Postnatal Depression Therapy
Specialist Counselling for Postnatal Depression and Maternal Mental Health
You went into this phase of life with so much hope. But if it's proving darker than expected, you're not alone.
Postnatal mental health issues affect at least 1 in 4 women within the first year after giving birth. Postnatal depression (PND) is the most well known condition, but you may also struggle with postnatal anxiety, OCD, rage, or other issues.
We provide compassionate and evidence-based talk therapy for mothers navigating emotional challenges from one day to several years postpartum (because concerns can linger for a long time).
You can access our sessions from anywhere – whether you’re based in London, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham, or abroad – and work with a professional at a time that suits you.
Questions? Book a free 15 minute consultation to speak to our team.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book in to speak to experts who truly understand postnatal mental health
Here are some of the postnatal conditions and challenges we cover:
- Postnatal depression (PND) / postpartum depression (PPD)
- Postnatal / postpartum anxiety
- Postpartum panic disorder
- Postnatal OCD / postpartum OCD (often with intrusive thoughts)
- Postpartum PTSD / birth trauma (including traumatic birth, emergency C-section, NICU, medical trauma)
- Adjustment disorder after childbirth
- Eating difficulties after birth (disordered eating, body image distress)
- Grief and loss
- Postnatal identity changes
If you suspect you might have any of the above, be assured that talk therapy can be an effective treatment (sometimes alongside medication). If you'd like to discuss your situation with a therapist, simply book in with us below.
How do I know if I have Postpartum Depression or another postpartum mental health issue?
You might have PPD or another postpartum mental health issue if, most days, you notice:
- Low mood, numbness, or tearfulness
- Feeling overwhelmed or trapped
- Anxiety, panic, or constant dread
- Intrusive thoughts
- Irritability or rage
- Feeling disconnected from your baby, your partner, or yourself
- Loss of appetite or overeating
- Trouble sleeping even when the baby sleeps
If any of these persist beyond a few weeks post-birth, or begin to appear months later (or via a new trigger, such as planning another child), they could be signs of a postnatal mental health issue.
No matter how long it has been – if you’re struggling, get in touch.
Questions? Book a free 15 minute consultation to speak to our team.
Our Approach to Postnatal Mental Health
Our approach integrates multiple therapeutic modalities to support postnatal mental health in a way that’s specific to you as an individual, and the unique challenges of the postnatal period. We can offer:
Somatic Therapy
Gentle body-based techniques to restore connection, safety, and physical ease. Often used in combination with narrative techniques.
Psychodynamic Therapy
Helps you understand how early experiences, attachment patterns, and unconscious beliefs can be reactivated by motherhood.
Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT)
Helps reduce shame and harsh self-criticism by building a kinder internal voice during the postnatal period.
Postnatal CBT
Supports you to shift unhelpful thought patterns and coping behaviours and build practical strategies to cope better.
All our therapeutic approaches are evidence-based and trauma-informed. Our therapists are trained in multiple approaches and are able to adapt therapy to your needs.
Questions? Book a free 15 minute consultation to speak to our team.
Don't just take our word for it
Your body needs support postpartum. So does your mental health.
Call on your friends and family, and join a postnatal peer support group if you like (we offer them here). And if you feel like you could do with professional support, book in for a free consultation with us to see how we can help.
FAQs
The baby blues usually pass within a few weeks. If sadness, irritability, or disconnection last longer than a month or two, or worsen, it may be postnatal depression (often referred to as PND).
PND is highly treatable, sometimes with talk therapy alone, other times via talk therapy and medication. If you’re wondering if you have PND, speak to your GP, midwife or health visitor. A clinical assessment with Mothering Minds can also shed light on your symptoms.
While a measure of anxiety is common in the postnatal period – especially if the pregnancy or birth experience was fraught, heightened anxiety can seriously disrupt functioning.
Signs of postnatal anxiety include racing thoughts, restlessness, panic, intrusive worries, and physical symptoms like a racing heart. These can show up out of the blue, or certain times of the day – often without overt triggers.
Therapy can be effective in managing anxiety, exploring the source and providing strategies to manage it.
It is common to worry about bonding. Ideas around what bonding is supposed to look like can be very prescriptive, and don’t reflect the uniqueness of our relationships.
Many new mothers find it helpful to talk about bonding difficulties in peer support groups, and others benefit from one to one talk therapy – exploring the nature of their particular bond with their baby and work on connection-building at their own pace, without guilt or shame.
Absolutely. Maternal ambivalence – the term that describes the opposing feelings mothers experience about their children – is a defining characteristic of motherhood.
Regret is often a sign of grief – over your old life, your old relationship with your partner, your old body, and so on – and grief can be processed.
Therapy can help address feelings of shame around regretting motherhood, and explore constructive ways towards greater acceptance and compassion.