BEND WELLNESS PERTH & BROCKVILLE
Perinatal Therapy
Supporting women through matrescence — the process of becoming a mother.
What is perinatal psychotherapy?
Perinatal psychotherapy is therapy provided by a registered psychotherapist who has specific training to support people who are navigating pregnancy, postpartum and early motherhood.
Becoming a mother can be both beautiful and challenging — joy, grief, anxiety, ambivalence, vulnerability, loss of identity, and profound love can coexist.
Perinatal psychotherapy offers a supportive, compassionate space to explore challenges such as anxiety, depression, identity changes, pregnancy or birth experiences, relationship changes, parenting stress, and the emotional demands of caring for a new baby.
Together, we can make space for your experiences, strengthen your sense of self, and develop practical tools to help you feel more grounded and supported through this significant life transition and unique chapter of life.
Lillian provides support for, but not limited to:
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Postpartum Anxiety
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Postpartum Depression
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Postpartum OCD
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Relationship challenges
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Struggles with identity shifts & changes
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Trauma / Birth trauma — challenges from a difficult or scary birth or pregnancy
Sessions with Lillian are available in-person in Brockville, Ontario and virtually Ontario-wide.
Find out more about Lillian here, or contact her directly at Lillian@bendwellness.org.
A SPOTLIGHT ON MATERNAL HEALTH RESEARCH
Matrescence, like adolescence, is a major developmental transition.
It involves changes to our identity, relationships, body, emotions, and brain. Understanding this profound shift can help us recognize that many of the challenges of early motherhood are not signs that something is wrong — they are part of a process of change and becoming.
The newest research offers an important reframing: pregnancy and early postpartum don't just "affect" the brain — they restructure it in ways that tune us in to connection, empathy and caregiving. The need for community is not just psychological — it is neurobiological.
INSTEAD OF:
"New mothers need support because it's hard."
THE EMERGING SCIENCE SUGGESTS:
"The maternal brain is designed to function within a network of support — and becomes more vulnerable without it."
This reframing highlights why community and support are so essential at this time in one's life. The old saying, "it takes a village," finds its roots in biology.
You don't have to do this alone.
Should you find yourself seeking extra support, do not hesitate to reach out. For other therapists on the Bend team, contact info@bendwellness.org. In the Brockville area, Queencare also offers resources for women and families.