Perinatal Mental Health & Parenting Support
Pregnancy and parenthood can be both beautiful and disorienting.
There may be moments of joy, closeness, and wonder and others filled with exhaustion, worry, or grief you never expected to feel. You might be navigating an experience that doesn’t look the way you thought it would, or trying to make sense of emotions that feel hard to name.
At Vel Psychotherapy, we hold space for the entire perinatal experience from conception to pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and beyond. Whether this is your first child, your third, or your first after loss, we’re here to help you feel supported, seen, and understood.
We Support
During Pregnancy
Emotional preparation and birth planning
Navigating anxiety, fear, or ambivalence about becoming a parent
Processing past loss, trauma, or pregnancy complications
Managing family, cultural, or relational expectations
Exploring identity shifts as you prepare for this next chapter
After Birth or Postpartum
Postpartum anxiety, mood changes, or depression
Overwhelm and burnout in early parenthood
Disenfranchised grief or identity loss in matrescence/ patrescence
Relationship strain, isolation, or feeling unlike yourself
Adjusting to new family dynamics
Single parenting or parenting without a strong support network
NICU & High-Risk Birth Experiences
Coping with the uncertainty and emotional toll of NICU care
Navigating medical trauma and fear of “what comes next”
Adjusting to parenting after a complicated birth
Finding connection and confidence when routines and expectations have shifted
Pregnancy or infant loss
Grieving miscarriage, stillbirth, or neonatal loss
Navigating fear, guilt, or emotional disconnection in subsequent pregnancies
Processing complex emotions like anger, confusion, or longing
Honouring your baby and your grief in ways that feel right for you
Adoptive & Non-Birthing Parents
Navigating attachment and bonding in new family dynamics
Supporting a partner during pregnancy or postpartum
Exploring your role and identity as a parent
Managing transitions and expectations with care and compassion
Our approach
We use an integrative, trauma-informed approach that meets you where you are.
Therapy may include interpersonal therapy (IPT) to navigate changing roles and relationships, mindfulness practices for nervous system regulation, and narrative work to help process birth stories or losses. We approach each session with warmth, curiosity, and cultural humility — honouring both your strengths and your vulnerability.
You are not alone
No matter where you are in this journey — expecting, grieving, recovering, or adjusting — you deserve care that meets you gently.
Therapy can be a space to release the guilt, find balance, and rediscover the parts of you that may have been lost along the way.
Let’s walk this path together.