Therapy for Postpartum Depression: What You Need to Know
The postpartum period is often painted as a joyful time filled with baby snuggles and bonding—but for many new parents, the emotional experience is far more complicated. It’s common to feel overwhelmed, tearful, anxious, and even disconnected in the days and weeks following childbirth. But when these feelings persist or intensify, they may be more than just the “baby blues.”
Understanding the Difference Between Baby Blues and Postpartum Depression
For the first two weeks after birth, many new mothers and birthing parents experience what’s commonly known as the baby blues. This can include crying spells, irritability, and mood swings, all of which are influenced by hormonal shifts, sleep deprivation, and the sheer magnitude of new responsibility.
When to Be Concerned About Your Mood After Birth
If your emotional distress lasts longer than two weeks, worsens over time, or begins to interfere with your ability to function, bond with your baby, or care for yourself, it may be a sign of postpartum depression. Unlike the baby blues, postpartum depression is a clinical condition that benefits from professional support.
You Are Not Alone—Postpartum Depression Is Common and Treatable
Postpartum depression can affect anyone, regardless of background, birth experience, or parenting situation. It is not a reflection of your strength, worth, or capability as a parent. Current research estimates that roughly 1 in 7 women and 1 in 10 men experience postpartum depression. These numbers are likely even higher due to stigma and underreporting.
The symptoms can range from persistent sadness and guilt to intrusive thoughts, difficulty sleeping, or a sense of emotional numbness. For some, it may also include physical symptoms like fatigue, appetite changes, or panic attacks.
Therapy can be a powerful support during this time—not because you’re broken, but because this is a hard and often overlooked season that you don’t have to navigate alone.
How Therapy Can Help with Postpartum Depression
Postpartum depression can feel isolating, especially when it seems like everyone around you is celebrating and you’re silently struggling. Working with a therapist trained in perinatal and postpartum mental health gives you a space to feel seen, heard, and supported without judgment.
Therapy Offers Practical and Emotional Tools for Recovery
In therapy, you can begin to understand how postpartum depression is showing up in your body and mind, gain tools to manage anxiety or overwhelm, and rebuild your confidence in caring for yourself and your baby.
This may include:
Learning how to manage intrusive or anxious thoughts
Rebuilding your sense of identity after becoming a parent
Processing grief, fear, or trauma related to childbirth
Navigating relationship changes after baby
Developing gentle routines that help you feel more in control
Therapy isn’t about fixing you—it’s about giving you space to heal, and a roadmap to feel more like yourself again.
Therapy for Postpartum Depression in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, Chicago, and PSYPACT States
Dr. Charissa Chamorro is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in helping women and parents navigate the emotional challenges of the postpartum period. She provides therapy for new moms in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, Chicago, and all PSYPACT-participating states.
Whether you’re experiencing postpartum depression, anxiety, burnout, or identity shifts, her approach is warm, supportive, and grounded in evidence-based care tailored to the needs of new moms.
Let’s Talk—When You’re Ready
Motherhood may have changed you—but it doesn’t need to erase you. If you’re feeling sad, anxious, untethered, or unsure where to begin, that’s a sign of strength, not failure.
When you’re ready to make space for yourself, help is here.
Dr. Charissa Chamorro is a licensed clinical psychologist in NYC specializing in CBT therapy for anxiety, OCD, and women’s mental health.
