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Online Therapy For Pregnant and New Moms

by Dr. Sarah Allen
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Online Therapy For Pregnant & New Moms

In the past decade and what I now call typical times, many of the pregnant and new moms I have worked with utilized remote counseling (also called online therapy or teletherapy), as it allowed them access expert help from a maternal mental health specialist without worrying about driving a long distance or weather conditions.

When you have a newborn, the unpredictability of the baby’s schedule, nursing and  your physical recovery or tiredness may mean that getting out of the house to an office appointment can be difficult and teletherapy means that you can get that extra support at the time you are most likely to need it.

Because we are in the middle of a global pandemic, these are not typical times! No woman who became pregnant in the last few months, or gave birth recently, expected to be facing social distancing or the fear and uncertainty Covid-19 has brought and now remote sessions are a necessity not an option.

Becoming a parent is one of the most life-changing transitions you will experience and research over the past two decades has shown that typically 1 in 5 (20%) new moms will experience pregnancy and/or postpartum anxiety or depression and approximately 5-9% of women will experience postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following childbirth.

We don’t know the statistics yet, but I think the uncertainty, isolation and stress that has accompanied Covid-19, will mean a much greater percentage of women will experiencing anxiety, depression or trauma symptoms. What I do know though, is that when moms are supported, they have a much easier time navigating the challenges of pregnancy and early motherhood.

 

Currently many pregnant and new moms are struggling with these questions:

  1. How am I going to cope with the added stress and uncertainty of being a new mom during a pandemic?

  2. Is social distancing going to affect my support and leave me isolated?

  3. I am typically an anxious person, but how am I going to cope now my anxiety is through the roof?

  4. How am I going to cope if my labor experience isn’t how I expected it to be?

Whether you need a few sessions to help the transition, or perhaps longer treatment due to a prior history of anxiety or depression, or a traumatic delivery, it certainly can help to work with a professional who understands how treatment of maternal mental health issues are different from treating general anxiety and depression.

You are not alone in going through this and I know how to empower you by providing short-term, solution focused therapy to develop your coping strategies and process the difficult, conflicting emotions you may be experiencing.

Therapy provides a means of helping you gain a different perspective and insight about what you are experiencing and Cognitive Therapy (CBT) gives you the tools to manage overwhelming emotions.

The important thing at the moment is that you are carving out some time to look after your own mental health. During times of stress, you are more able to deal with your own stress or issues with your family or spouse, if you take time for your own self-care.

 

But Is Remote Therapy An Effective Treatment For New Moms?

Although I have been working with pregnant and postpartum women for 25 years, I only started thinking about offering remote therapy about 10 years ago. I found that because there weren’t enough therapists who had specialist training and experience treating maternal mental health issues, I was getting contacted by women from all over the state, many who traveled over an hour or more each way to see me.  That is when I began looking for research studies that showed postpartum depression can be equally effectively using online therapy.

One of the first studies I found was a British study that showed the women who received the remote counseling for postpartum depression reported better results for depression and anxiety scores immediately after they had received the treatment as well as six months after treatment. The study lead researcher, Dr. Heather O’Mahen, said that the results (published in the journal Psychological Medicine), indicated that internet-based treatment had a positive effect in reducing postpartum depression as a whole and because it provided support in their homes it was convenient allowing them to complete a course of therapy. She added: “Our hope is that this will allow more women to access and benefit from support, with all the knock-on positives that come from that: happier families, improved quality of life for moms”.

MNew Mom Telephone Sessionsore recently, the American Psychological Association (APA) published an article stating that research demonstrates that psychotherapy delivered via the phone is as effective as the care delivered in person. A review of 13 studies found significant reductions in symptoms of anxiety and depression when therapy was provided via telephone (Coughtrey and Pistrang, 2018) and the World Journal of Psychiatry concluded that there is a large evidence base that supports teletherapy being as effective as in office therapy.

In addition to the research on postpartum depression and teletherapy, I have found that pregnant moms experience the same rates of depression and anxiety as postpartum moms and remote therapy is also effective during pregnancy as it can be very helpful to develop coping strategies to deal with anxiety before the baby arrives. Both pregnancy and postpartum anxiety and depression are very common and treatable. I do want to stress that whether support is provided remotely or in my office when social distancing is over, you don’t have to go through this alone.

 

Is Remote Therapy Confidential & Private?

Online Therapy for PPDYes! At the moment I am conducting remote sessions from my home office which is in a separate area from the rest of my family so no one can overhear or interrupt our sessions. When we are no longer sheltering in place, I also conduct remote sessions from my Northbrook office.

I use a HIPAA compliant video conferencing platform that can work on wifi or cellular data, which means it enables my clients to find a way to talk to me in whatever way they can, whether it is a place in their house where they won’t be disturbed (I don’t mind if the only place you can get a bit of privacy at the moment is in your bathroom or closet!) or they sit in their car in their garage or parking lot or go out for a walk. We will find a way that works best for you!

Is Remote Therapy Covered By Insurance?

Although there are some variations depending what policy you have, most healthcare insurance plans provide coverage for teletherapy in the same way they cover in-office therapy.  I am out of network with all insurance companies and you can read more about my fees and how out of network insurance works, including questions to ask your insurance company before you start therapy on this page Dr. Allen’s Fees and Out of Network Insurance.

 

DRemote counselingr. Allen offers online or telephone sessions to make it more convenient for pregnant and new moms to get specialist help.

Click here to read more about accessing help via online or telephone support.

 

Other articles by Dr. Allen you may be interested in:

When Your Baby’s Cry Causes You Anxiety

 

 

 


The Facts About Pregnancy and Postpartum Anxiety

 

 

 

When Your Childbirth Experience Wasn’t What You Hoped For

When Your Childbirth Experience Wasn’t What You Hoped For

 

 

 


Is It Postpartum Depression or Something Else?

 

 

 

 

Click to read more articles on  Dr. Allen’s Pregnancy & Postpartum Blog

 

If you want to read more about maternal mental health download the FREE Guide To Pregnancy & Postpartum Stress, Anxiety & Depression. It is full of information about symptoms, different types of maternal mood disorders and advice about what to do to start feeling like yourself again.

THE GUIDE TO PREGNANCY & POSTPARTUM STRESS, ANXIETY & DEPRESSION ebookPREGNANCY / POSTPARTUM MOOD SCREENING TEST ebook

You've just been sent an email that contains a confirmation link. Check your SPAM/JUNK folder if you don't see it within a couple of minutes. In order to activate to receive your free booklet, click on the CONFIRM link and you will be sent a second email with the booklet. It may also be in your SPAM folder.

Dr. Sarah Allen has 25 years experience as a psychologist empowering women as they transition through pregnancy and being a new mom, whether it is your first or not. She is also the Director of the Postpartum Depression Alliance of IL, a non-profit offering info and support to pregnant and postpartum moms and their families.

She offers telephone or online counseling as they are the most convenient way for pregnant and new moms to access support and help. Unfortunately, Dr. Allen’s professional license only allows her to work with IL residents.

If you have questions after reading this article or the Guide To Pregnancy & Postpartum Stress, Anxiety & Depression or have any questions about how counseling can be useful to your particular circumstances please contact me at 847 791-7722 or on the form below.

    Dr. Allen's professional license only allows her to work with clients who live in IL & FL and unfortunately does not allow her to give personalized advice via email to people who are not her clients.

     

    Filed Under: Pregnancy and Postpartum, Women's Issues

    Pregnancy & Postpartum Disorder

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  • Testimonials

    When I had my first baby I had what I now know was postpartum depression but I didn’t get any help. It did go away after about 18mths but it was a miserable way to begin motherhood.  When I was pregnant with my second child I started to become depressed again and this time told my OB/GYN how I was feeling and she referred me to Sarah. By starting to deal with how I felt and change the way I was handling the stresses in my life, I was in a much better place when my baby was born. The second time round my PPD was much less severe and didn’t last as long. Sarah was also really helpful in teaching me ways to make the transition of becoming a big sister easier for my oldest one too.   My husband came with me for some sessions and that really helped our relationship and we started working on parenting issues together.  Sarah’s counsel and support really helped our family transition to the good place we are all in today.
    Sara D.
    I began seeing Dr. Allen when my first child was around a year old. I had experienced a very traumatic birth, after a difficult pregnancy where I was on bed rest for a good portion of the time. The first year of my son’s life was spent worrying constantly. I also experienced flashbacks to the birth, which was an emergency C-section under general anesthesia. My son was in the NICU for several days following his birth, and I was not given very much information as to why. I remember thinking that he would die, or that something awful was going to happen. I experienced a great deal of anxiety that first year, and I thought that it was due to being a new mom. I wasn’t sleeping, I wasn’t eating as normal, and I remember being worried about leaving the house or taking my baby with me anywhere. I worried constantly about illness, germs, etc. The first day that I saw Dr. Allen, she gave me some questionnaires to fill out before we started talking. Then we sat down and talked about my experiences with my son’s birth and the early days of his life, and the year or so since then. I remember to this day the relief that I felt when she looked at me and said that I had PPD and PTSD, which was a result of the trauma I experienced during and immediately after the birth of my son. She explained how my brain had reacted to the stress of these events, and related it to why I was feeling the way that I felt. It made so much sense. Then, she described ways that I could get over the trauma, work through the feelings, and recover from PTSD and PPD. I felt so empowered, and so happy that the way I felt had a name, and that it was treatable. It also made me feel so validated in the ways that I had felt and reacted following my son’s birth. I wasn’t going crazy. My reaction was normal and natural. And with the help of Dr. Allen, and the type of therapy that she uses, I knew I could recover. It is over five years since that first visit with Dr. Allen, and I still use the tools that she taught me today to deal with stress. I credit her with helping me to become a more empowered, happier person.
    Elizabeth
    I refer as many patients as I can to Dr. Allen. She is an expert in treating perinatal mood disorders, and a well-trained and experienced therapist who is committed to working with her clients to develop a treatment plan designed for each individual. She exhibits genuine warmth, kindness and compassion for each of her clients. Dr. Allen has been a colleague of mine for more than 20 years, and I have great confidence when I refer patients to her.
    Leslie Lowell StoutenburgRNC, MS, FACCE Director, Pregnancy & Postpartum Mood & Anxiety Disorder Program and President of Postpartum Support International
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