Therapy for Postpartum Anxiety
Home | Postpartum Anxiety
Feeling Overwhelmed? You’re Not Alone.
Are you finding yourself constantly worried or on edge since having your baby?
Maybe you're having trouble sleeping, even when your baby is asleep, or feeling like something bad is always just around the corner?
Do you feel tense, restless, or like your thoughts are spiralling?
If this sounds familiar, you might be dealing with postpartum anxiety (PPA) — and it’s more common than you think. We’re here to help you feel calmer, more balanced, and confident in your journey as a new mom.
Postpartum anxiety is a common mental health condition that affects many new parents, particularly mothers, in the weeks and months following childbirth. While it's normal to experience some worry and stress as a new parent, postpartum anxiety goes beyond typical concerns and can interfere with daily life and the ability to care for oneself and the baby.
Postpartum Anxiety Therapy in Toronto
Welcome to Toronto Therapy Practice. We are here to help you navigate the emotional challenges of postpartum anxiety with compassion and care. Navigating life after having a baby can be tough. The emotional ups and downs of postpartum anxiety can leave you feeling drained, isolated, and disconnected. But you don't have to face this alone.Through personalized talk therapy, practical strategies, and unwavering support, our team partners with you to feel like yourself again - balanced, confident, and excited about this new chapter.
While postpartum depression is often discussed, postpartum anxiety is actually more common. Studies suggest that up to 17% of new mothers experience postpartum anxiety, compared to about 10-15% for postpartum depression. Many parents experience symptoms of both conditions simultaneously.
Common Symptoms of Postpartum Anxiety
Constant worry about the baby's health and safety
Racing thoughts or inability to relax
Physical symptoms like rapid heartbeat, dizziness, or nausea
Sleep disturbances not related to the baby's needs
Excessive checking on the baby
Intrusive thoughts or images of harm coming to the baby
Avoidance of certain situations due to fear or worry
Effective Therapy for Postpartum Depression
Focuses on improving interpersonal relationships and addressing role transitions, which can be particularly helpful during the postpartum period. IPT helps ease anxiety by enhancing communication and emotional support.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR):
Incorporates mindfulness techniques to increase awareness of the present moment and reduce feelings of anxiety. This practice helps mothers respond to stress with more calm and intention.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR):
Often used to address trauma and high anxiety levels, EMDR helps mothers process distressing memories or emotions related to childbirth or postpartum challenges.
This approach delves into how past experiences and unconscious patterns influence current feelings of anxiety, helping individuals gain deeper emotional insight and healing.
Medication:
In some cases, medication may be prescribed to manage postpartum anxiety.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT):
Helps individuals recognize and change negative thought patterns and behaviors contributing to anxiety. It teaches practical coping strategies to manage stress and improve emotional well-being.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT):
Focuses on accepting difficult thoughts and emotions rather than fighting them, while committing to value-driven actions. ACT helps reduce anxiety by promoting mindfulness and flexibility.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT):
Combines mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness to manage intense emotions and reduce anxiety, while promoting healthier reactions to stress.
Support Groups:
Connecting with other new mothers in a therapeutic group setting can decrease feelings of isolation and provide a sense of community and shared understanding.
How Therapy Can Help:
LET’S WORK TOGETHER
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Therapy helps you recognize the specific thoughts, situations, or events that trigger anxiety.
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) teaches you how to challenge and reframe irrational or overly anxious thoughts, replacing them with more balanced, realistic thinking.
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Therapy helps you regain a sense of control over your thoughts and emotions, reducing the overwhelming feelings that come with anxiety.
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Through techniques such as mindfulness and breathing exercises, you’ll learn to calm your body and mind. These tools will help you feel more relaxed in stressful situations, allowing you to embrace moments of peace and calm in your day.
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Therapy can explore unresolved emotional conflicts or fears contributing to anxiety, such as trauma, perfectionism, or fears related to parenting.
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Postpartum anxiety can create distance in relationships. Therapy will help you strengthen your connection with your partner, family, and others, fostering deeper emotional bonds. You’ll feel more supported and understood by those around you.
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Therapy helps you find balance between the responsibilities of parenthood and your personal life. You’ll feel more organized and less overwhelmed, allowing you to manage both areas without sacrificing your well-being.
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By reducing anxiety, you’ll be able to focus on the present moment, experiencing more joyful, happy moments with your baby and loved ones. You’ll no longer feel distracted by constant worry, but instead feel more connected to the beauty of daily life.
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Therapy equips you with long-term coping strategies, helping you feel more confident in your ability to handle anxiety and life’s uncertainties. As you become more resilient, you’ll approach new challenges with strength and optimism, knowing you have the tools to manage them.
How Toronto Therapy Practice Can Help
At Toronto Therapy Practice, we specialize in perinatal mental health and understand the unique challenges faced by new parents. Our team of experienced therapists offers:
Personalized treatment plans tailored to your specific needs and concerns
Evidence-based therapies, including CBT and mindfulness techniques
A supportive, non-judgmental environment to explore your feelings and experiences
Flexible scheduling options to accommodate the demands of new parenthood
Resources and tools to help you manage anxiety symptoms at home
Partner and family support to strengthen your support system
If you're struggling with postpartum anxiety, know that you're not alone, and help is available. Contact Toronto Therapy Practice today to take the first step towards feeling like yourself again and enjoying this special time with your new baby.
Our Services
Therapy for Postpartum Anxiety:
FIND YOUR CALM IN PARENTHOOD
The transition to motherhood can bring unexpected worries and fears. Our postpartum anxiety therapy helps you manage excessive worry, restlessness, and intrusive thoughts after giving birth. Using evidence-based techniques, our skilled therapists provide personalized support to reduce anxiety, build parenting confidence, and find balance in your new role. You'll gain practical tools to cope with anxiety, challenge unhelpful thoughts, and nurture your well-being, all in a compassionate and supportive space.
Couples Therapy:
NURTURING INTIMACY & CONNECTION
Postpartum anxiety can put significant strain on relationships, making it harder to maintain intimacy, connection, and open communication during an already challenging time. Our couples therapy services provide a supportive and safe space for you and your partner to navigate these difficulties together. Whether you’re seeking tools to manage heightened stress, improve understanding, or reconnect emotionally, our experienced therapists in Toronto are here to help. By working as a team, you can strengthen your bond, enhance communication, and build a foundation of trust and support that benefits both your partnership and your growing family.
Supportive Partner Therapy
YOUR EXPERIENCE MATTERS TOO
When your partner is experiencing postpartum anxiety, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed, uncertain, or unsure of how to best support them. You might find yourself navigating your own mix of emotions while trying to stay strong for your partner and manage life’s other demands. Our supportive partner therapy offers a compassionate space for you to process these feelings, gain a deeper understanding of what your partner is going through, and learn effective ways to provide support. Whether you’re feeling disconnected, anxious about the future, or struggling to balance it all, we’re here to help you foster resilience, strengthen your relationship, and care for both your partner and yourself during this challenging time.
OUR PROCESS
Book a Free Consultation
Pick a time that works for you to chat about your needs and how we can support you.
Meet Your
Therapist
Get to know your therapist and explore how the journey will unfold together.
Embrace Positive Change
Join your first session and begin making impactful, lasting progress in your life.
BLOG
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Breastfeeding and Postpartum Depression: How does one Impact the Other?
As a new parent emotions are running high. Whether that be the sleep deprivation, or hormones, or even concerns about how you’ll feed your growing baby, we understand where you’re coming from. Breastfeeding has health benefits but in some situations it can also have a detrimental effect on one's mental health.
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Postpartum Therapy: When to Seek Help
Having a baby whether it be your first time or fourth is stressful; you’re not getting enough sleep, your brain is flooded with fears about being a good parent, even when you’re resting you’re thinking about the next thing to worry about. In this blog, we’ll focus mostly on postpartum anxiety and depression.
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Can Dads Get Postpartum Depression?
Up to one in 10 dads can get postp
artum depression. During the pregnancy and within the first year postpartum, 18% of dads can develop a clinical anxiety disorder and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).So why do dads also suffer from postpartum depression, and how is it different from the way moms experience it?
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Postpartum Depression: You Are Not Alone
Having a baby is one of the most emotional experiences of human life. Joy. Excitement. Love. Happiness. Strong feelings of connectedness. But what if those aren’t the emotions you experience as a new mother? What if you experience anxiety, sadness, detachment, and hopelessness?
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Can Men Experience Postpartum Depression
When thinking about pregnancy, birth, and postpartum issues we often think about women and what that experience is like for them. We tend to forget about how these issues can affect the new father.
Meet the Team
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Mila Arsenijevic MSW RSW
Founder and Clinical Director, Registered Social Worker and Psychotherapist
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Rebecca Songhurst MSW RSW
Registered Social Worker and Psychotherapist
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Ruth Diemer MSW RSW
Registered Social Worker and Psychotherapist
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Emilie Baillarino MSW RSW, MBA
Registered Social Worker and Psychotherapist
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Alana Jackson MSW RSW
Registered Social Worker and Psychotherapist
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Caroline Nikiel MSW RSW
Registered Social Worker and Psychotherapist
LET’S WORK TOGETHER
Start Your Journey to Balance and Connection
Feeling overwhelmed by the challenges of parenthood, relationships, or life transitions? We’re here to help. Book a consultation with our team today and take the first step toward feeling more in control, connected, and at peace.