Perinatal Psychotherapy
Often called “The First 1,001 Days,” the perinatal period — from conception to a child’s second birthday — is not just a biological window: it’s a profound psychological and existential transition. Physically, your body changes. Emotionally, your relationships, identity and sense of safety shift. Existentially, you face questions about meaning, responsibility, mortality, autonomy and who you are now that you are becoming a parent. All of these changes can leave you feeling exhilarated, confused, angry, numb; there is no right way to feel.
As an existential practitioner, I understand that symptoms such as anxiety, low mood, intrusive thoughts, dissociation, or difficulty bonding are not simply problems to eradicate, but meaningful responses to very real life changes and losses — loss of the old self, loss of anticipated plans, loss of control. Therapy works with those meanings as well as with the symptoms. It helps you grieve what’s been lost, clarify your values and priorities, tolerate the uncertainty, and make deliberate choices about the parent you want to be.
Clinical and public-health evidence shows psychotherapy in this period can both prevent and treat parental mental distress, reducing the risk of perinatal depression, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress symptoms after difficult births. It also has sustained benefits for children’s emotional regulation, attachment security, cognitive development and even physical health across their lifespan. Early intervention helps parents develop their capacity and resilience, and nurtures the parent–infant relationship, which are powerful determinants of a child’s long-term wellbeing.
Whether your conception, pregnancy or birth was straightforward or complex, perinatal psychotherapy can help you build a more secure foundation for your family’s future. It is not about fixing you into an ideal parent; it’s about accompanying you through a formative human passage so you can make meaningful choices, recover from trauma, and cultivate a relationship with your child that supports both of you across a lifetime.
What I can help with:
Creating a space to explore fears, intrusive thoughts or guilt without shame.
Working through birth-related trauma and unexpected outcomes to reclaim agency.
Supporting identity shifts: integrating the old self and the new parental self.
Clarifying values around caregiving, work, partnership and autonomy to guide decisions.
Attending to the parent–infant relationship: recognising patterns, fostering attunement and secure attachment.
Helping partners negotiate changes in roles, intimacy and mutual support.
Developing tolerance for uncertainty and imperfection in parenting — useful skills for the lifelong, unpredictable task of raising a child.
How does perinatal psychotherapy differ from standard psychotherapy?
Perinatal psychotherapy is a specialised field of psychotherapy that works directly with parent-child dyads, and immediate family structures. Unlike regular individual psychotherapy, your baby is welcome in the room and is considered an essential member of the therapeutic team.
Lasting impact
Parental mental health is one of the biggest predictors of a child’s mental health throughout their lifespan. The discussions we have before and after the birth of your child will help you to bond with your baby, with your partner (if applicable), and yourself as you find your way in this new era of your life.