Perinatal Mental Health Counseling
The journey to parenthood can be a scary and isolating time. Societal norms of keeping pregnancy related concerns private along with limited access to maternal health services and social support networks all contribute to an increase of anxiety and depression during the perinatal time period.
Rebecca recognizes that becoming a parent doesn’t just start at the moment of birth, it often begins years before hand when individuals and couples start the contemplation and planning process of trying to conceive. Matrescence, defined as the journey to becoming a mother, encompasses all of the physiological, emotional, social and logistical changes that occur from pre-conception to post-partum.
This time period is often unrecognized by both society and healthcare professionals, as family planning has historically been done in private between a couple and their doctor. Societal norms have perpetuated this phenomenon where infertility challenges and prenatal loss are often not spoken about, leading to people suffering with anxiety and depression in silence and feel isolated during this time period. Referred to as the ‘Pre-mester’ by Rebecca, this time period can predate conception for months to years before birth. The Pre-Mester is a period of mental, emotional, physical, and financial contemplation and preparation for the anticipated changes of becoming a parent. This time period can be fraught with anxiety, uncertainty, self-doubts and fears about getting pregnant and becoming a parent.
Based on Rebecca’s own experiences with infertility, IVF and prenatal loss, Rebecca has become driven to provide empathetic, mind-body support to women and couples going through all stages of Matrescence. Rebecca specializes in trauma informed care around issues of infertility, perinatal and postnatal trauma, miscarriage and infant loss, pregnancy related anxiety and mood disorders, post-partum mood disorders, and relationship issues facing couples during the journey to parenthood. Rebecca approaches therapy from a compassionate lens and helps clients learn how to advocate for themselves in the healthcare system.
Rebecca provides virtual telehealth services to individuals and couples who reside in the states of Maryland, Pennsylvania and Florida. Rebecca recognizes that the virtual platform allows for new moms and families to seek out therapy from the comfort of their own homes without having to get babysitters for therapy appointments. Rebecca offers morning, afternoon, evening and weekend hours to allow you to find the best fit for your family’s schedule.
Perinatal Therapy Services Rebecca Treats
Counseling for Infertility
Rebecca works with individuals and couples who are trying to actively conceive, whether naturally, with help of fertility treatments, or through aid of a surrogate. Rebecca provides compassionate support on the challenges that arise during the journey to conceive and normalizes emotional experiences and fears. Rebecca also provides psychoeducation on fertility options and lifestyle choices to support fertility success and emphasizes patient advocacy so clients feel empowered to voice their requests to their medical providers. Rebecca provides coping strategies on how to navigate different emotions that arise during fertility treatments and the Two Week Wait.
Counseling for Prenatal Loss
Rebecca recognizes that prenatal loss is more than just the loss of a life—it is the lost of hopes and visions for the future. Experiencing prenatal loss can make subsequent pregnancies filled with anxiety and dread. Rebecca provides support around chemical pregnancies, failed fertility cycles, miscarriages and stillborns. Rebecca draws from her own experience with prenatal loss as well as professional development to help you navigate your emotions around the loss and choose how to move forward. Rebecca uses traditional talk therapy, Brainspotting, Cognitive Processing Therapy, grounding techniques and narrative therapy to help cope with loss and desensitize the physiological trauma response.
Rebecca also leads an Infertility Support Group, ‘Journey to Conceive’ at The Womb Room along side Shamella Joy LMSW. For more information or to sign up for this group, visit The Womb Room Infertility Group website.
Counseling for Pregnancy Support
Pregnancy is not always a magical or glorious time. Although women often internalize expectations that they should ‘be in love with this time period and feel the pregnancy glow,’ for many moms, pregnancy is a time fraught with anxiety, isolation, fear, physical health concerns, changing relationships and work roles. Pregnancy often leaves women feeling like a foreigner in their own bodies. For those with history of trauma or eating disorders, pregnancy can trigger a loss of control and autonomy over their own bodies. Rebecca encourages honest, unfiltered conversation and emotional expression of each client’s experience with pregnancy. Rebecca recognizes that pregnancy brings up a lot of ‘AND emotions.’ You can be grateful for the pregnancy AND frustrated with the pregnancy symptoms. You can be excited for your growing family AND scared for the inevitable changes it will bring. Rebecca also specializes in pregnancy after loss and helps women regain a sense of calm and safety after previous pregnancy trauma. Rebecca uses cognitive and mind-body techniques to help client reconnect with their bodies and womb as pregnancy loss will often leave women emotionally disconnected from their bodies and in a constant state of guardedness.
Counseling for Birth Trauma
Birth is not always a beautiful and wonderful experience as shown on TV or depicted by other moms. A recent study showed that one third of women reported their birth as ‘traumatic’ and about 3-6 percent of these women went on to develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Factors contributing to birth trauma can be:
- Pre Term Labor
- Pregnancy Loss
- Lack of Choice in Birth Interventions
- Neonatal Birth Injury
- Medical Trauma to Mother
- Poor hospital Staff interactions
- Emergency C section
- NICU admission
- Near Miss Events in Childbirth
- Lack of Compassionate Healthcare
Rebecca utilizes Birth Story Processing technique by Emily Souder in combination with mindfulness techniques, Perinatal Brainspotting and narrative therapy for helping clients process emotions, reframe birth narrative and desensitize emotional reactivity to trauma.
Counseling for Postpartum Anxiety and Mood Disorders
Any mother can suffer from postpartum depression and anxiety, yet they are not always aware of what they are experiencing or what signs to look for. Interrupted or insufficient sleep, breastfeeding issues, lack of support resources, shifting job roles, past maternal mental health diagnoses, traumatic birth, previous infant loss, and babies with health issues and acid reflux can all be triggers and risk factors for postpartum depression. Women tend to .Our society is no longer set up as a ‘village’ to help support new moms raise the their babies. Add on a pandemic in the last few years, and many new moms are facing increased isolation and disconnection from support and resources after birth. Rebecca helps mothers learn to recognize the warning signs of postpartum anxiety and depressive disorders and helps connect them to resources. Rebecca normalizes the emotional experiences and of being a new mom to help relieve guilt and set more realistic expectations of themselves and motherhood.