Perinatal Outpatient Counseling
At River Root Counseling, we offer individual outpatient counseling for any and all difficulties relating to perinatal & maternal mental health. Outpatient counseling at River Root is a collaborative and supportive process, in which the client initiates services to improve his or her quality of life and restore mental health to normal functioning. Our goal for clients engaged in perinatal outpatient counseling is to help you feel better, improve your symptoms, and feel confident and ready to joyfully embrace all of the many pieces of parenting. Therapy is a wonderfully unique opportunity to learn more about yourself, strengthen your relationships, and grow as an individual or parent. At the same time, therapy offers guidance and assistance overcoming thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that may interfere with emotional functioning and overall well-being in life and throughout parenting/motherhood.
River Root’s perinatal outpatient counseling services are geared for adults 18 or older who are experiencing mild mental health symptoms relating to pregnancy, postpartum, birth trauma, adjustment to parenting, post-adoption, infertility, loss/grief, and more in the journey of parenting. Our services are geared towards all parents, no matter their gender, sexual orientation, race, religious beliefs, or more. Our perinatal outpatient counseling team works hard to provide mental health counseling services that are inclusive to all.
Upon entering our perinatal outpatient counseling program, your first step will be completing an intake appointment with one of our perinatal specialized clinicians. This appointment will consist of a full biopsychosocial assessment in which your therapist will get to know all about you and what is bringing you to therapy. Also in this appointment, your therapist will discuss any relevant mental health diagnosis(es) you may have, and last, collaboratively create a treatment plan to minimize your symptoms and increase your overall satisfaction and well-being. Within this first session, your therapist will provide recommendations on frequency of treatment, answer any questions you may have, discuss the outlook of treatment, and more. Your therapist will help you to ensure you are receiving the right level of care based on your symptoms and functioning. Some clients may have greater benefit from our Mother & Baby Intensive Outpatient Program or our Pregnancy & Postpartum Group Therapy program. Oftentimes, clients may engage in both perinatal outpatient counseling and group therapy at the same time.
In outpatient counseling, our clinicians always strive to be cheerleaders for you and your mental functioning, through utilization of evidence-based practices, specialized knowledge, and compassion in your care at River Root.
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.
At this time we offer outpatient appointments Monday – Friday 8-5. If you have unique schedule needs, please contact us and we will do our best to support you in your scheduling needs.