psychologist with over a decade of experience, I’ve worked with many partners who are preparing for the birth of their first child. Working with a prenatal therapist, we can strengthen coping skills, improve communication, establish realistic expectations, and identify a plan to navigate this upcoming life transition. 

Postpartum Depression & Anxiety Therapy

Are you searching for help with postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, or intrusive thoughts after having a baby? You are not alone — and effective treatment is available.

The postpartum period can bring intense emotional and hormonal changes. Many women experience symptoms that go beyond the “baby blues,” including persistent sadness, excessive worry, panic attacks, irritability, or difficulty bonding with their baby.

What are common postpartum mental health concerns?

You may be experiencing:

  • Postpartum depression symptoms

  • Postpartum anxiety and constant worry

  • Postpartum OCD or intrusive thoughts

  • Postpartum rage and irritability

  • Panic attacks after childbirth

  • Birth trauma or traumatic delivery

  • Difficulty sleeping even when the baby sleeps

  • Feeling disconnected from your baby

  • Fear of returning to work after maternity leave

  • Overwhelm adjusting to new motherhood

Postpartum depression and anxiety can begin anytime within the first year after childbirth but often go undiagnosed.

Do I have postpartum depression?

Postpartum depression (PPD) is more common than many people realize — and it often doesn’t look the way people expect. Many parents think it means “crying all day” or “not loving your baby,” but it can show up in much quieter or more internal ways.

Women with postpartum depression may feel:

  • Tearful

  • Overwhelmed

  • Irritable

  • Feeling empty

  • Feeling like a bad parent

  • Intrusive thoughts and catastrophic thinking

  • Exhaustion

  • Difficulty sleeping

  • Withdrawn from others

  • Avoiding caring for the baby

  • Feeling shut down

  • Feel like you’re doing everything right but “empty”

  • Difficulty relaxing

  • Resentful

  • Feeling like you’ve lost yourself after becoming a parent

When should I seek immediate therapy for postpartum depression?

If you start experiencing symptoms of:

  • Thoughts of hurting yourself

  • Thoughts of hurting your child

  • Feeling like your family would be better off without you

  • Hearing of seeing things others don’t

What is postpartum anxiety?

Postpartum anxiety is a mental health condition that can develop after having a baby. While many people are familiar with postpartum depression, anxiety after childbirth is actually just as common — and sometimes even more intense.

It goes beyond normal new-parent worry. Postpartum anxiety feels persistent, intrusive, and hard to control.

What are symptoms of postpartum anxiety?

Many parents describe it as:

  • Constant worry about the baby’s health or safety

  • Racing thoughts that won’t slow down

  • Feeling “on edge” all the time

  • Trouble sleeping — even when the baby sleeps

  • A sense of dread that something bad is about to happen

  • Replaying “what if” scenarios repeatedly

You might look calm on the outside but feel like your nervous system is in overdrive internally. 

These symptoms may present both physically and emotionally as:

  • Excessive or uncontrollable worry

  • Intrusive thoughts (often about harm coming to the baby)

  • Irritability

  • Difficulty concentrating

  • Feeling mentally restless

  • Racing heart

  • Tight chest

  • Shortness of breath

  • Nausea

  • Dizziness

  • Muscle tension

Speaking with a therapist can help you develop tools to better manage your anxiety. 

When should I get help during pregnancy or after having a baby?

There are many reasons why you might want to seek therapy during pregnancy and the perinatal period.

The most common reasons are listed as followed:

  • Anxiety during pregnancy

  • Panic attacks while pregnant

  • Fear of labor or childbirth

  • High-risk pregnancy stress

  • Previous miscarriage or pregnancy loss

  • Trauma related to prior birth

  • Relationship strain during pregnancy

  • Depression during pregnancy

  • Feeling emotionally disconnected or overwhelmed

  • Difficulty adjusting to becoming a parent

Experiencing symptoms of postpartum depression and/or anxiety.

What is Evidence-Based Treatment for Postpartum Depression and Anxiety?

Postpartum mental health conditions are highly treatable with evidence-based therapy. Treatment may include:

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for postpartum depression and anxiety

  • Treatment for intrusive thoughts and postpartum OCD

  • Trauma-informed therapy for birth trauma

  • Support for maternal identity transitions

  • Coping strategies for sleep deprivation and overwhelm

  • Mindfulness-based stress reduction

  • Relationship and communication support

Therapy provides a confidential space to reduce anxiety, stabilize mood, rebuild confidence, and strengthen emotional connection.

Take the First Step

Pregnancy changes your body, your brain, your relationships, and your identity. Having professional support during this transition can make an enormous difference.

I am a clinical health psychologist with over a decade of experience. My practice is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and I often work with pregnant mothers who are often navigating services at Novant Health and Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist.  

I often work with mothers who are located in:

  • Winston-Salem

  • Clemmons

  • Kernersville 

  • Yadkinville

  • Tobaccoville

  • Statesville

  • Mocksville

  • King

  • Mount Airy

Although rooted in the Triad, I provide psychological support to people all across the state of North Carolina. 

Therapy can help you:

  • Cope with uncertainty

  • Manage catastrophic thinking

  • Reduce health-related anxiety

  • Process medical trauma

  • Feel more grounded between appointments

Support during pregnancy and postpartum is not a luxury — it is necessary care for you and your baby. Reach out today.

Schedule an Appointment

Support is here when you’re ready.