Therapy for postpartum depression
You may have expected joy and connection with your baby, yet instead you feel sadness, worry, or a sense of numbness. You might cry often or find that you cannot cry at all. You may feel terrified something will happen to your baby or have intrusive thoughts that frighten you. None of this feels the way you imagined, and you may wonder if something is wrong with you. Nothing is wrong with you. Postpartum depression is a medical condition, not a personal failure. Many Canadian parents experience this, and with the right support, you can feel like yourself again.
What is postpartum depression?
Common signs and symptoms
Postpartum depression can feel very different from what you expected. You may be exhausted beyond normal sleep loss, struggle to feel connected with your baby, or feel guilt, shame, or fear when you are alone with them. Some parents feel trapped or overwhelmed, while others have panic attacks or intrusive thoughts about harm coming to the baby or themselves.
Physical symptoms are common. Changes in appetite, headaches, and chest tightness can appear. You may check on your baby repeatedly out of fear or feel emotionally flat, going through the motions without feeling present. Many parents describe feeling detached from themselves and their life.
Unlike the baby blues, which usually resolve within two weeks, postpartum depression is more intense and lasts longer. According toCAMH, it can begin during pregnancy or anytime in the first year and requires treatment.
Why it happens
Postpartum depression develops through a mix of biological, psychological, and social factors. Hormonal shifts after birth affect brain chemistry. Severe sleep loss undermines mental health. Past anxiety or depression, birth trauma, feeding challenges, relationship strain, financial pressure, or limited support all increase risk. So do complicated or unwanted pregnancies, having a baby with health concerns, parenting alone, or facing racism or discrimination in healthcare. Being far from family or cultural community also plays a major role.
How common is this?
Data from Statistics Canada’s 2018/2019 Survey on Maternal Health.Read the Statistics Canada postpartum mental health report.
The real impact of postpartum depression
Bonding with your baby
This is often the most painful part. You look at your baby and feel... nothing. Or anxiety. Or resentment. Where's the overwhelming love? Other parents seem to bond instantly. You're doing everything right mechanically but feeling emotionally absent. You might avoid holding your baby more than necessary, or conversely, never put them down because you're terrified something will happen. The guilt is crushing because you think you should feel differently. But attachment takes time for many parents, and depression makes it harder. With treatment, these feelings shift. Bonding can develop even when it doesn't happen immediately.
Your relationship
Your partner doesn't understand why you're struggling when the baby is "fine." Or they're struggling too and neither of you has anything left to give each other. Intimacy feels impossible. You might blame your partner for not helping enough, or push away their attempts to help. If you're parenting alone, the isolation is profound. Friends without kids don't get it. Friends with kids are too busy to check in regularly. Your relationship with your own parents might be strained if they're minimizing what you're experiencing or offering unhelpful advice. The support you desperately need feels out of reach.
How therapy helps with postpartum depression
Why you need specialized help
Not all therapists understand the specific challenges of postpartum depression. You need someone who gets that you're dealing with massive life changes, sleep deprivation, hormonal chaos, and possibly breastfeeding complications or birth trauma, all while trying to keep a tiny human alive. Generic depression treatment doesn't address these unique factors. A perinatal mental health specialist understands the difference between postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, and postpartum psychosis. They know how to address intrusive thoughts without overreacting. They understand attachment, infant care stress, and how to work around your extremely limited schedule and energy.
What works for postpartum depression
Cognitive behavioural therapy adapted for perinatal mood disorders
CBT helps with the guilt, shame, and negative self-talk that accompany postpartum depression. It effectively reduces postpartum depression symptoms. You learn to challenge thoughts like "I'm a terrible mother" or "my baby would be better off without me" and replace them with more balanced perspectives. The approach is modified to account for legitimate stressors like sleep deprivation and life upheaval.
Interpersonal therapy for postpartum depression
IPT focuses on role transitions, grief over your old life, relationship conflicts, and social isolation. Becoming a parent is a massive identity shift. IPT helps you grieve who you were while adjusting to who you're becoming. It addresses relationship strain with partners, family conflicts about parenting decisions, and helps you build better support systems. This approach recognizes that postpartum depression doesn't happen in a vacuum but within relationships and social contexts.
Parent-infant therapy approaches
When you're struggling to bond with your baby, specialized interventions help. These might include video feedback where you watch recordings of yourself with your baby and a therapist helps you notice positive interactions you might be missing. Or structured activities that build connection even when feelings haven't caught up yet. The goal is strengthening attachment while treating your depression, recognizing these processes support each other.
Practical problem solving and support building
Sometimes what you need most is concrete help with the overwhelming logistics of new parenthood. Your therapist might help you identify specific support needs, practice asking for help, set boundaries with unhelpful family members, develop sleep strategies within your constraints, or connect with community resources like parent groups, meal services, or postpartum doulas. Addressing practical stressors alongside emotional ones accelerates recovery.
What to expect from therapy for postpartum depression
Getting started
Your therapist begins by understanding your symptoms, support system, birth experience, sleep, feeding struggles, and any intrusive thoughts. They have heard it all before and know these thoughts are symptoms, not intentions. This assessment helps them create a plan that fits your situation and determine whether medication might help.
The treatment process
Early sessions focus on reducing distress and helping you manage each day. As things stabilize, therapy shifts toward deeper healing and building coping skills. Many parents feel some improvement within a few weeks, especially with medication, and more significant relief within two to three months.
Between sessions
Homework is kept simple because your capacity is limited. It may involve a short walk, reaching out to someone you trust, or noticing a moment of connection with your baby. Small steps are enough, and your therapist adjusts based on your energy.
What recovery looks like
Recovery is gradual. You may start to smile without forcing it, feel less dread, or make it through a day more easily. These moments build, and over time the heaviness lifts. Many parents go on to enjoy their baby and feel relief that they reached out for help.
Find a therapist who specializes in postpartum depression
Choosing the right therapist matters. Each province in Canada has its own regulations, which is why working with a recognized professional can make a real difference in your care. Stellocare takes the uncertainty out of the process by listing only verified therapists you can trust.
The right therapist for you
No therapists found with these specialties in Ontario.
Try selecting a different province.Additional resources for postpartum depression
Community services
Crisis support
If you're having thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, call 988 immediately or go to your nearest emergency department. For urgent support specific to pregnancy and postpartum, Postpartum Support International offers a helpline: 1-800-944-4773.
Pacific Postpartum Support Society
Based in BC but serving clients across Canada, PPSS provides free counselling, support groups, and information specifically for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. They offer phone support, online groups, and extensive resources for partners and family members too.
Provincial public health nursing
Every province has public health nurses who visit new parents at home or connect by phone. They can screen for postpartum depression, provide resources, and refer you to appropriate services. These visits are free and confidential. Ask your midwife, doctor, or local public health unit how to access this service.
Doula support
Postpartum doulas provide practical and emotional support during the early months. While not therapists, they can ease the overwhelming demands of new parenthood, giving you space to focus on recovery. Some communities have programs that subsidize doula care for people with financial barriers.
Self-help techniques
When you're barely surviving
- Lower the bar: Keeping your baby fed, clean, and safe is enough. Laundry can wait. Elaborate meals don't matter. You don't need to document everything on social media or have a spotless home.
- Accept any help offered: Someone offers to bring food? Say yes. Hold the baby while you shower? Yes. Do a grocery run? Absolutely yes. This isn't weakness; it's smart resource management.
- Sleep when possible: Everyone says this, and it's frustrating because it's hard, but any sleep you can get helps. If someone can take the baby for even two hours so you can sleep, take it.
Small daily actions
- Get outside: Even sitting on your front step with the baby counts. Sunlight and fresh air help mood more than seems possible.
- Eat something nutritious: Granola bars, fruit, yogurt, whatever's easy. Your body needs fuel. Depression makes you not care about eating, but forcing nutrition helps.
- One task: Pick one thing today. Shower. Walk around the block. Text a friend. Unload the dishwasher. One thing is enough.
Managing intrusive thoughts
- Understand they're symptoms: Scary thoughts about harm coming to your baby, or even thoughts about harming your baby, are common with postpartum anxiety and OCD. Having these thoughts doesn't mean you'll act on them. They're distressing precisely because they're opposite to your values.
- Don't engage with the thoughts: Notice them, acknowledge "that's an intrusive thought," and redirect attention. Don't try to figure out why you're having them or what they mean. That makes them worse.
- Tell your therapist: These thoughts need professional attention, but they don't mean you're dangerous. Your therapist can help you distinguish intrusive thoughts from actual risk.
Building connection with your baby
- Skin to skin contact: Even if you don't feel emotionally connected, physical closeness helps both of you. Hold your baby against your chest when possible.
- Talk or sing to your baby: Narrate what you're doing. Sing songs you know. Your baby benefits from hearing your voice even when you feel disconnected.
- Look for tiny moments: A small smile. The way they grip your finger. Their sleeping face. You might not feel overwhelming love yet, but notice these small things. Attachment builds over time.
What to avoid or limit
- Social media comparison: Everyone's posting their best moments. You're seeing curated highlights, not reality. Limit exposure if it makes you feel worse about yourself.
- Isolation: Depression tells you to hide. Resist this when possible. Connect with even one person who gets it.
- Alcohol: It might seem to help temporarily but worsens depression and interferes with sleep quality and breastfeeding if applicable.
Peanut connects mothers going through similar experiences. Postpartum Progress offers information, personal stories, and resources. Apps like MamaZen or Expectful provide guided meditations designed for pregnancy and postpartum.
Common questions about therapy for postpartum depression
Can I breastfeed if I take antidepressants?
Many antidepressants are compatible with breastfeeding. Your doctor can prescribe medications with the best safety profile for nursing. Some parents choose to formula feed or combination feed to allow medication treatment without worry. Fed is best, and your mental health matters enormously for your baby's wellbeing. A healthy parent is more important than exclusive breastfeeding.
Will my baby be taken away if I admit I'm struggling?
No. Seeking help for postpartum depression is responsible parenting, not grounds for child protective services involvement. Therapists understand the difference between a parent struggling with mental health who's seeking treatment and a parent who's unable to provide safe care. The only time therapists contact authorities is if there's immediate danger to you or your baby that can't be managed with crisis support. Getting help protects your baby; it doesn't put them at risk.
What if I don't feel better quickly?
Recovery takes time. If you're not seeing improvement after 6-8 weeks of treatment, talk to your therapist and doctor. You might need medication adjustment, different therapy approaches, more intensive treatment, or screening for other issues like thyroid problems or vitamin deficiencies. Don't give up. Finding the right treatment combination sometimes requires adjustments.
My partner is struggling too. Is that normal?
Yes. Non-birthing partners experience postpartum depression at significant rates, though it's less discussed. The stress, sleep deprivation, relationship strain, and life upheaval affect everyone. Your partner should also seek help. Some therapists work with couples together, addressing both individual mental health and relationship dynamics.
I had postpartum depression before. Will it happen again?
Having postpartum depression with a previous pregnancy increases your risk with subsequent pregnancies, but it's not inevitable. Proactive treatment starting during pregnancy or immediately postpartum significantly reduces risk. Tell your healthcare providers about your history so they can monitor you closely and intervene quickly if symptoms develop.
Related concerns
References
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). (2024). Postpartum Depression. Retrieved from https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-illness-and-addiction-index/postpartum-depression
- Sockol, L. E., Epperson, C. N., & Barber, J. P. (2013). Preventing postpartum depression: A meta-analytic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 33(8), 1205-1217.
- O'Hara, M. W., & McCabe, J. E. (2013). Postpartum depression: current status and future directions. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 9, 379-407.
- Sockol, L. E. (2015). A systematic review of the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy for treating and preventing perinatal depression. Journal of Affective Disorders, 177, 7-21. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25743368/
- Pacific Postpartum Support Society. (2024). Services and Support. Retrieved from https://postpartum.org/
- Postpartum Support International. (2024). Get Help. Retrieved from https://www.postpartum.net/get-help/psi-online-support-meetings/
- Peanut App. (2024). Connect with other mothers. Retrieved from https://www.peanut-app.io/
- Postpartum Progress. (2024). Information and Support. Retrieved from https://postpartumprogress.com/
- Stewart, D. E., & Vigod, S. (2016). Postpartum depression. New England Journal of Medicine, 375(22), 2177-2186.
- Dennis, C. L., & Dowswell, T. (2013). Psychosocial and psychological interventions for preventing postpartum depression. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (2).
- Paulson, J. F., & Bazemore, S. D. (2010). Prenatal and postpartum depression in fathers and its association with maternal depression: a meta-analysis. JAMA, 303(19), 1961-1969.
- Goodman, J. H. (2004). Paternal postpartum depression, its relationship to maternal postpartum depression, and implications for family health. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 45(1), 26-35.
About Stellocare
Stellocare is a Canadian platform where you can find the best fit therapist for you. Search the right thperaists now by asking our AI, browsing our list, or finding our social workers for personal referral.
Mackenzie Fournier
Registered Psychotherapist (ON)
Lesley Evans
Counselling Therapist (AB)
Shani Ellis-Alman
Registered Social Worker (ON)
Cassandra Valmestad
Canadian Certified Counsellor
Jay Hinton
Canadian Certified Counsellor
Naomi Roccamo
Canadian Certified Counsellor
Joanne Prysunka
Canadian Certified Counsellor
Tom Roes
Registered Social Worker (ON)
Adrienne Na
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) (ON)
Morgan Fancy
Registered Psychotherapist (ON)
Kat Sevsek
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) (ON)
Ekta Sehgal
Registered Psychotherapist (ON)
Nicole Pawlick
Canadian Certified Counsellor
Pantea Ahmadian
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) (ON)
Raluca Petridis
Registered Psychotherapist (ON)
Asta Chan
Registered Social Worker (ON)
Shauna Cheney
Registered Social Worker (BC)
Spencer Nageleisen
Registered Psychotherapist (ON)
Shayesteh Zarieh
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) (ON)
Andrea Laurie
Canadian Certified Counsellor
Mackenzie Fournier
Registered Psychotherapist (ON)
Lesley Evans
Counselling Therapist (AB)
Shani Ellis-Alman
Registered Social Worker (ON)
Cassandra Valmestad
Canadian Certified Counsellor
Jay Hinton
Canadian Certified Counsellor
Naomi Roccamo
Canadian Certified Counsellor
Joanne Prysunka
Canadian Certified Counsellor
Tom Roes
Registered Social Worker (ON)
Adrienne Na
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) (ON)
Morgan Fancy
Registered Psychotherapist (ON)
Kat Sevsek
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) (ON)
Ekta Sehgal
Registered Psychotherapist (ON)
Nicole Pawlick
Canadian Certified Counsellor
Pantea Ahmadian
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) (ON)
Raluca Petridis
Registered Psychotherapist (ON)
Asta Chan
Registered Social Worker (ON)
Shauna Cheney
Registered Social Worker (BC)
Spencer Nageleisen
Registered Psychotherapist (ON)
Shayesteh Zarieh
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) (ON)
Andrea Laurie
Canadian Certified Counsellor