At Sage Tree Therapy, we support people at all phases of their motherhood journeys. If you’re going through something difficult, it’s always a good time to begin therapy. There’s definitely no such thing as “too late.”
But there’s no such thing as “too early” either!
Pregnancy is such a powerful time to connect with a therapist.
The arrival of a baby is like a huge, beautiful storm. It’s loud and intense and wondrous and amazing… but it is a powerful storm.
Your sleep schedule no longer merits the word “schedule.” You don’t know what day it is. You may be in the midst of a physical recovery. And that’s all with a typical adjustment to being a new mom. For the 10–20% of new mothers who experience postpartum depression (or those with other perinatal mood and anxiety disorders), the experience is even more disorienting.
The best time to make a plan for this “storm” — and to start digging out the metaphorical flashlights and ponchos — is before the rain has started.
Four big benefits of starting therapy now:
You deserve a check-up, too.
All the therapists at Sage Tree have specialized training in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMAD). This means we’re ready to help you assess how you’re feeling now, any mental health symptoms that may be coming up during pregnancy, and any factors that might put you more at risk of developing postpartum depression or anxiety. This time is all about supporting you.
Think of your therapy visits as a pregnancy mental health checkup. We hope this will become as common someday as the 20-week ultrasound!
2. Get to know a therapist you trust.
Finding a great therapist is not easy — and doing it while sleep-deprived is especially hard. Do your future self the favor of building a relationship with a therapist who deeply understands the issues facing moms.
We hope that your transition to parenting goes swimmingly, but in case you need some extra support as a new mom, you’ve already found a great therapist, and you know exactly how to reach us.
Rest easy knowing you’ve found someone you trust, who can be here for you if you need it.
3. Your therapist gets to know you.
This is another big gift to your future self! If you do experience postpartum depression and anxiety, you’ll already have a therapist who knows the “baseline” you.
We have so much admiration for moms who begin therapy when they’re feeling at their lowest. When you aren’t feeling like yourself, it’s vulnerable to meet a new therapist for the first time! By starting therapy in advance, you can avoid this extra stress.
4. You can “cope ahead.”
With the support of your therapist, you can develop an “in case shit hits the fan” plan.
We start with a customized assessment. You’ll identify the coping skills you currently rely on (whether that’s meditation, running, ice cream, or numbing out on Facebook), and explore if you could benefit from new resources to beef up your toolkit for coping. We can also identify ways to strengthen your support systems. Doing this pre-work can help minimize the intensity of any PMAD symptoms that do develop.
Reach out:
To get started with therapy with experts in perinatal mental health, email info@sagetreetherapy.com or call 314.485.SAGE.
We can respond to any questions and get you scheduled for an assessment appointment, which allows us to match you with one of our expert therapists.
Know a mom-to-be? Share this post with her!
Pregnancy truly is a perfect time to get therapy!