Postpartum Therapy: Should I Attend In-Person or Online?
“I love your website and I think you’d be a great therapist for me, but I’m not sure how I’m going to make it to sessions. Can I bring my baby? What if I need to breastfeed? I’m not sure who can watch the baby when we come in as a couple. What are the options? Should I just wait to come to therapy when the baby is a little older?” These are questions and conversations we hear on the phone all the time when clients are calling to get started in postpartum therapy treatment.
I love when a client explains the challenges they are facing getting to a session, for logistical and/or practical reasons! Gaining knowledge about these barriers to therapy is incredibly valuable in many situations, and this certainly rings true for our postpartum therapy clients. I can’t even count how many times we have heard, “We/I have a newborn, can we/I bring them to the session?” Great question!!
Our Team Understands the Postpartum Experience is Different For Everyone
At the Center for Couples Counseling, we are compassionate and understanding with our clients and when we have a new mom, dad, or couple coming in for postpartum therapy, we always welcome your new baby to join us. The postpartum experience looks different for everyone and as your therapist, I always find it incredibly helpful to see parent/s and baby interact. What better way for me to help than to get real-time experiences with you and your baby?
We also have plenty of experience seeing postpartum therapy clients online/virtually, just in case getting out of the house with (or without) a baby is too much for the day. No worries - we get it! Bringing your baby to the session can provide an incredible reduction in anxiety for some new parents, which allows them to get into the office when they need it the most. We want that! Having the opportunity to switch to online therapy is really helpful though if childcare falls through or if you just aren’t ready to leave the house with the baby quite yet.
You Can Attend Postpartum Therapy as a Couple
If you are engaging in postpartum therapy as a couple, the therapist would especially love to observe how both partners interact with the baby and with each other. This can be done whether you choose to attend in person or online. There are times when it’s beneficial for the client to be in their house for an online session, as the therapist can see the space where the baby will sleep or be fed, and the therapist can offer direct suggestions/interventions based on how the space is set up. Couples are also able to access objects/materials that may be helpful for therapeutic interventions if attending sessions from their home.
Your Baby Won’t Always Be Welcome
No, baby won’t always be welcome in your sessions. We certainly don’t want you to bring a baby, toddler, or child that is developmentally able to follow or identify what is being said in session into the office. We also never want you to feel too distracted to benefit from your session. Your sessions are a private and safe space, it is a priority to never put that at risk. This means that as we continue sessions, we would make sure to communicate when we feel that it is no longer developmentally appropriate for your baby to join us in session.
Whether you decide that in-person postpartum therapy or online postpartum therapy is better for you (or a combination), always communicate with us because the postpartum experience can be a tough journey and you don’t have to do it alone. We are honored to be a part of your support team!
My name is Jaimi Douthit and I’m a Licensed Professional Counseling Associate at the Center for Couples Counseling. I love working with couples and individuals who are ready and motivated to make changes in their lives and relationships, who can handle feedback and encouragement, and who engage in using the tools I teach in therapy outside of the therapy room. At the Center for Couples Counseling, we specialize in couples therapy, infertility counseling, postpartum mood and anxiety disorders, self-care and burnout, and perfectionism. We help couples and individuals in the League City and Houston areas in person, and all residents of the State of Texas online. Call us at (832) 827-3288 to schedule a free phone consultation.
Begin Postpartum Therapy in League City, TX Online or In-Person!
The postpartum journey can be tough on both you and your partner. There are many obstacles that may affect you during this time. At Center for Couples Counseling, our team of skilled and caring therapists is here to support you and your partner during your postpartum journey to help you overcome these obstacles. To begin postpartum therapy follow these simple steps:
Contact us to schedule a free phone consultation
Meet with one of our caring postpartum therapists
Begin receiving support during your postpartum journey!
Other Services Offered at Center for Couples Counseling
Our team understands you might be facing different mental health challenges other than your postpartum journey. To help accommodate you, our Texas practice offers both in-person and online therapy for individual therapy, infertility counseling, couples therapy, therapy for self-care and burnout, and therapy for perfectionism. For more about us check out our FAQs and blog!