How To Find a Postpartum Therapist Near Me

Finding a postpartum therapist might seem simple at first – after all, moms are great at googling, right?

But the truth is that there’s more to the process than just searching “postpartum therapist near me,” and clicking through Yelp or Google reviews. It takes a lot of legwork to gather your options, contact some of them, and find one who can see you soon and on your schedule. Once you do connect with someone who has availability, there’s no guarantee that they’ll even be the right fit for you.

If this is all sounding a bit intimidating, you could try Prospera – we remove these barriers and provide mental health support for moms during pregnancy and postpartum!

That said, we want you to get the support that’s right for you. So if you want to explore all your options, we’ve got some tips to help you find a therapist who has the right expertise and meets your needs.

What to look for in a postpartum therapist

The challenges that moms face postpartum are unique. Although the majority of mental health providers can support someone with anxiety or depression, the number that really understand and know how to help with postpartum mental health is far fewer. Don’t worry about finding a postpartum depression therapist or postpartum anxiety therapist specifically. As long as they specialize in working with moms postpartum, that’s a great start.

The other critical piece to pay attention to when looking for a postpartum therapist is the therapeutic approach that the provider uses. For the majority of postpartum mental health challenges, the far-and-away most effective method to reduce symptoms and feel like yourself again is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). So make sure you look for a provider who uses this approach.

Where to find a postpartum therapist near me

There are some great resources to help you locate therapists in your area who specialize in perinatal mental health. Websites where therapists information is indexed and organized by specialization, location and other factors are easily accessible for free online.

Here are our three favorites:

Postpartum Support International
Open Path Collective
Therapy Den

Input your location information and select a specialization in postpartum or maternal mental health.

Once you’ve found a handful of therapists in your area (don’t forget to select those who use CBT!), it’s time to start reaching out. You can reach out by phone or email to ask if they are accepting new clients. Include any other questions you have like whether they take your insurance, if they do online or in person visits, and what their hourly rate is.

Phone consultation and first session

During your initial calls with therapists, try to get a general sense of the chemistry between you two, and make sure you ask about the things that matter most to you. Are you looking for a structured approach with a finite timeline? Tough love or gentle validation? How important are things like LGBTQ understanding or experience? Don’t be afraid to ask questions – that’s what this call is for.

No matter which therapist you end up talking to, you should never feel judged for anything you say in session, and you should always feel comfortable expressing your feelings and sharing your experiences. Of course, it may take a little time to open up, but your therapist should always make you feel as safe as possible.

When it comes to your first appointment, start with your top choice and give it a couple of sessions before you decide – maybe you’ll never need to move down the list to number two. Some people marry their high school sweethearts, right? But if it’s not a fit, you’ll be prepared with at least two or three other people to meet, to keep your momentum up.

The fastest route to postpartum mental health support

Alternately, if all that sounds way too overwhelming, you can just sign up for Prospera! Our mental health coaches are certified in CBT and perinatal mental health. We’ve worked with hundreds of moms and have digital tools specifically designed to support mom’s mental health. Plus, our subscription is super affordable – just $39 per week!

We’re trying to eliminate the horrible experience when you search for  “postpartum therapist near me” in the middle of the night and have to make sense of what you find when you’re already sleep deprived and overwhelmed! If you want to give Prospera a try, book a phone consult today!

---

---

Content reviewed by Dr. Andrea Niles, Clinical Psychologist

Anne Godenham is a writer and editor with a passion for mental health awareness and accessibility