Pregnancy & Postpartum Counseling in Gilbert, AZ
Pregnancy and becoming a parent can bring profound joy, but it can also come with unexpected emotional challenges. Changes in identity, relationships, your body, sleep, hormones, and daily responsibilities can create stress, anxiety, grief, or feelings of being overwhelmed.
You do not have to simply survive this season—you were made to thrive.
At Made to Thrive Wellness, I provide compassionate, trauma-informed pregnancy and postpartum counseling for women navigating the emotional challenges of motherhood. As a Certified Perinatal Mental Health Specialist (PMH-C) and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), I offer specialized support that addresses not only your mental health, but also the unique challenges that can come with pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, infant feeding, and the transition into motherhood.
How Pregnancy & Postpartum Counseling Can Help
The transition into motherhood involves significant emotional, physical, and relational changes. Therapy can provide a supportive space to process your experiences, strengthen coping skills, and develop greater confidence as you navigate this season.
Pregnancy and postpartum therapy can help you:
Regulate your nervous system during times of stress or overwhelm
Reduce anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and constant worry
Process difficult birth experiences or birth trauma
Navigate changes in identity and the transition into motherhood
Build confidence in your role as a mother
Strengthen connection and attachment with your baby
Process grief related to pregnancy, birth, infertility, loss, or unmet expectations
Improve emotional regulation and coping skills
Address relationship changes after becoming parents
Develop healthier boundaries and support systems
Common Concerns Addressed in Perinatal Mental Health Therapy
Pregnancy and postpartum counseling may be helpful if you are experiencing:
Pregnancy anxiety or fear about becoming a parent
Postpartum anxiety (PPA)
Postpartum depression (PPD)
Intrusive thoughts or overwhelming fears
Birth trauma or difficult delivery experiences
Pregnancy loss or infertility grief
NICU experiences
Breastfeeding or infant feeding stress
Feeling disconnected from yourself or your baby
Loss of identity after motherhood
Mom guilt, perfectionism, or feeling like you are not enough
Difficulty adjusting to the demands of parenting
Relationship changes after having a baby
Specialized Support from a PMH-C Therapist & IBCLC
The transition into motherhood is deeply connected—your emotional health, physical recovery, feeding experience, and relationship with your baby often influence one another.
As both a Perinatal Mental Health Specialist and IBCLC, I bring a unique understanding of the challenges many mothers face during pregnancy and postpartum.
This integrated perspective allows therapy to address concerns such as:
The emotional impact of breastfeeding difficulties
Feelings of guilt, shame, or failure related to feeding decisions
Anxiety related to milk supply, pumping, or infant weight gain
Processing a challenging feeding journey
Navigating grief when feeding does not go as expected
Supporting confidence and connection regardless of how your baby is fed
While therapy focuses on your emotional and mental health needs, my lactation background allows me to better understand the physical and practical realities many mothers experience during this season.
Therapy Approaches for Pregnancy & Postpartum Mental Health
Treatment is individualized based on your experiences, goals, and needs. Depending on what you are navigating, therapy may incorporate:
Trauma-informed therapy
Somatic therapy and nervous system regulation
EMDR for birth trauma or past trauma
Attachment-based therapy
Parts work
Cognitive and emotional coping strategies
Christian-integrated counseling when desired
Who May Benefit From Pregnancy & Postpartum Counseling?
Pregnancy and postpartum therapy may be a good fit if you:
Feel overwhelmed by the transition into motherhood
Are struggling with anxiety, sadness, or emotional changes
Experienced trauma during pregnancy, birth, or postpartum
Feel disconnected from yourself or your role as a mother
Want support navigating motherhood with greater confidence
Need a place to process experiences that others may not understand
Therapy is available for mothers during pregnancy, early postpartum, and throughout the many transitions of motherhood.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Perinatal mental health refers to emotional and psychological health during pregnancy and the postpartum period. It includes concerns such as pregnancy anxiety, postpartum anxiety, postpartum depression, birth trauma, adjustment to motherhood, and the emotional changes that come with becoming a parent.
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You do not have to wait until symptoms feel overwhelming. Therapy can be helpful during pregnancy, immediately after birth, or months and even years into motherhood if you are struggling with anxiety, grief, identity changes, trauma, or feeling unlike yourself.
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Yes. Feeding challenges can bring significant emotional stress. As both a therapist and IBCLC, I understand the relationship between infant feeding experiences, maternal mental health, and confidence as a parent.
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Yes. Perinatal mental health is not limited to mothers. Fathers can also experience anxiety, depression, increased stress, grief, changes in identity, relationship challenges, and difficulty adjusting during pregnancy and after the birth of a baby. These experiences are common and deserve support.
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Absolutely, I also welcome fathers who are navigating the emotional challenges of pregnancy, postpartum, and new parenthood. Therapy provides a supportive space to process your experience, strengthen coping skills, improve communication, and adjust to this significant life transition.
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Yes. Christian faith can be incorporated into therapy when desired. Faith integration is client-led and combined with evidence-based counseling approaches.