Therapy for Postpartum Depression: You’re Not Alone, and You’re Not Failing

Becoming a parent can be one of the most meaningful transitions in life, but it can also come with unexpected emotional pain. If you’ve found yourself overwhelmed, tearful, disconnected, or ashamed after giving birth, you’re not alone. You might be experiencing postpartum depression (PPD), and it doesn’t mean you’re a bad parent or that something is wrong with you.

Therapy can help you find your way through this with compassion, clarity, and real tools for healing.

What Is Postpartum Depression?

Postpartum depression is more than the "baby blues." It can begin in the days or weeks after giving birth, or even during pregnancy, and often lasts longer than people expect. It’s a real and treatable mental health condition that can affect any birthing parent, regardless of how much they love their child.

Common symptoms include:

• Persistent sadness, numbness, or hopelessness

• Irritability or mood swings

• Difficulty bonding with your baby

• Loss of interest in things you used to enjoy

• Feeling like you're “not yourself” or “not doing it right”

• Trouble sleeping, even when the baby sleeps

• Thoughts of guilt, worthlessness, or intrusive fears

You may also feel isolated, ashamed, or worried that asking for help means you're failing. It doesn’t. It means you’re human, and you deserve support.

Why Postpartum Mental Health Is Often Misunderstood

Many new parents feel pressure to be grateful, glowing, or instantly fulfilled. But the truth is: emotional distress after birth is common, especially in a culture that offers very little structural support for caregivers.

Postpartum depression can affect:

• First-time parents and experienced ones

• Parents who had a traumatic birth experience

• People with a history of anxiety, depression, or trauma

• Individuals lacking support from partners or family

• Those dealing with sleep deprivation, identity shifts, or hormonal changes

Naming what you’re experiencing is a powerful first step.

How Therapy Can Help You Feel Like You Again

Therapy offers a safe space to express the things you’re afraid to say out loud and to feel seen, supported, and believed.

In therapy, you can:

• Explore your thoughts and emotions without judgment

• Understand how hormonal, emotional, and environmental factors interact

• Rebuild your sense of identity and confidence

• Process grief, anger, or trauma that may have surfaced during or after birth

• Learn skills to manage anxiety, mood swings, and overwhelm

You don’t need to “snap out of it” or “be strong.” You need a space where it’s okay not to be okay, and where healing is possible.

Working with Dr. Kristin Rice, DBH

Kristin Rice, DBH, brings both clinical expertise and personal compassion to her work with new parents. She has experience supporting clients with postpartum depression, anxiety, identity shifts, and caregiver burnout.

Her approach is structured yet nurturing. She combines evidence-based tools like CBT and mindfulness with deep attunement to each client’s needs. She understands the unique challenges of postpartum mental health and knows how to walk beside you as you navigate them.

You’re Not Failing. You’re Struggling, And That’s Okay.

If you’re feeling lost, exhausted, or alone after having a baby, therapy can help you feel like yourself again.

Book a consultation with Kristin Rice, DBH, today to begin healing on your terms.