Perinatal Therapy for Pregnancy, Postpartum & New Parenthood
Support through pregnancy, birth and the start of parenthood. Virtual sessions across Texas with Caitlin Senger, LPC, PMH-C, certified in perinatal mental health
Certified in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C) | Affirming Care for Parents & All Paths to Parenthood | Free 15-Minute Consultation
What is Perinatal Mental Health?
Perinatal just means the time period from pregnancy through the first year after birth and perinatal mental health refers to the emotional experience of this transition. While this term focuses on a specific timeframe, many people are still adjusting to the changes of pregnancy, birth and parenthood well beyond the first year. While many people expect this season of life to feel joyful, it can also bring perinatal or postpartum anxiety, perinatal or postpartum depression, postpartum psychosis, intrusive thoughts, trauma, grief or emotions that feel unfamiliar and overwhelming.
Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders (PMADs)
You may also hear the term Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs). This is an umbrella term for mental health challenges that can happen during pregnancy and after having a baby including depression, anxiety, birth trauma, postpartum PTSD and postpartum rage.
You Are Not Alone
A Note About Postpartum Psychosis
Postpartum psychosis is different and requires immediate medical care. While rare, it is a serious medical emergency. If you or someone you love is experiencing extreme confusion, feeling disconnected from reality, hearing or seeing things others do not or feeling unsafe, seek emergency care right away.
Postpartum psychosis is not anyone’s fault, and getting help quickly can help keep you and your baby safe. Learn more at Postpartum Support International. For immediate support, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or call the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-852-6262 (1-833-TLC-MAMA).
Counseling for Pregnancy & Postpartum
Becoming a parent through pregnancy, adoption, surrogacy or another path, isn’t simple. Growing a family is a major life transition. And while It can bring so much love and excitement, it can also bring anxiety, grief, uncertainty and emotions that may be unfamiliar or overwhelming.
People Seek Perinatal Counseling For Many Reasons Including:
Anxiety During Pregnancy or
After Birth
Relationship Changes
Identity Shifts
Infertility, Loss or Trauma
Birth Trauma
Sometimes The Signs Are Hard to Recognize,
You May Need Extra Support If You Are:
Lying awake even when your baby is finally asleep because your mind will not slow down
Feeling pressure to “do it all” and struggling privately
Feeling a rage that seems to come out of nowhere and feeling overwhelmed
Feeling disconnected or numb when you expected to feel only love and joy
Difficulty bonding or complicated feelings toward your baby
Checking on your baby constantly because you cannot trust that everything is okay
Having thoughts that scare you and feeling afraid to tell anyone about them
Keeping everything together on the outside while falling apart inside
Looking in the mirror and feeling like you do not recognize yourself anymore
*Having thoughts that frighten you does not mean you are dangerous or a bad parent. Intrusive thoughts are common during pregnancy and postpartum, and having a thought does not mean you want it to happen.
How Perinatal Therapy Can Support You
Every parent’s experience is different, and there’s no “one-size-fits-all” approach. Together, we can focus on what feels most pressing for you whether that’s navigating big emotions, finding balance or simply feeling seen. Some of the areas we often explore include:
Understanding your changing emotions: Anxiety, overwhelm or mood shifts are common and learning ways to work with them can help you feel steadier.
Rebuilding trust in your body: Pregnancy and birth can leave your body feeling unfamiliar. We’ll work on reconnecting with your body and honoring everything it has carried you through.
Processing birth, medical or fertility experiences: When appropriate, EMDR can help process the impact of difficult pregnancy, birth or medical experiences. You can learn more about EMDR here.
Adjusting to identity shifts: Becoming a parent changes how you see yourself. We can explore what’s shifted and how to honor both the old and new parts of you.
Navigating matrescence: Most people know about adolescence, but fewer have heard of matrescence, the developmental transition into motherhood or parenthood. It often brings changes in your identity, relationships, priorities and sense of self.
Supporting partners and non-birthing parents: Your transition into parenthood matters, too. Therapy offers space to process your own emotions and adjust to this new chapter.
Making space for yourself: Even in the middle of caring for someone else, you deserve space to process, reflect, and reconnect with yourself.
Perinatal Support for LBGTQIA+ Parents
Becoming a parent is already a major life transition. It can feel incredibly isolating when the people and systems around you make assumptions about your identity, your family or your role. You may find yourself correcting forms, explaining your family structure, being called the wrong name or pronouns or feeling like there isn't a place for your experience.
Non-gestational parents often carry their own fears, grief and identity shifts while feeling invisible in conversations that focus only on the person giving birth. You deserve a space where you and your family are seen, affirmed and understood from the very beginning.
I provide affirming perinatal counseling for LGBTQIA+ parents, birth partners and families of all configurations. You can learn more about my approach on my LGBTQIA+ Therapy page.
Meet Caitlin Senger, LPC, PMH-C
Hi, I am Caitlin! If you don't feel like yourself right now, you’re overwhelmed, anxious or wondering why this transition feels so much harder than you expected, you're in the right place.
I’m a Perinatal Mental Health Certified (PMH-C) therapist through Postpartum Support International with specialized training in pregnancy, postpartum and the transition into parenthood. I have advanced EMDR training to support trauma during pregnancy and postpartum.
Perinatal Therapy is very personal to me. I’ve lived through infertility, pregnancy loss, pregnancy after loss and the transition into parenthood myself. My lived experience sits right alongside my clinical training in every session.
Credentials
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), State of Texas, License #85043
Advanced Training in EMDR
Certified in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C) through PSI
Gender ASSET 2.0 Trained
Training & Credentials
I am a Perinatal Mental Health Certified (PMH-C) therapist through Postpartum Support International, a certification that reflects advanced training in supporting mental health during pregnancy, postpartum and the reproductive journey.
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in Texas (LPC #85043). I have completed advanced EMDR training through EMDRIA.
Online Perinatal and Postpartum Therapy Across Texas
The postpartum season can make getting to therapy feel like one more impossible thing to add to your day. When you’re caring for an infant, leaving the house, packing everything you need, driving across town and sitting in a waiting room may not feel realistic. Virtual perinatal therapy makes it possible to get support without adding another major task to an already overwhelming season. I offer online perinatal and postpartum therapy across Texas, including Austin, Dallas, Houston and communities throughout the state.
Therapy is a space for you but I know postpartum life doesn’t always make uninterrupted time easy to find. If you have childcare, you can use this time to focus on yourself. If your baby needs to join too, they are always welcome. You can feed them, hold them or take a break when you need to. You don’t have to wait until things feel manageable to reach out.
Finding Support that Fits this Season of Life
1
Free 15 Minute Consult
We'll talk about what brings you to therapy, answer any questions you have about my approach and explore whether we are the right fit. Every person's story is different and together we'll decide what feels like the best place to start.
2
Your First Session
Your first session is a chance for us to get to know each other and talk about what’s bringing you to counseling. We’ll start wherever you are and figure things out together. Therapy is a space to process, reflect and care for yourself in a season that asks so much of you.
3
Ongoing Sessions
Most people meet weekly, but we'll decide together what feels most helpful. Whether you need ongoing therapy, occasional check-ins or practical support with single session therapy, we'll make therapy work for you. There isn't a timeline you have to follow and you never have to move faster than you're ready.
Fees
15-Minute Consultation
$0
Single Session Therapy
(50 Minutes)
$150
Regular Session
(50 Minutes)
$170
*Most clients at Cosmic Daisy pay privately. This means no mental health diagnosis on record, no insurance dictating your sessions and complete confidentiality. I'm in-network with Curative and provide superbills for other insurance plans.
Frequently Asked Questions About Perinatal and Postpartum Therapy
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Perinatal therapy is a type of mental health support that focuses on the emotional experiences of pregnancy, fertility, pregnancy loss, postpartum and the transition into parenthood. It can help with anxiety, depression, trauma, identity changes, relationship shifts and the many emotions that can come with becoming a parent.
You don’t have to be in crisis or have a diagnosis to benefit from perinatal therapy. Sometimes it’s simply a space to process a season of life that asks so much of you.
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Baby blues are a common emotional adjustment after birth that usually improves within about two weeks, while postpartum depression is a more persistent and intense mental health condition that can affect your mood, daily life, self-esteem and connection with yourself or your baby.
It’s normal for the postpartum period to feel emotional, overwhelming and unpredictable. Understanding the difference between the two can help you recognize what you’re experiencing and know when additional support may be helpful. You can learn more about the difference between baby blues and postpartum depression here.
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Yes, scary or unwanted thoughts about your baby are extremely common during pregnancy and postpartum especially with postpartum anxiety and postpartum OCD. Having an intrusive thought does not mean you want it to happen, that you are dangerous or that you are a bad parent.
Many new parents experience thoughts or images that feel frightening or completely out of character. The important difference is whether the thoughts feel unwanted and distressing or whether you feel like you might act on them or cannot keep yourself or your baby safe.
If you are having thoughts that feel like urges, feel disconnected from reality, are experiencing hallucinations or are worried you may act on them, seek urgent medical support right away.
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Postpartum rage is intense feelings of anger, irritability or emotional overwhelm that can feel sudden, extreme or out of character after having a baby. It is often connected to postpartum anxiety, depression, hormonal changes, sleep deprivation, stress and the huge transition into parenthood.
Many parents feel ashamed when they experience rage, especially when they expected to feel only love and joy. Feeling angry does not mean you are a bad parent, but if your anger feels difficult to control, frightening or is affecting your daily life, it may be a sign that you need more support.
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Postpartum depression can last for months or much longer without treatment. With the right support, many people begin to feel better. The length of postpartum depression varies depending on factors like symptoms, support, treatment and each person’s individual experience.
Postpartum depression is not something you have to simply push through or wait to disappear. Getting support can help you feel more like yourself again and make this season feel more manageable.
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Yes, you can experience postpartum depression symptoms during pregnancy. Perinatal depression can begin during pregnancy or after birth and many people do not realize that depression and anxiety can happen before they ever meet their baby.
You may hear the term “postpartum depression,” but support is available during the entire perinatal period. If you’re struggling during pregnancy, you deserve care and support before your baby arrives.
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Yes, partners and non-birthing parents can experience postpartum depression too. Research suggests that about 1 in 10 non-birthing parents experience depression during the postpartum period. They can also experience anxiety, overwhelm, identity changes and difficulty adjusting after a baby arrives.
Postpartum mental health is not only about the person who gave birth. Partners deserve support too!
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You may want to see a postpartum therapist if you don’t feel like yourself, your anxiety feels impossible to turn off, you’re having thoughts that scare you, you feel disconnected from your baby or you’re really struggling while trying to hold everything together.
These experiences can be signs of postpartum anxiety, postpartum depression or other perinatal mental health concerns. They are also more common than many people realize.
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A PMH-C certified therapist is a therapist who has completed specialized training in perinatal mental health through Postpartum Support International (PSI). This training focuses on the emotional experiences that can come with pregnancy, postpartum and the transition into parenthood.
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Yes, I offer online postpartum therapy throughout Texas including Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and communities across the state. Virtual therapy makes it possible to get support from home during a season when leaving the house can feel overwhelming.
Your baby is welcome to be part of the session if needed. You can feed them, hold them, take a break or step away when you need to while still having a space that is focused on you.
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Postpartum counseling sessions are $170 for a 50 minute individual therapy session. I am in network with Curative Health Plan and provide superbills for out-of-network reimbursement with other insurance plans.
I also offer single session therapy for $150 if you need support around a specific concern without committing to ongoing therapy.
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Yes, your baby is welcome to be part of your therapy session if needed. Ideally, therapy can be uninterrupted time that is just for you but postpartum life does not always make that possible.
If your baby needs to be there, that is totally okay. You can feed them, hold them, take a break, step away for a moment or attend from the comfort of your home. Therapy does not have to look perfect for you to receive support.
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Yes, I provide perinatal therapy for LGBTQIA+ parents and families of all configurations. I understand that pregnancy, birth and postpartum can bring unique experiences for queer, trans and nonbinary parents especially when your identity or family structure is not always recognized or understood.
You deserve to spend therapy focusing on yourself, not explaining your family or teaching your therapist about your experiences. You can learn more about this at LGBTQIA+ affirming therapy.
Perinatal Support & Resources
You deserve support both inside and outside of the therapy room. These resources offer additional education, connection and community for pregnancy, postpartum and parenthood.
A curated guide of supportive spaces and resources I’ve put together for every stage of the journey, from trying to conceive and pregnancy to postpartum and beyond.
A trusted resource for pregnancy, postpartum and perinatal mental health support offering free online support groups, education, a provider directory and connections to additional care.
Take the Next Step
Parenthood changes everything, no matter the path that brought you here. You don’t have to be in crisis or know exactly how to explain what you’re feeling to benefit from perinatal therapy. Even if everything looks "fine" on the outside, you deserve a space to check in with yourself and get the support you need. All parents and pregnant people are welcome here.