Perinatal Outpatient Counseling
Navigating life’s challenges can sometimes feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone. In River Root Counseling’s Individual Outpatient Therapy program, we offer personalized, compassionate care tailored to your unique needs. Whether you’re dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship issues, or just need a safe space to explore your thoughts and feelings, individual therapy can be a powerful tool for personal growth and healing.
Our individual outpatient therapy services are designed to help you understand yourself better, build healthier coping mechanisms, and move forward in a way that feels empowering and authentic to you.
What is Individual Outpatient Therapy for the Perinatal Population?
Individual outpatient therapy for perinatal individuals is a one-on-one therapeutic process designed to support parents during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. The perinatal stage is a time of profound emotional, physical, and psychological change. Many individuals experience significant emotional shifts and mental health challenges, such as anxiety, depression, and trauma, during this time.
Individual therapy provides a safe, confidential space where you can address any concerns, fears, or emotional struggles you may be facing. Whether you’re navigating pregnancy-related anxiety, healing from birth trauma, adjusting to the emotional and physical changes of parenthood, or experiencing postpartum depression, therapy can help you process these emotions and find practical tools for coping and self-care.
How perinatal outpatient therapy works:
- Personalized approach: Therapy is customized to address the unique emotional experiences and challenges that arise during the perinatal period.
- Emotional support: Create a space to process overwhelming emotions such as fear, sadness, or isolation related to pregnancy, birth, or adjusting to parenthood.
- Coping strategies: Learn coping mechanisms to deal with perinatal stress, manage expectations, and foster emotional resilience.
Individual outpatient therapy is conducted in regular sessions (typically weekly or biweekly) with a licensed therapist who specializes in perinatal mental health. This ongoing support can empower you to work through challenges and transition more smoothly into this transformative stage of life.
How Individual Outpatient Therapy Can Help During the Perinatal Period
Individual outpatient therapy is particularly beneficial during the perinatal period because it helps you address the emotional, mental, and relational challenges specific to pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum phase. Here’s how therapy can be helpful:
- Managing Pregnancy-Related Anxiety and Stress:
Pregnancy can bring about a range of emotions—joy, excitement, and sometimes anxiety or fear about childbirth and the future. Therapy helps you process these emotions, offering techniques to manage anxiety, such as mindfulness, relaxation exercises, and cognitive restructuring. Addressing these concerns early on can set the stage for a calmer, more confident pregnancy. - Healing Birth Trauma:
For many individuals, their birth experience can leave lasting emotional scars. Whether it’s a traumatic or unplanned birth, feelings of helplessness or fear can linger. Therapy can help you process the trauma and reclaim your sense of control, allowing you to feel more connected to your experience and empowered as you move forward. - Adjusting to Postpartum Changes:
The postpartum period brings a range of emotional and physical adjustments, and many new parents face the challenge of balancing personal well-being with the demands of a newborn. Therapy can help you adjust to these changes by offering support for postpartum depression, anxiety, and overwhelming feelings that often come with the transition to parenthood. You’ll learn how to navigate shifts in identity and self-care while adjusting to the new roles and responsibilities that come with being a parent. - Managing Relationship Changes:
The dynamics of a relationship often change during pregnancy and after the birth of a child. Therapy provides support for both individuals to navigate these shifts, enhance communication, and rebuild emotional intimacy. It can help partners manage the stresses of parenthood, share responsibilities, and create a united front in the face of challenges. - Processing Loss and Miscarriage:
If you’ve experienced miscarriage or pregnancy loss, individual therapy can provide a safe, supportive space to grieve. Many people feel isolated during this time, and therapy can help process grief, loss, and complex emotions. Therapy can also support you in healing and preparing emotionally for future pregnancies. - Addressing Postpartum Depression and Anxiety:
Postpartum mental health concerns, such as postpartum depression or anxiety, are more common than many people realize. Therapy helps you identify and address symptoms, providing support and tools to cope with the emotional and physical changes. We utilize all evidence based therapeutic modalities, mindfulness practices, and other therapeutic approaches that can be effective in treating these conditions, helping you move toward healing. - Strengthening Emotional Resilience:
Parenting, especially in the early stages, can feel overwhelming. Therapy helps you build emotional resilience by teaching stress management skills, fostering self-compassion, and learning to cope with difficult emotions in a healthy way. Strengthening your emotional toolbox can make the transition into parenthood smoother and more fulfilling. - Restoring Sense of Identity and Self-Worth:
For many, the perinatal period can feel like a shift in personal identity. Individuals may feel disconnected from their pre-parenthood self or unsure about their new role as a parent. Therapy helps you explore and reconnect with your sense of identity, supporting you in embracing the changes while still honoring who you are. - Providing a Safe, Non-Judgmental Space:
The perinatal period can bring about feelings of isolation, and many individuals experience a sense of judgment about how they “should” feel or behave. Therapy offers a compassionate, non-judgmental space to openly discuss your thoughts, concerns, and emotional experiences. You’ll never feel pressured to “get it right”—therapy is about supporting your process and helping you find what works best for you.
By engaging in individual outpatient therapy, you are investing in your emotional health and well-being during one of the most transformative times in your life. Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, trauma, depression, panic, obsessions/compulsions, grief, or simply want a supportive space to process your thoughts and emotions, therapy can help you adjust, heal, and thrive during the perinatal stage.
What to Expect from Your Individual Therapy
Individual therapy is a collaborative process where you and your therapist work together to explore your concerns, set goals, and develop strategies for personal growth. Here’s what you can expect:
- Intake Session: The first session is focused on getting to know you and understanding what brought you to therapy. During this session, we will discuss your background, current challenges, and what you hope to achieve through therapy. We will also establish a plan for your treatment, setting goals that are meaningful to you.
- Therapeutic Techniques and Approaches: Throughout the therapy process, your therapist will draw from a range of evidence-based techniques, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness-Based Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing, Acceptance and Therapy, and more to address your concerns. The approach will be tailored to your individual needs, and your therapist will explain the rationale behind each technique used.
- Ongoing Sessions: Therapy sessions typically last 50 minutes, and we may meet weekly or biweekly, depending on your needs. In these sessions, we will work through your concerns, review progress, and adjust goals as needed. The pace of therapy will be set by you, and your therapist will provide guidance and support throughout the process.
- Goal Setting and Progress Evaluation: In each session, you and your therapist will review the progress made toward your goals, explore new insights or challenges, and identify any adjustments to the therapeutic approach.
Confidential and Safe Space: Therapy is a confidential space where you can openly express your thoughts and emotions without fear of judgment. Your therapist will provide a safe, non-judgmental environment where you can feel heard and supported.
Every therapist at River Root has received comprehensive training in all things perinatal including:
- Postpartum depression and anxiety
- Birth trauma and PTSD
- Mood disorders during pregnancy (anxiety and depression)
- The emotional toll of infertility
- Suicidality and self harm
- Infant and pregnancy loss
- Sexual relationship issues
- Transition into parenthood
- Surrogacy
- LGBTQ+ families
- Intersectionality and birth
- …and more
Clients can receive care in our outpatient counseling program in person, face to face, in the traditional therapy setting, as well as virtually throughout the entire state of Ohio. Many client use a combination approach, in which some counseling appointments will be in person, while others may be virtual, all depending on the client’s needs and schedule. All of our in person counseling services are held at our office in Uniontown, OH. Below are a few photos of some of our private offices.
Telehealth
Telehealth allows for therapy sessions from the comfort of your own home via live video conferencing. Research shows that online therapy can be just as effective as therapy in a physical brick and mortar office building. Many clients enjoy online therapy, as it offers convenience, accessibility, and ease of nerves. Online therapy reduces transportation costs, saves time for clients, and has many other added benefits for clients. Many of our clients love telehealth, as it offers increased convenience whether you are pregnant, postpartum, recovering from birth, have other little ones at home, or something else.
Online therapy at River Root Counseling is completely confidential and secure. We use a HIPPAA compliant video platform for all sessions, and we conduct all therapy sessions from a private office space.
If you are interested in online therapy, or telehealth, please contact us today. If we determine that online therapy may not be the best fit for you or your circumstances, we can switch to in person sessions at our office in Uniontown OH at any time. We will do our best to troubleshoot any issues to successful telehealth sessions, as well as educate you on the steps and necessities to successfully have a telehealth counseling session. Our top priority is to help you feel better and have beneficial counseling sessions.
Frequently Asked Questions
There is so much we can say about this and the difference, however to keep things brief… in a friendship, the relationship is mutually focused on both parties. You both support each other. In therapy, the focus is solely on you and your needs/concerns. Therapists are licensed professionals trained to help you think through situations in new ways. Therapists can teach you new skills and techniques, help you put your past into perspective, and listen to you without judgement or expectations. Therapists are specially educated and trained in mental health, the assessment/diagnosis process, and evidence-based best practices. Working with a therapist for your mental health concerns is equivalent to working with your doctor for your medical concerns.
This really depends on a lot of factors – each person is unique with individual therapeutic concerns and goals. Some clients need only a few sessions to meet their goals, others may require several months of therapy. Generally speaking, we can likely work together to achieve immediate relief from your primary symptoms within six to eight sessions. However sometimes clients have underlying concerns, trauma being one example, that often take longer. The factors that drove you to seek counseling, your commitment to counseling, and your desire to accomplish your goals all contribute to the length of time you are in therapy.
The majority of clients will be scheduled on a weekly basis, however this is variable depending on each client’s unique circumstances. This is something we will discuss further during your intake session and will tailor to your needs and wants from therapy.
Great question! Not all therapists are the same. First, you want to find a therapist licensed to practice in your state. Second, you want a therapist who is experienced and knowledgeable on the concerns you are coming into therapy for. Third, you want a therapist you feel comfortable with. In your intake, your therapist should give a brief outline of what your treatment plan will look like based on your goals and therapeutic concerns.
All of our therapists are licensed to practice in Ohio, and we are all specialized in maternal & perinatal mental health. This is 100% of our current caseload and what we do, day in and day out. At River Root, we believe that we can provide the best care when we specialize our trainings, experience, and credentials to align with perinatal mental health. We want to be in the know of all of the newest evidence, research, resources, and more for the pregnant and postpartum individuals in Ohio. With that being said, we also understand the importance of having a therapist you feel comfortable with. We offer a safe, supportive, and non-judgmental space to confidentially talk about your concerns.
Yes, but it typically takes the *right* situation. We are all trained as generalist therapists, and have knowledge and skills to work with many mental health concerns. While we are highly specialized, sometimes unique concerns arise that we are well suited to fit. One example could be a returning client who received care during early motherhood, and has had new stressors arise years down the road. We often prioritize returning clients, because we know you, know your concerns, preferences, and how to support you best in therapy. With that being said, if we are not the best option given your current needs, then we will provide you with referrals for other therapists who can better meet those needs.
Yes, most definitely! We know how difficult childcare can be, and bringing your baby offers the perfect opportunity to bond with and practice relevant therapy skills you are learning. We love seeing your baby! We do ask that the older ones or toddlers stay home, however we never want childcare to be a barrier to receiving care. Please discuss your unique needs with us and we will do our best to work with you. This is also one of the wonderful parts of telehealth counseling – you can do it from home if you are more comfortable doing so. Whether you are in person or virtual, please feel free to hold, feed, diaper, or rock as you feel comfortable during sessions.
