Postpartum and perinatal therapy, without the brave face
Pregnancy and the first year with a baby can turn your whole life over. Even when everything goes well, there’s loss mixed in with the joy. We offer postpartum therapy in Denver and Boulder, and online across Colorado.
- Who we seeBirthing parents & partners
- WhereDenver, Boulder & online
- HoursSeven days a week
- First stepFree 15-minute call
Common, and very treatable
Almost nobody talks honestly beforehand about how hard this season can be.
About one in five people experience a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder. These are medical conditions, not character flaws. They don’t reflect how much you love your child, how capable you are as a parent, or whether you were ready. They reflect the enormous physical and hormonal shifts of the perinatal period, on top of broken sleep and a complete change in daily life.
Perinatal covers the whole stretch: pregnancy, birth, and the first year or so after. Struggles can start at any point in it, and they often creep in gradually, sometimes months after the baby arrives, when everyone assumes you’ve settled in.
What’s common, and when to reach out
Normal covers a lot of ground after a baby, and plenty of advice that makes you doubt yourself. Use this as a rough guide, not a diagnosis. If you can’t tell which column you’re in, that’s reason enough to call us.
Hard, and expected
Usually eases with rest, support and time.
- Tearful, up-and-down days in the first two weeks, often called the baby blues
- Feeling overwhelmed and badly underslept
- Missing your old life while loving your baby
- Checking on the baby at night, then settling back to sleep
- Feeling touched out by the end of the day
- A bond with your baby that builds over weeks rather than arriving all at once
Time to get support
Not an emergency, and very treatable.
- Low mood, flatness or numbness that lasts longer than two weeks
- Worry that keeps you awake even when the baby is asleep
- Intrusive, frightening thoughts you can’t shake, even though you would never act on them
- Anger or rage that feels out of proportion and scares you
- Replaying the birth, nightmares, or avoiding anything that reminds you of it
- Feeling cut off from your baby or your partner for weeks at a time
Get help today if you notice
Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you or your baby are in danger.
- Thoughts of harming yourself, or that your family would be better off without you
- Thoughts of harming your baby that feel like urges rather than unwanted fears
- Confusion, seeing or hearing things others don’t, or going days without sleep. These can be signs of postpartum psychosis, which is rare and a medical emergency.
- 988Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Call or text, any time.
- 1-833-852-6262National Maternal Mental Health Hotline. Call or text, any time, in English or Spanish.
- 1-800-944-4773Postpartum Support International HelpLine, for support and local resources. It isn’t a crisis line.
What perinatal therapy covers
Postpartum depression
Persistent sadness, flatness or disconnection that doesn’t lift, including depression that doesn’t look like the version people expect.
Postpartum anxiety
Relentless worry, intrusive thoughts, hypervigilance about your baby’s safety, or being unable to rest even when the baby sleeps.
Birth trauma
A labor, delivery or NICU stay that left you with flashbacks, avoidance, or a body that stays on high alert.
Pregnancy loss
Miscarriage, stillbirth, termination or infertility. Losses that often get brushed aside and deserve real grief support.
Anxiety and depression in pregnancy
Struggles that begin before the baby arrives, including pregnancy after a loss.
Partners and dads
Non-birthing parents struggle too, and often quietly. We see fathers, partners and co-parents in this season as well.
“You became a parent and barely recognize your life, or yourself.”
Becca Moravec, LPC, LMFT · Read her bio →
What postpartum therapy looks like with us
We start where you are. Some sessions are about getting through this week: sleep, asking for help, the conversation you need to have with your partner. Others go slower, into grief for the birth you expected, the identity shift of becoming a parent, or old family patterns that show up the moment you have a child of your own.
For birth trauma, EMDR can help a frightening memory lose its charge. For pregnancy loss, our grief and loss work gives that grief room. When the strain is landing on your relationship, couples therapy can help you find each other again. We also work with your OB or psychiatrist when medication is part of the picture.
Sessions are 50 minutes, in person at our Denver office, at our Boulder office with Kelsey Bennett, or online anywhere in Colorado. Many new parents choose online sessions in the early months because they fit around feeds and naps, and nobody has to get the car seat in.
Fees run $175 to $200 a session depending on your therapist. We’re out of network with insurance and provide a superbill after each session that you can submit for possible reimbursement. See our FAQ page for current rates.
Questions new and expecting parents ask
The baby blues, meaning mood swings, tearfulness and emotional sensitivity, typically peak around day three to five after birth and ease within two weeks. Postpartum depression involves symptoms that last longer, feel more severe, or get in the way of functioning or connecting with your baby.
Yes. We work collaboratively with OBs and psychiatrists as needed, and can help you think through treatment options that work with breastfeeding if that’s a priority for you.
Yes. Paternal and partner perinatal mental health is real and often overlooked. We see non-birthing partners, fathers, and same-sex co-parents going through this.
No. We follow your lead. You decide when, and whether, we go there, and we won’t push you toward something you’re not ready to talk about.
Any time. Some people start during pregnancy, some in the first few weeks, and some many months later, when they realize things haven’t settled the way they expected.
Yes. All of our perinatal therapists see clients by secure video anywhere in Colorado, so you can have a session from your couch while the baby naps nearby.
Who to see for this
You deserve support too
Tell us what’s happening and we’ll find you the right match. You don’t have to explain everything in advance.
Schedule a Free Consultation