Perinatal Therapy in Snohomish County, WA
Pregnancy and becoming a mother can bring enormous change.
You may have imagined this season of your life would feel joyful, exciting, or meaningful—and parts of it may be. But you may also feel anxious, overwhelmed, exhausted, disconnected, frightened, or simply unlike yourself.
Maybe pregnancy has brought more worry than you expected.
Perhaps a previous miscarriage or difficult reproductive experience has made it difficult to trust that everything will be okay.
Maybe you are preparing for birth and find yourself increasingly afraid of what could happen.
Or perhaps your baby has already arrived, and instead of settling into motherhood, you feel as though your mind and body are struggling to keep up with everything that has changed.
Motherhood Wellness Clinic provides specialized perinatal therapy for women throughout Snohomish County, Washington. We offer in-person therapy at our Bothell office as well as telehealth therapy for clients throughout Washington State.
Our therapists support women through the emotional and psychological changes that can occur during pregnancy and postpartum, including anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts, pregnancy loss, birth trauma, relationship changes, identity shifts, and the transition into motherhood.
You do not have to wait until things become unbearable before asking for support.
Book a Free 20-Minute Consultation
Does This Sound Familiar?
Perinatal mental health concerns can look different from one woman to another.
You may notice yourself:
Worrying constantly about your pregnancy or your baby's health
Feeling unable to relax even after receiving reassuring medical information
Feeling anxious before prenatal appointments, ultrasounds, or medical procedures
Becoming preoccupied with the possibility of miscarriage or pregnancy complications
Struggling with sadness, hopelessness, irritability, or emotional numbness
Feeling disconnected from your pregnancy or wondering why you do not feel the way you expected
Having difficulty sleeping because your mind will not turn off
Feeling overwhelmed by decisions about pregnancy, birth, feeding, work, childcare, or parenting
Experiencing frightening or unwanted intrusive thoughts
Feeling anxious about labor or childbirth
Replaying a previous miscarriage, difficult pregnancy, traumatic delivery, or medical experience
Feeling guilty because you are struggling during a season you believe you are supposed to enjoy
Feeling isolated even when other people are around you
Becoming increasingly dependent on reassurance from doctors, your partner, family members, or the internet
Feeling as though pregnancy or motherhood has changed your identity
Struggling with changes in your relationship or feeling disconnected from your partner
Feeling overwhelmed by the responsibility of caring for another person
Wondering whether what you are experiencing is “normal” or whether you should be coping better than you are
Sometimes there is one obvious reason you are struggling.
Often there isn't.
Pregnancy and postpartum can affect nearly every part of your life at once—your body, hormones, sleep, relationships, routines, identity, expectations, work, family dynamics, and sense of control.
Therapy gives you a place to slow down and understand what is happening.
What Is Perinatal Mental Health?
Perinatal mental health refers broadly to emotional and psychological wellbeing during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
For some women, an existing mental health concern such as anxiety or depression becomes more difficult during pregnancy or after having a baby.
For others, pregnancy or motherhood is the first time they experience significant anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts, trauma symptoms, or emotional distress.
And sometimes the struggle does not fit neatly into one diagnosis.
You may simply know that you do not feel like yourself.
You may be functioning.
Going to appointments.
Preparing for the baby.
Working.
Taking care of other children.
Showing up for your family.
Doing everything you are supposed to do.
But internally, you may feel overwhelmed, frightened, exhausted, disconnected, or constantly on edge.
At Motherhood Wellness Clinic, we believe your experience deserves attention even if you cannot yet put a name to it.
Perinatal Therapy vs. Postpartum Therapy
The terms perinatal and postpartum are related, but they are not exactly the same.
Postpartum therapy focuses specifically on the emotional and psychological challenges that arise after childbirth.
Perinatal therapy is broader. It can support women during pregnancy, through the transition into motherhood, and during the postpartum period.
That distinction matters because mental health concerns do not always begin after the baby arrives.
Anxiety may begin during pregnancy.
A previous loss may make a new pregnancy emotionally difficult.
Fear of childbirth may become increasingly intense as delivery approaches.
Pregnancy complications may create uncertainty or a sense that your body cannot be trusted.
Past trauma may begin resurfacing.
Relationship dynamics may shift before the baby is even born.
Or you may already know from previous experiences with anxiety, depression, trauma, OCD, or postpartum difficulties that you want additional support before entering another major transition.
Perinatal therapy creates space to address these concerns before, during, and after birth rather than waiting until you reach a crisis.
Anxiety During Pregnancy
Pregnancy contains a tremendous amount of uncertainty.
There are appointments.
Tests.
Ultrasounds.
Physical symptoms.
Decisions.
Waiting.
And many things you simply cannot control.
Some worry during pregnancy is understandable.
But for some women, worry begins taking over more and more mental space.
You may find yourself repeatedly checking symptoms, researching miscarriage statistics, searching the internet for reassurance, monitoring your body, worrying about what you eat or do, or feeling intense anxiety before every appointment.
You might receive good news from your doctor and feel relieved for a few hours—only for your mind to find something else to worry about.
If you have experienced infertility, miscarriage, pregnancy loss, or a previous difficult pregnancy, reassurance may feel especially hard to trust.
Pregnancy after loss can sometimes feel like living between hope and fear.
Therapy can provide a place to understand these patterns, work with uncertainty, develop tools for managing anxiety, and make room for your experience without asking you to simply “stop worrying.”
Depression During Pregnancy and Postpartum
Not everyone experiences pregnancy as a joyful season.
You may feel sad, irritable, disconnected, numb, exhausted, hopeless, or overwhelmed.
You may lose interest in things that once felt meaningful.
You might withdraw from your partner or friends.
You may find yourself going through the motions while feeling increasingly unlike yourself.
And because pregnancy and motherhood are so often portrayed as naturally fulfilling or joyful, struggling emotionally can create an additional layer of guilt.
You may think:
Why am I not happier?
I wanted this. Why am I struggling?
Everyone else seems excited. What is wrong with me?
Emotional difficulty during pregnancy or postpartum does not mean you do not love your baby.
It does not mean you are ungrateful.
And you do not have to wait until your symptoms fit someone else's definition of “severe enough” before asking for help.
Therapy can help you better understand what may be contributing to the way you feel and begin creating meaningful changes in the areas that need support.
If your symptoms are occurring specifically after childbirth, you can also learn more about our Postpartum Depression Therapy services.
Pregnancy After Infertility or Pregnancy Loss
Sometimes becoming pregnant does not erase what it took to get there.
If you have experienced infertility, miscarriage, pregnancy loss, medical procedures, or repeated disappointment, pregnancy may bring complicated emotions.
You may feel grateful and terrified at the same time.
You may hesitate to become attached to the pregnancy because part of you is trying to protect yourself from another loss.
Appointments that seem routine to someone else may feel emotionally overwhelming.
A symptom disappearing for a day may send your mind into panic.
Milestones that other women celebrate may feel difficult to trust.
You may also notice that people around you expect the pregnancy to make everything that came before it feel better.
But grief and joy can exist together.
So can hope and fear.
Therapy can provide space to process what you have experienced while supporting you through the pregnancy you are in now.
For additional support related specifically to reproductive challenges, you can also learn more about our Infertility Therapy and Pregnancy Loss & Grief services.
Birth Anxiety and Birth Trauma
Pregnancy naturally moves toward birth, and birth can bring its own set of fears.
You may worry about pain.
Medical complications.
Loss of control.
A C-section.
Your baby's health.
Being listened to by your medical team.
Or simply not knowing what will happen.
For women who have experienced a previous difficult or traumatic birth, another pregnancy can bring memories and fears back to the surface long before labor begins.
Your body may respond to appointments, hospitals, medical procedures, or conversations about birth as though danger is already present.
Sometimes previous trauma that was unrelated to pregnancy can also become more noticeable during pregnancy, birth, or postpartum.
At Motherhood Wellness Clinic, our therapists take a trauma-informed approach to care. When appropriate, therapy may include EMDR or other trauma-focused interventions to help process experiences that continue affecting your emotional wellbeing.
You can also learn more about our Trauma & EMDR Therapy and Birth Trauma Therapy services.
Intrusive Thoughts During Pregnancy and Postpartum
Some women experience unwanted thoughts or mental images during pregnancy or after having a baby.
The thoughts may feel completely inconsistent with who you are and what you want.
That can make them especially frightening.
You may begin wondering why you had the thought.
Whether it means something.
Whether you could somehow lose control.
Or whether thinking about something makes it more likely to happen.
The fear surrounding intrusive thoughts can lead to checking, reassurance-seeking, avoidance, excessive researching, or other behaviors designed to create certainty.
Intrusive thoughts can occur with anxiety and other perinatal mental health concerns, and they may also be associated with OCD.
You do not have to diagnose yourself before coming to therapy.
A therapist can help you better understand the pattern you are experiencing and determine what type of support may be most helpful.
If obsessions, compulsions, checking, reassurance-seeking, or intrusive thoughts are a primary concern, learn more about our Postpartum OCD Therapy services.
The Transition Into Motherhood
Having a baby does not simply add another person to your life.
It can change the structure of your entire life.
Your days may look different.
Your body may feel different.
Your relationship may feel different.
Your friendships may change.
Work may carry a different meaning.
You may have less independence, privacy, sleep, flexibility, or time alone than you have ever had before.
You may love your baby deeply and still grieve parts of the life you had before becoming a mother.
Those experiences are not mutually exclusive.
Motherhood can be meaningful and difficult.
Beautiful and exhausting.
Joyful and lonely.
You can feel grateful for your child while also struggling with what the transition has required from you.
Therapy provides room for all of those experiences to exist without requiring you to simplify them.
Pregnancy, Postpartum, and Your Relationships
Pregnancy and having a baby often affect relationships in ways couples do not anticipate.
You may disagree about parenting.
Household responsibilities.
Finances.
Family boundaries.
Work.
Sex.
Sleep.
Childcare.
Or what each person believes the other should already understand without being told.
One partner may feel overwhelmed while the other feels shut out.
You may both be exhausted but experiencing that exhaustion very differently.
Old relationship patterns can become more visible under the pressure of pregnancy, sleep deprivation, and caring for a baby.
Because Motherhood Wellness Clinic approaches mental health relationally, therapy may also explore how your relationships and support system are affecting your wellbeing.
Individual therapy can help you better understand what you need, communicate more clearly, establish boundaries, and recognize relationship patterns that may be adding stress during this transition.
When relationship concerns become the primary focus, Couples Therapy may also be appropriate.
How Perinatal Therapy Can Help
You do not need to know exactly what is wrong before beginning therapy.
Part of our work is understanding the whole picture together.
Perinatal therapy may help you:
Better understand anxiety, depression, or emotional overwhelm
Develop healthier ways of responding to worry
Reduce repetitive reassurance-seeking or checking
Learn strategies for regulating your nervous system
Prepare emotionally for birth and postpartum
Process pregnancy loss or reproductive trauma
Work through a frightening or difficult pregnancy or birth experience
Understand how previous experiences may be affecting you now
Explore changing identity during pregnancy and motherhood
Navigate relationship changes
Communicate your needs more effectively
Develop realistic expectations for motherhood
Address perfectionism or pressure to do everything correctly
Strengthen your support system
Process grief associated with infertility or pregnancy loss
Work through fear associated with a subsequent pregnancy
Feel more connected to yourself, your relationships, and the life you are building
Our therapists use evidence-based and trauma-informed approaches based on your individual needs.
Depending on your therapist and treatment goals, care may draw from approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), EMDR, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), psychodynamic therapy, narrative therapy, attachment-based approaches, and other evidence-based interventions.
The goal is not to force every client into the same treatment model.
It is to understand what you are experiencing and determine what may help you move forward.
Looking at the Whole Person
At Motherhood Wellness Clinic, we do not believe mental health exists separately from the rest of your life.
If you are struggling with anxiety or depression, we certainly want to address those symptoms.
But we also want to understand what may be contributing to them.
How are you sleeping?
Do you feel supported?
What has pregnancy been like physically?
Have you experienced infertility or pregnancy loss?
Are you afraid of giving birth?
How is your relationship?
Are you carrying most of the mental load at home?
Has pregnancy brought previous trauma or family experiences back to the surface?
Do you feel pressure to do everything correctly?
What expectations did you have for pregnancy or motherhood?
Do you have enough opportunities for rest, connection, movement, nourishment, and time outside of caregiving responsibilities?
Do you feel as though there is room for you in your life right now?
Sometimes symptoms are maintained by thought patterns.
Sometimes they are intensified by trauma.
Hormonal or physical changes.
Sleep deprivation.
Isolation.
Relationship stress.
Grief.
Perfectionism.
Lack of support.
Chronic stress.
Or the cumulative weight of several things happening at the same time.
Therapy gives us room to look at the whole picture.
Because meaningful mental health care involves more than simply helping you become better at tolerating a life that is overwhelming you.
You Do Not Have to Wait Until After the Baby Arrives
Women sometimes assume therapy is something they should pursue only if they develop significant postpartum depression or anxiety after giving birth.
But pregnancy itself can be an important time to seek support.
Beginning therapy during pregnancy may give you an opportunity to understand existing mental health concerns, strengthen coping strategies, address fears about birth, process previous reproductive experiences, improve communication with your partner, and think intentionally about what support you may need after the baby arrives.
You do not have to predict exactly how postpartum will feel.
And you do not need to prevent every difficult emotion.
But you can enter that transition with greater awareness of yourself, your needs, your relationships, and the resources available to support you.
Perinatal Therapy in Snohomish County and Across Washington State
Motherhood Wellness Clinic provides perinatal therapy for women throughout Snohomish County, Washington.
We offer in-person appointments at our Bothell office and telehealth therapy throughout Washington State.
Our therapists work with women experiencing concerns related to pregnancy, postpartum anxiety, postpartum depression, intrusive thoughts, pregnancy loss, infertility, birth trauma, relationship changes, reproductive mental health, and the transition into motherhood.
Whether you have been struggling for months or have only recently begun thinking that something does not feel right, you do not have to wait for your mental health to become worse before seeking support.
You deserve care that considers not only what you are feeling, but the experiences, relationships, physical changes, expectations, and circumstances surrounding it.
Our goal is to help you feel more grounded, connected, supported, and equipped as you navigate pregnancy, motherhood, and the life you are building.
Frequently Asked Questions About Perinatal Therapy
What does perinatal mean?
Perinatal mental health generally refers to emotional and psychological wellbeing during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Perinatal therapy can address concerns that begin during pregnancy, continue after childbirth, or arise as a woman moves through the transition into motherhood.
Is perinatal therapy only for postpartum depression?
No. Perinatal therapy can support women experiencing many different concerns, including anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts, pregnancy loss, infertility-related distress, birth trauma, relationship difficulties, fear surrounding childbirth, identity changes, and difficulty adjusting to motherhood.
Can I start therapy while I am pregnant?
Yes. You do not need to wait until after your baby is born to begin therapy. Pregnancy can be an appropriate time to address anxiety, depression, previous trauma or pregnancy loss, fears surrounding birth, relationship concerns, or emotional preparation for the postpartum period.
What is the difference between perinatal therapy and postpartum therapy?
Postpartum therapy specifically focuses on concerns occurring after childbirth. Perinatal therapy is broader and can include support during pregnancy as well as after a baby is born.
Can therapy help if I am pregnant after miscarriage or infertility?
Yes. Pregnancy after infertility or pregnancy loss can bring complicated emotions, including fear, grief, uncertainty, and difficulty trusting that the pregnancy will progress safely. Therapy can provide space to process those experiences while supporting you through your current pregnancy.
Do you offer online perinatal therapy?
Yes. Motherhood Wellness Clinic offers in-person perinatal therapy in Bothell as well as telehealth therapy for clients throughout Washington State.
Ready to Get Started?
You may have imagined pregnancy or motherhood would feel different than it does right now.
Maybe you thought you would feel more excited.
More peaceful.
More confident.
More connected.
Instead, you may feel anxious, overwhelmed, exhausted, frightened, or unsure of yourself.
You do not have to become more distressed before your experience deserves support.
At Motherhood Wellness Clinic, we provide a compassionate space for women to talk honestly about pregnancy, motherhood, relationships, loss, fear, identity, and the experiences that can make this season much more complicated than it appears from the outside.
You can begin with a free 20-minute consultation to ask questions, learn more about our approach, and determine whether one of our therapists may be a good fit.