“Becoming a parent changes everything, including how you see yourself.”

— Perinatal psychology at Conscious Shift

Why therapy

 

PERINATAL & WOMEN’S HEALTH

From trying to conceive to the years after birth

Perinatal mental health has been a central focus of my work, including work in a multidisciplinary women’s health practice in Adelaide. I see people trying to conceive or going through IVF, and parents from pregnancy through the first years after birth. Support is open to anyone with female anatomy, whatever your gender, and to the partners and loved ones supporting someone through it.

Sessions run by secure telehealth across Australia and overseas, including for expat parents in London, Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong and across Europe who are raising a baby far from family. After birth you can join by video or audio only, from bed in your pyjamas with the baby nearby. Regular check-ins build the relationship that helps most when things get hard.

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Perinatal mental health

Far from alone

Perinatal anxiety and depression are common and treatable, wherever in the world you become a parent.

1 in 5

expecting and new mothers experience perinatal anxiety or depression

1 in 10

expecting and new fathers experience it too

1 in 4

known pregnancies end in miscarriage

1 in 7

Australian women in their late 40s have been diagnosed with endometriosis

Perinatal figures from the Gidget Foundation Australia. Miscarriage figure from the Pink Elephants Support Network. Endometriosis figure from the University of Queensland’s Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health.

Perinatal & w*men’s health psychologist, online worldwide

  • Trying to conceive can take over a life. Each cycle brings hope and then a long wait, and it can feel isolating when friends seem to conceive easily. Therapy gives you room for the stress and grief of fertility treatment, on your own or as a couple.

  • Miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth and termination for medical reasons are losses that often go unacknowledged. Partners and family grieve too. Sessions make room for that grief, and for the anxiety that often comes with a pregnancy after loss.

  • A first pregnancy can bring excitement and fear in equal measure, and every later pregnancy brings its own questions. We look at shifts in mood and fears about birth, then plan the support you want once the baby arrives.

  • Starting therapy in pregnancy builds a relationship before the baby comes, so check-ins feel easy when sleep is short. We plan protective factors early, such as who can help at home and how you will guard your sleep, and agree on what to watch for in your mood.

  • After birth, many parents notice anxiety, low mood, rumination, catastrophic or intrusive thoughts, and OCD-style worries about the baby’s safety. Perfectionism in parenting often shows up as harsh self-criticism and mum guilt. These experiences are common, and therapy can help you loosen their grip.

  • Becoming a parent shifts your sense of who you are, and often your friendships too. We work on setting boundaries with friends and family, and on returning to work as a different version of yourself.

  • Endometriosis and persistent pelvic pain can affect fertility and relationships, and they are often dismissed for years before diagnosis. Therapy draws on pain science to ease the load on your nervous system. Read more on our pain psychology page.

  • Perimenopause can bring anxiety, low mood, poor sleep and brain fog, often during an already demanding stage of life. Therapy supports the psychological side of this transition, alongside medical care from your GP.

  • Sessions can also cover sexual health, painful sex, recovery from sexual trauma, dating and building sexual confidence. All of it is approached at your pace, in a trauma-informed way.

  • Most perinatal clients see me by telehealth, from Adelaide to London, Dubai and Singapore. After birth, audio-only sessions mean you can join from bed in your pyjamas, feeding or settling the baby, with no need to look presentable. Research supports telehealth therapy for perinatal anxiety and depression.

  • Clients in Australia can claim Medicare rebates with a Mental Health Treatment Plan from their GP. International sessions are arranged by email and paid by Stripe or bank transfer. Some overseas insurers reimburse psychology sessions, so check your policy before you book.

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