Postpartum Therapy
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Postpartum Therapy *
Have you recently had a baby and could use some support as you navigate this significant life transition?
Are you experiencing some Postpartum Anxiety, Postpartum Depression, or Postpartum OCD and are looking for ways to feel more like yourself?
Are you a new mom looking for ways to support your maternal mental health?
Are you and your partner looking for ways to balance your roles and responsibilities with some postpartum counseling?
Did you experience birth trauma that you are needing to process and heal?
We’ve got you covered. Our Perinatal Mental Health Certified Therapist is trained and experienced in making sure you get the best postpartum therapy possible.
Postpartum Therapy in Minnesota
Kayla Estenson Williams is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and is a Perinatal Mental Health Certified Therapist. She has extensive training and experience in supporting postpartum individuals and couples as they navigate the early years of parenthood to their new child. Her specialties in postpartum care are in Postpartum Anxiety, Postpartum OCD, Birth Trauma, and holding space for past attachment wounds/trauma that tends to show up during pregnancy or postpartum.
Kayla has gone through her own experiences with infertility, anxiety during pregnancy and postpartum, and navigating the challenges of a high risk pregnancy/infant as well as feeding challenges. She’s a postpartum therapist who really gets it- and is passionate about making sure every new mom and parent gets the support they need.
Whether it’s your first child or your fourth, adding a baby to your family is one of the most significant life changes you will experience. Every baby is unique, and every postpartum experience is different- but each one includes significant role changes in your family as well as hormonal shifts- for both parents!
A new mom or birthing parent is going to navigate some major hormonal changes after birth- and these changes can last up to a couple of years. Your body just spent 9 months growing a little human, and now you are going through some quick and drastic changes giving birth. It’s common to experience some baby blues right of the bat, which can shift into Postpartum Depression, Postpartum Anxiety, or Postpartum OCD for some. It’s normal to not feel fully like yourself in the first few months, and for many, maternal mental health symptoms can make everyday life challenging.
Hormone changes on top of a lack of sleep, figuring out breast feeding/pumping/formula feeding (as well as any feeding challenges that may come with it), and a major shift in routines and responsibilities can leave anyone with some extra needs for support.
New dads or non-birthing parents also go through hormone changes! Their bodies pick up on the changes in their family, and it’s not uncommon for them to experience some postpartum mental health symptoms as well. We support the whole family system- both birthing parents and partners. We offer individual as well as couples therapy to make sure that the family system is well supported!
Postpartum Mental Health
Noticing any emotional symptoms such as feeling stressed, overwhelmed, reactive, worried, sad, or disconnected can be a sign that you need support. Those with a history of anxiety disorders or depression may be at a higher risk for postpartum mental health concerns. And, those who have experienced trauma in the past may benefit from some extra support during new phases of life such as this.
While you don't have to meet a specific diagnostic criteria to benefit from therapy, here is a general overview of some of the more common postpartum mental health issues that can arise:
Postpartum Anxiety can look like racing thoughts, excessive worry about a safe pregnancy, high anxiety around safe sleep or other infant safety areas, worry that you're not doing a good enough job, generalized anxious thoughts, intrusive thoughts, difficulty trusting other support systems or family members with your baby, panic attacks, or feeling excessive anxiety for life stresses.
Postpartum OCD can look like strong intrusive thoughts or excessive anxieties about specific fears, such as something going wrong with the pregnancy, harm coming to your baby or child, or something bad happening to yourself or a family member. These thoughts are hard to push away and may be accompanied by compensatory behaviors such as excessive checking or monitoring, frequently researching things, or avoiding anything that isn't completely safe.
Postpartum Depression can look like negative thoughts, excessive self-doubt, hopelessness, difficulty connecting with pregnancy or the new baby, excessive sadness, feelings of shame, and withdrawing from your support system.
Traumatic Experiences that show up during the perinatal period can include infertility, pregnancy loss, feeling a lack of support with your family or medical team, a traumatic birth experience, navigating the foster/adoption system, infant loss, or health concerns for the baby or parent. Past traumatic experiences, such as previous perinatal trauma or attachment trauma from your family system are also common to be triggered during pregnancy or postpartum.
Whether you fit a specific perinatal mental health diagnosis or not- if you are feeling like you could use some extra support during this time - you deserve it! This is a significant life transition, which means that it's understandable to need space to process and connect to what is most meaningful for you during this time.
What symptoms might let me know I need support?
We Offer a Special Connection Between Trauma Informed Care Postpartum Support
Becoming a parent to a new little one can bring up past experiences of trauma. Whether it be trauma from fertility challenges, pregnancy, birth, relationship challenges, or even attachment wounds from childhood- the postpartum time period can bring up areas of trauma that are needing our attention.
In addition to specializing in Perinatal Mental Health, Kayla specializes in Trauma. She is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, and has advanced training and experience in holding space for trauma healing.
What Postpartum Therapy Looks Like at Minnesota Attachment Collective?
Work with a therapist who specializes in perinatal mental health
Here, you can work with a therapist who specializes in pregnancy, postpartum, and parenthood. We have specific training in supporting these transitions in life, and get how challenging they can be from our own experience. We truly get it. With us, there is no need to worry that you will be judged for your struggles or that you will have to explain the processes of pregnancy, childbirth, or postpartum. It's our specialty and we are passionate about supporting you through it!
We will help you process your experience
We are here to help you hold space for it all. In a judgment free zone, you can go over your story. We will help you to process your past experiences that may be impacting your mental health in the current moment, the current situations you are navigating, any emotional distress you are experiencing, and what you hope to connect to. Together, we can slow things down so that you can take inventory of what you're going though.
We will honor your emotional experience- which can often include conflicting emotions of uncertainty and excitement, grief and hope, sadness and joy. Here, it all gets to exist.
We will support you in gaining skills to help you through this transition
The shifts in hormones, changes in routines, and all of the new responsibilities can leave most parents feeling overwhelmed. One of the most important things that you can do to navigate all of these new things is build in coping skills.
These coping skills will help you to regulate your nervous system, improve your decision making processes, and support your relationships. Therapy is a great way to build up your tool box so that you can slow down, tune into your feelings and needs, and connect to what feels best for you and your family.
We will help you to be present in your process
If you're feeling overwhelmed- you're human. It's a challenging time in life. And while it's important to be present with and explore the things that feel hard, it's also important to connect to the moments of joy and hope.
Together, we can hold space for the tough stuff so that there is more room for the things that feel good to. You deserve to feel hopeful, connected, supported, and confident in your process. We are here to help you grow into the parenthood experience that fulfills you!
We offer care that is flexible for your family
We know that for many, the best way to get postpartum therapy is to have baby along for the ride. We love to have your little one join session! We offer virtual therapy as a flexible option for parents during this busy time, as well as have a very baby and toddler friendly office, located in Eagan, MN, filled with some fun new toys to keep your little one happy during session.
We also know that relational therapy can be essential during this period of time. Many of our new parents that work with us for individual therapy will bring their partner to session for couples therapy from time to time to support the entire family dynamic.
We are here to help.
We understand how complex pregnancy and postpartum can feel. We are here to help you hold space for your experience and connect to the healing that you need.
Individual Therapy
Therapy in a one-on-one context. Whether you’re a new parent, mom, or dad- we are here to support you. In individual therapy, we can explore your story, bring in healing practices, and help you connect to an experience that is fulfilling to you.
Couples Therapy
Couples therapy can be great on its own or in addition to individual therapy. In couples therapy, you can process your experiences in pregnancy, postpartum, or parenthood together. We can hold space for individual healing with the support of the partner, practicing communication skills, navigating shifts in responsibilities and expectations in the relationship, and learn how to carve out moments for connection even with all of the new routines. Couples therapy can help support you as you grow as a couple through this time that can also feel so challenging.
How We Can Help
Get Postpartum Support Today
Looking for Postpartum Support? Kayla would be honored to help you process your experience, connect to your goals, and build in coping skills as you navigate this tranisition into parenthood!
Support Through an Inclusive Lens
We want to make sure that you feel seen and heard, have space for healing, and are able to connect to yourself and your support system in meaningful ways. We know that families can be comprised in a number of different ways, and so we make sure that our care is welcoming to partnerships of all genders and sexual orientations, polyamorous partnerships, as well as single parent families.
Are you ready to hold space for healing? We would be honored to get to be a part of your process.
Let’s work together.
Get support through pregnancy, postpartum, and parenthood today. For those located in the Twin Cities, we have in-person therapy sessions available in Eagan, Minnesota. We also have virtual therapy sessions available to anyone who lives in Minnesota.