The Centre for Perinatal Counselling and Psychotherapy works with families seeking mental health support during the many stages of the transition to parenthood.
At the Centre, a trauma-informed, strength-based approach is used to empower clients to overcome, heal, and build stronger families. The Centre helps individuals facing various challenges before and during the perinatal period — which includes any time during pregnancy up to one year postpartum.
These challenges include:
- struggles with fertility and fertility treatments;
- grief and loss associated with miscarriage, stillbirth, or termination of pregnancy;
- support through prenatal palliative care;
- support with prenatal diagnoses and stays within neonatal intensive care units;
- birth trauma;
- anxiety and/or mood disorders during pregnancy;
- postpartum depression and/or anxiety;
- challenges adjusting to parenthood; and
- support with early parenting including attachment and bonding.
Counselling sessions at the Centre include a combination of evidence-based approaches to address perinatal distress, including EMDR, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), narrative therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and psychodynamic theories, grounded in a supportive, collaborative, client-centred therapeutic relationship.
The Centre provides counselling services to individuals across the province of Nova Scotia.