Maternal mental health
Maternal Mental Health & Postpartum Therapy in Charlotte, NC
It is not your fault. You are not a bad mother, and with the right support you will get better. Maternal mental health care from a therapist certified specifically for this season of life.
You may be struggling with more than the baby blues if
- The low mood has lasted beyond the first two weeks
- Anxiety is constant, physical, and focused on the baby's safety
- You have intrusive thoughts that frighten you
- You feel detached from your baby, or from yourself
- The birth did not go as planned and you keep reliving it
- You are checking, counting or researching compulsively
- You feel rage or irritability you do not recognize
- You are pretending to everyone that this is fine
Recognize several of these? That is usually reason enough to start a conversation. Request an appointment →
Specialized maternal mental health training, not general therapy with a baby mentioned
Ashleigh Bryan is Perinatal Mental Health Certified (PMH-C) through Postpartum Support International, with Level I and II perinatal training and PSI advanced training on top of it. Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders present differently from general anxiety and depression, respond to different pacing, and carry risks that require a clinician who knows what to watch for.
This is the work Ashleigh built her practice around, from conception through pregnancy, birth and the first years of parenting.
What we treat
- 01
Perinatal depression
Sadness, hopelessness, numbness or difficulty connecting with your baby during pregnancy or after birth.
- 02
Postpartum anxiety and panic
Relentless worry about your baby's health or your own, racing thoughts, physical symptoms and an inability to rest even when the baby is sleeping.
- 03
Postpartum depression
More than the baby blues, and not something you can decide your way out of. PPD can arrive any time in the first year and responds well to treatment.
- 04
Perinatal OCD
Intrusive thoughts and compulsive checking or avoidance. Frightening, more common than anyone tells you, and highly treatable.
- 05
Birth trauma and postpartum PTSD
When the birth itself was traumatic, the emotional weight can linger long past physical recovery.
- 06
Infertility, loss and pregnancy after loss
Grief that our culture rarely makes room for, including miscarriage, stillbirth and the anxiety of a subsequent pregnancy.
- 07
Matrescence and identity
The disorientation of becoming a mother, the mental load, the lost sense of self, the grief for who you were.
Maternal mental health, perinatal, postpartum, what is the difference?
These three terms get used interchangeably, which is genuinely unhelpful when you are tired and trying to work out who to call.
Maternal mental health is the broad umbrella: a mother's emotional and psychological wellbeing before, during and after pregnancy. Perinatal is the clinical term for the window itself, from conception through roughly the first year after birth, and it is the language you will see on credentials, including the PMH-C. Postpartum refers specifically to the period after delivery.
In practice, it does not matter which one you typed into Google. If you are trying to conceive, pregnant, recovering from a birth, or somewhere in the first couple of years of parenting and something feels wrong, you are in the right place.
Support for the relationship, too
The transition to parenthood puts more strain on partnerships than almost anything else. Sleep debt, an uneven division of labor, a body that has changed and two people who have not had a real conversation in months, it adds up.
Because Ashleigh is both a perinatal specialist and an EFT-trained couples therapist, we can move between individual perinatal work and couples sessions without you having to re-explain your situation to a second clinician. We also offer dedicated support for new fathers.
Virtual sessions, because getting out of the house is the hard part
Many perinatal clients see us entirely online, particularly in the first months. Same clinician, same quality of care, no car seat required. In-person sessions are available at our SouthPark office when you want them.
What changes
What clients tend to notice
- Relief from the anxiety, dread and intrusive thoughts
- A name for what is happening, and a plan that fits it
- Processing of a difficult birth rather than avoiding it
- Your footing back, as a parent and as a person
Who provides this
Maternal & Postpartum: questions we are asked
What is the difference between baby blues and postpartum depression?
Baby blues affect most new mothers, peak around day three to five, and resolve on their own within about two weeks. If low mood, anxiety or detachment persists beyond that, intensifies, or interferes with daily functioning, it is worth an evaluation. Postpartum depression can emerge any time during the first year.
Is it normal to have scary intrusive thoughts?
Unwanted intrusive thoughts are extremely common in the postpartum period and are not a sign that you would act on them or that your baby is unsafe with you. They are, however, a sign that you deserve support. Please tell us. There is no judgment here, and naming them is usually the beginning of relief.
Can I start therapy while I am still pregnant?
Yes, and we encourage it. Prenatal work is some of the most protective care available, especially if you have a history of depression or anxiety, a previous difficult birth, or a pregnancy after loss.
Do you work with partners and fathers?
Yes. Paternal postpartum depression is real and under-recognized. We offer therapy for fathers as well as couples sessions through the transition to parenthood.
Is perinatal therapy covered by insurance?
We are in-network with BCBS PPO and Aetna. Self-pay is $155 per individual session with package discounts available.
What is maternal mental health?
Maternal mental health refers to a mother's emotional and psychological wellbeing before, during and after pregnancy. It covers perinatal depression and anxiety, postpartum depression, postpartum OCD, birth trauma, and the identity shift of becoming a parent. Perinatal is the clinical term for the same window; postpartum refers to the period after delivery specifically.
What does PMH-C mean?
Perinatal Mental Health Certified, a credential from Postpartum Support International requiring specialized training and examination in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. It is the recognized specialty certification in this field.
Get started
Taking the first step is the hardest part.
Tell us a little about what is going on and we will match you with the right clinician, usually within a few days.
In-network with BCBS PPO & Aetna · Self-pay from $155 · Evenings until 8 PM