Perinatal and Postpartum Mental Health Therapy in Golden, Colorado
Supporting Parents in Pregnancy, Postpartum, and Loss
Most parents say they’d die for their children, but would you go to therapy for them?
Show Up for Yourself, Show Up for Them
Because let’s be real, we’ve all wished at some point or another that our parents went to therapy for us. Parenting isn’t about having it all together or getting everything “right.” It’s messy, unpredictable, and full of mistakes. And that’s exactly what makes it human. Therapy isn’t about fixing yourself to meet some impossible ideal; it’s about giving yourself the space, support, and tools to grow alongside your children, to navigate the hard parts, and to model what it really means to be human in this world.
Taking care of yourself isn’t selfish. It’s one of the most powerful ways to show up for your kids. When you nurture your mind, heart, and body, you’re not just surviving; you’re learning, experimenting, and teaching them that it’s okay to stumble, to process, and to keep moving forward. That presence, patience, and authenticity is what your children will carry with them long after the scraped knees and sleepless nights fade.
Pregnancy Transitions: More Than a Bump in the Road
Pregnancy isn’t just about growing a baby, it’s about growing you, too. Your body, your hormones, your relationships, your free time, and your sense of self are all shifting at once. Sometimes it’s exhilarating, sometimes it’s exhausting, and sometimes it’s both at the same time.
Even when things feel like they’re going well, pregnancy can bring a quiet, nagging sense of “Am I ready for this?” or “Am I doing it right?” You might know you want to parent differently than your own parents, but not always know what to put in its place. Maybe you catch yourself thinking: I should feel more excited… why am I anxious? Therapy gives you a safe place to notice these thoughts without judgment, explore what you truly want, and experiment with new ways of showing up intentionally rather than reacting out of fear or habit.
It’s also about reclaiming the parts of yourself that may have drifted away, the parts that aren’t just “mom” or “parent,” but you. Even small moments of awareness and curiosity can start to shift how you show up for yourself and your family.
Traumatic Birth Experiences
Sometimes, the birth story you imagined doesn’t match reality. Emergency interventions, unexpected complications, or a sense of lost control can leave deep emotional marks long after the hospital lights go off. You may find yourself thinking, I wasn’t ready for that… why did this happen to me? or I feel like a failure. These are normal reactions to an experience your body and brain are still processing.
EMDR and trauma-focused therapy give your mind the space to reorganize these memories so they stop running the show. You’ll learn to feel the weight of what happened without being overwhelmed, and gradually reclaim confidence, safety, and trust in yourself. Therapy also helps you explore how this experience intersects with your identity as a parent, partner, and individual. It gives you space to recognize that you’re not broken, just carrying a story that needs understanding and integration.
Gabrielle is trained in Perinatal Mental Health through Postpartum Support International. She also serves families throughout Colorado who have experienced child loss (miscarriage-5 years old) through a non-profit organization, Angel Eyes, which provides up to 12 free sessions. Please reach out if you or someone you know would benefit from these services.
Perinatal Mood Disorders
Those first two weeks after birth are often called the “baby blues,” and yes, often they fade. But if sadness, anxiety, panic, or intrusive thoughts linger beyond that, it could be postpartum depression, anxiety, OCD, or other perinatal mood disorders. You might find yourself thinking, Why can’t I just feel happy like everyone else? or What’s wrong with me? And this is more common than most people realize. (Research says 1 in 5 moms and 1 in 10 dads.) Perinatal mood disorders don’t have one single cause; they can emerge from a mix of hormonal shifts, sleep deprivation, stress, psychological and social changes, and life overwhelm. And having symptoms is not your fault.
Therapy gives you a safe place to process what you’re feeling, slow down the mental chatter, and reconnect with yourself. It’s not just about managing symptoms; it’s about helping you understand your internal experience, explore what you need in this season of life, and rediscover your capacity for self‑compassion and resilience. Whether you’re navigating pregnancy or postpartum life, each step toward support is meaningful. Even noticing a pattern, naming a thought, or giving yourself permission to pause can make a difference in how you live day to day.
Pregnancy and Child Loss
Loss can feel invisible, heavy, and isolating. Miscarriage, stillbirth, or the loss of a child leaves grief that most people around you can’t fully see or understand. You might think: No one knows how much this hurts… or I’m supposed to move on by now. That silence and pressure can make grief even more complicated and painful.
Therapy offers a place to honor that grief without judgment, to speak the words that feel unspeakable, and to navigate the waves of sorrow, guilt, or anger. Healing doesn’t erase your love or your loss; it helps you carry it more gently, with compassion for yourself and your unique journey. It’s about finding ways to hold the memory, honor the grief, and still live in the present when the worst-case scenario has happened.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes. And more common than most people are led to believe. Pregnancy isn’t just a physical experience. It’s emotional, relational, and deeply identity-shifting. Alongside the anticipation, many people notice anxiety, mood changes, or a sense that they just don’t feel like themselves. About 1 in 5 moms (and 1 in 10 dads) experience anxiety or depression during pregnancy or in the postpartum period. What you’re feeling isn’t rare or random; it’s often a meaningful response to a very big transition. And it’s something we can work with together.
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The “baby blues” are very common in the first couple of weeks after birth. They can feel like emotional waves, tearfulness, irritability, feeling tender or overwhelmed. For many people, this settles as their system adjusts. Postpartum depression tends to feel heavier and more persistent. It lasts beyond those early weeks and can begin to affect how you move through your day, connect with others, or feel present with your baby. It’s less about something being “wrong,” and more about your system asking for support during a really vulnerable time.
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What I want you to know first is this: noticing this question usually means you care deeply. When someone is struggling with postpartum depression or anxiety, it can feel harder to feel present, steady, or emotionally available in the ways they want to be. That can affect connection, but not in a permanent or defining way. The most important part is this: support changes things. With the right care, people often find their way back to connection, presence, and more ease in parenting. Healing is very possible here.
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Yes, and they are often one of the most unsettling but misunderstood parts of the perinatal experience. Intrusive thoughts can show up as unwanted images, fears, or “what if” scenarios that feel alarming or out of character. Many people are surprised by them and even more surprised by how alone they feel in having them. These thoughts are typically anxiety-based, not reflective of desire or intent. They can show up in pregnancy and postpartum, especially when your nervous system is under a lot of strain. They are treatable. And importantly, they are more common than most people realize.
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Sometimes symptoms shift as your system adjusts, especially if they are mild and you have strong support. But often, perinatal mood and anxiety symptoms need care to truly soften and resolve. Not because you’re doing anything wrong, but because this is a biologically and emotionally intense period of life. Support can include therapy, connection, lifestyle shifts, and sometimes medication. You don’t have to wait until things feel unmanageable to reach out.
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A good rule of thumb is this: if it’s starting to feel like too much to carry alone, that’s enough reason to seek support. You might notice:
Feeling persistently anxious, low, or overwhelmed
Trouble resting even when you have the chance
Feeling disconnected from yourself or your baby
Intrusive or distressing thoughts that feel hard to shake
A sense that “this doesn’t feel like me”
There’s no threshold you have to meet before you’re allowed to be supported.
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Perinatal therapy holds the context of what’s actually happening in your life right now. It makes space for:
Identity shifts in pregnancy and postpartum
Sleep deprivation and nervous system overwhelm
Birth experiences and how they land in your body and memory
Anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and postpartum OCD
The emotional complexity of becoming a parent
It’s not just “talking about feelings.” It’s working with a very real life transition that touches every part of you.
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Item descriptionBirth experiences can stay with people in ways that are hard to put into words. In our work, we might gently explore what happened while also paying attention to how your body and nervous system are still holding the experience. Approaches may include trauma-informed talk therapy, EMDR, narrative processing, or grounding practices that help your system feel more settled. There’s no need to rush into the story. We move at a pace that feels safe enough.
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Absolutely! I offer both virtual and in-person sessions, which can make support more accessible during pregnancy and postpartum, especially when leaving the house feels like a whole production or just not possible that day.
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I work with mothers, birthing parents, and partners. The transition into parenthood affects the whole system, not just one person. Partners often carry their own version of anxiety, grief, identity shifts, and overwhelm that doesn’t always get named. There’s space here for all of it.
Being a parent is a life of constant motion.
You didn’t sign up to lose yourself along the way.
What if you could pause just long enough to notice who you’re unfolding into, the person you’re becoming in this messy, beautiful, unpredictable journey?