Pregnancy & Postpartum Therapist in Austin, TX
Specialized therapy for pregnancy anxiety, postpartum anxiety and depression, intrusive thoughts, birth related concerns, and the emotional transition to motherhood.
Pregnancy and the postpartum period can be filled with joy, but they can also bring anxiety, uncertainty, sadness, anger, grief, and changes in identity that many women never expected.
You may love your baby deeply and still struggle.
You may have wanted this pregnancy for years and still feel anxious or overwhelmed.
You may look like you're doing well while privately wondering, Why doesn't this feel the way I thought it would?
At Mountain Laurel Therapy, Elizabeth Dossman, LPC-S, PMH-C, provides specialized perinatal mental health therapy for women in Austin and throughout Texas.
Pregnancy Anxiety
Pregnancy can create an entirely new world of things to worry about.
You may find yourself monitoring every sensation, worrying about your baby's movement, researching symptoms, fearring medical complications, or feeling anxious before appointments and tests.
Previous infertility, miscarriage, pregnancy complications, advanced maternal age, or a traumatic reproductive experience can make uncertainty especially difficult.
Therapy can provide a place to talk openly about these fears while developing ways to manage anxiety without dismissing the very real uncertainty that can accompany pregnancy.
Postpartum Anxiety & Intrusive Thoughts
Postpartum anxiety can be difficult to recognize because worry about your baby can initially feel like part of being a new mother.
But sometimes the worry becomes relentless
You may find yourself constantly checking whether your baby is breathing, imagining frightening scenarios, struggling to sleep even when your baby sleeps or experiencing unwanted intrusive thoughts.
These thoughts can feel alarming and cause women to question themselves or feel ashamed.
Therapy provides a confidential place to talk honestly about what you're experiencing and understand what's happening without judgement.
Postpartum Depression
Postpartum depression doesn't always look like constant sadness.
You may feel number, irritable, disconnected, overwhelmed, guilty, angry, or unlike yourself. You might love your baby while simultaneously missing your previous life.
Some women wonder:
Why am I not happier?
Why does everyone else seem to be handling this better?
Why don't I feel like myself anymore?
These experiences deserve attention and support.
The Identity Shift of Motherhood --Matrescence
Having a baby doesn't simply add another role to your life. For many women, motherhood changes how they understand themselves.
Your relationship with your body may change.
Your career may suddenly feel different.
Friendships can shift.
Your relationship with your partner may change.
Independence, spontaneity, sexuality, priorities, and even your sense of who you are can feel unfamiliar.
It is possible to deeply love your child while also grieving parts of your previous life.
Therapy offers space for both experiences to exist.
Birth Trauma
A birth experience can be traumatic even when everyone ultimately goes home healthy.
Emergency interventions, unplanned cesarean deliveries, medical complications, feeling unheard or powerless, frieghtening deliveries, separation from your baby, or a NICU stay can leave emotional memories that continue long after the physical recovery.
You may replay what happened, avoid thinking about the birth altogether, feel angry about how you were treated, or struggle with fear thinking about another pregnancy.
Therapy can help you process the experience and understand its continuing impact.
Pregnancy After Loss
Pregnancy after miscarriage or another reproductive loss can feel very different from a previous pregnancy.
Excitement may coexist with fear.
You many hesitate to become emotionally attached to the pregnancy, feel anxious before appointments, monitor symptoms constantly, or find it difficult when other people assume you should simply be happy.
There is room for both hope and fear.
Therapy can help you navigate the uncertainty of pregnancy after loss without expecting you to ignore what you've previously experienced.
Relationships After Having a Baby
A new baby can place unexpected pressure on even strong relationships.
Differences around parenting, division of responsibilities, sleep deprivation, intimacy, family boundaries, and the mental load of caring for a baby can create resentment or disconnection. Sometimes what looks like a relationship problem is also connected to exhaustion, anxiety, identity changes, or the enormous adjustment both partners are experiencing.
Therapy can provide a space to understand these changes and identify what you need during this transition.
Specialized Perinatal Mental Health Care
Elizabeth Dossman, LPC-S, PMH-C is a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor and Perinatal Mental Health Certified therapist.
The PMH-C credentials reflects specialized education and training in mental health concerns occurring during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Elizabeth's work includes supporting women experiencing:
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Pregnancy anxiety
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Postpartum anxiety
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Postpartum depression
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Intrusive thoughts
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Pregnancy after loss
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Miscarriage and reproductive loss
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Infertility and fertility treatment
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Identity changes after becoming a mother
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Relationship changes during pregnancy and postpartum
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Anxiety surrounding another pregnancy or birth
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my postpartum anxiety is more than normal new mom worry?
Some worry is understandable when you're responsible for a new baby. Anxiety may need additional attention when worry feels difficult to control, interferes with sleep or daily life, leads to repeated checking or reassurance seeking, or prevents you from enjoying experiences that matter to you.
Are intrusive thoughts common after having a baby?
Unwanted and distressing thoughts can occur during the postpartum period. Because these thoughts can feel frightening or shameful, many women are reluctant to talk about them. Therapy provides a confidential place to discuss what you're experiencing and determine what kind of support maybe helpful.
Can I have postpartum depression if I love my baby?
Yes! Loving your baby and struggling emotionally are not mutually exclusive. Postpartum depression can include sadness, irritability, guilt, numbness, anxiety, disconnection, and feeling unlike yourself.
Can therapy help with birth trauma?
Yes! Therapy can help you process what happened during pregnancy, labor, delivery, or the postpartum period and understand how the experience continues to affect you.
What does PMH-C mean?
PMH-C stands for Perinatal Mental Health Certificate. It is a professional certification by Postpartum Support International, reflecting specialized education and training related to mental health during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
When should I consider postpartum therapy?
You don't need to wait until things feel unbearable. Therapy may be helpful if anxiety, sadness, irritability, intrusive thoughts, relationship difficulties, identity changes, or feeling disconnected from yourself are making the transition to motherhood harder than you expected.
You Don't Have to Figure This Out Alone
Pregnancy and motherhood can be meaningful and difficult at the same time.
Therapy isn't about telling you how you should feel. It's about creating space for how you actually feel and helping you find your way through this chapter with greater understanding, connection, and confidence.
Mountain Laurel Therapy provides specialized pregnancy and postpartum therapy in Austin, Texas.
Reach out to schedule a consultation with Elizabeth Dossman, LPC-S, PMH-C.
