Signs of Postpartum Depression: How Online EMDR Treatment Can Help
“Therapists for Postpartum Depression Near Me”
If you have ever put into a search engine “therapists for postpartum depression near me”, you are likely experiencing symptoms that you are recognizing to be difficult. You may be feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, disconnected, and not like yourself after having your baby. Postpartum mental health concerns are very real, impacting about 20% of all birth givers, and can influence your relationships, sleep, ability to show up for your baby how you are wanting, and just your overall sense of self.
The good news? Postpartum mental health concerns, such as postpartum depression, are all curative, meaning that there is treatment and support to get you feeling better. Working with a therapist that understands the postpartum experience is a great step to provide a safe place to process what you have been feeling and develop tools in order to start feeling like yourself again.
For some individuals, traditional talk therapy can be very helpful. This is where you would come and sit with a therapist for about an hour and talk about what is going on. The therapist provides validation, support, and tools to help process. For others, a more in-depth approach that targets the nervous system and information processing system in our brains is a more supportive approach. This is where online EMDR treatment comes into the picture. Keep reading to learn more about postpartum depression therapists near me and the intersection of online EMDR treatment.
So, what is postpartum depression?
Postpartum depression is a very common, but difficult condition that can develop during and after pregnancy and can impact both the birth giver and the partner. Some signs of postpartum depression include:
Persistently feeling down
Feeling irritable or quick to anger
Feeling numb or disconnected
Difficulty feeling a bond with your baby
Loss of interest or pleasure doing things
Consistent overwhelm
Difficulty with sleep (outside what is normal with having a newborn)
Difficulty concentrating on tasks
Thoughts of harming yourself or others
Common does not mean normal and does not mean you have to just muddle through. These symptoms are things that therapy can support with!
Finding a “Therapist for Postpartum Depression Near Me”
A lot of individuals will type into a search engine “therapist for postpartum depression near me” and not know exactly what they should be looking for or what would be the most helpful for them and their specific symptoms and situation.
The postpartum period involves a unique set of circumstances that deserve a unique sort of therapist to support, one that understands the joys and challenges of pregnancy, birth, postpartum recovery, feeding challenges, sleep challenges, and the change that happens both to the individual and to the relationship.
Some individuals also have experiences from prior to getting pregnant that then bleed into their postpartum experience, such as childhood trauma, difficult parental relationships, abuse, or concerns around safety.
So, when searching for a “therapist for postpartum depression near me”, here are some of the big tips that we recommend looking for in a therapists credentials and where to start your search:
PMH-C — This is a credential that means the therapist is certified in perinatal mental health which requires a base level training and examination as well as ongoing education specific to the perinatal period
Therapist that explicitly talk about having extended training clinically in postpartum
A lot of individuals benefit from having a therapist that is a parent themselves
A therapist that has a background in other clinically significant things for you, such as trauma, depression, etc
Postpartum Support International has a great database where you can search for providers that have training in this area
How Online EMDR Treatment Helps
EMDR stands for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. EMDR is an evidence-based approach that originally was researched to support with trauma and has since been found to be useful with many other populations.
Online EMDR treatment can help with:
Difficult pregnancy and/or birth
Birth trauma
Pregnancy loss
NICU experiences
Medical complications
Childhood trauma that pregnancy or postpartum was triggering
Negative cognitions often felt in postpartum depression and anxiety (I’m worthless, I’m a bad mom, etc)
EMDR works by creating a plan of things that are contributing to the present complaints, supporting with developing coping skills and tools, and then utilizing bilateral stimulation to desensitize memories and feelings. This leads to individuals feeling like they can put down the memory like it is not so heavy or something they need to carry around anymore. The goal is not to erase the memory, but rather make it less emotionally overwhelming.
You don’t have to have birth trauma to seek help
It is important to remember that your experience is valid, regardless of what that looks like. Some individuals have perfectly “boring” pregnancy and postpartum experiences but still struggle. If something doesn’t feel right, then that is reason enough to reach out for support.
Finding the Right “Therapist for Postpartum Depression Near Me”
When looking for “therapy for postpartum depression near me” or “therapy for overwhelmed moms near me”, it is important to find someone who understands your experience and that you feel comfortable opening up to.
Searching for terms like “therapy for postpartum depression near me” or “therapy for moms near me” can be a great start, in addition to scheduling a complimentary consultation with our clinic, or looking at Postpartum International website directory of therapists that specialize in this area.
You deserve support.
Taking care of yourself is not selfish—you can’t pour from an empty cup. When moms feel supported, families will thrive. Investing in therapy for moms and/or online EMDR treatment is a step forward toward feeling balanced, present, and fulfilled.
If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, run down, or burnt out, reach out today, you don’t have to carry everything on your own.
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Soteria Mental Health
Specialized online trauma therapy specializing in EMDR trauma therapy online, pregnancy and postpartum therapy, anxiety therapy, and couples therapy. We support clients:
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