Holding the Mother: Supporting Maternal Mental Health in a World That Often Forgets
When a baby is born, the world celebrates. Friends send meals, grandparents beam with joy, and social media floods with photos of tiny fingers and sleepy smiles. But in the quiet hours after the visitors leave and the excitement fades, many mothers are left navigating a storm of emotions alone.
As a maternal mental health therapist, I have the privilege—and responsibility—of holding space for mothers during one of the most transformative and vulnerable periods of their lives. My work centers not only around treating postpartum depression and anxiety but also around honoring the complexity of motherhood itself. Because the truth is: we don’t just welcome a new baby—we birth a new identity.
The Unseen Side of Motherhood
There is a narrative in our culture that tells women to be grateful, to savor every moment, and to bounce back quickly. But what happens when a mother feels lost, resentful, anxious, or numb? What if the baby doesn’t sleep, the body doesn’t heal, and the tears don’t stop? These aren't failures. These are human experiences.
Maternal mental health includes everything from the “baby blues” to clinical postpartum disorders like depression, anxiety, OCD, and PTSD. It also includes grief, identity shifts, relationship strain, and deep fatigue. Despite affecting 1 in 5 new mothers, maternal mental health concerns often go undiagnosed and untreated due to stigma, lack of support, and misinformation.
What Mothers Really Need
From my therapeutic chair, I witness the raw, unfiltered reality of new motherhood. I see mothers grieving their old selves. I see women questioning their worth because they aren’t "enjoying every moment." I see strength in their vulnerability, and I remind them: you are not alone, and this is not your fault.
What mothers need is more than advice:
● Validation: It is okay to love your baby and still feel overwhelmed, angry, or afraid.
● Support: Not just from partners or family, but from trained professionals who understand the perinatal journey.
● Community: Isolation is a silent enemy. Connection can be a lifeline.
● Permission: To rest, to say no, to ask for help, and to not be okay.
The Role of Therapy
Therapy for mothers is not about fixing them—it is about supporting them in a world that often expects too much and gives too little. In sessions, we explore everything from intrusive thoughts to feeding struggles, identity confusion, and relationship changes. Our goal is to help mothers untangle guilt from love, fear from intuition, and shame from truth.
You are allowed to need help. You are allowed to miss who you were. You are still you, even if you feel changed beyond recognition. Motherhood is not just a role—it’s a reckoning, a rebirth, and a revolution. You don’t have to do this alone.