📞 (626) 354-6440 ✉ office@pasadenaclinicalgroup.com

Mon–Fri 8a–8p · Sat–Sun 8a–4p · Telehealth 7 days

Condition 03 of 08 2 min read

Conditions we treat

Postpartum & Perinatal Depression

The season after a birth is supposed to feel one way. When it feels nothing like that, it’s very hard to say so out loud — especially to the people most likely to ask.

Care formatsIndividual · Postpartum group (when scheduling) · Telehealth

Typical session50 min weeklyAdjusted around feedings and naps

ModalitiesPerinatal CBT · IPT · Group

Coordinated withYour OB / midwife / pediatrician — with your written permission

A young mother smiling softly outside, soft natural light

The shape of it

What we mean when we say Postpartum Depression.

Postpartum depression is not the “baby blues.” The baby blues lift in a couple of weeks. Postpartum depression doesn’t. And unlike most depressions, it arrives in a season you’ve been told to expect to be lit up with joy, which makes naming it feel like a betrayal of how you’re “supposed” to feel.

It can begin during pregnancy, immediately after birth, or months later. It can affect mothers, non-birthing parents, and adoptive parents. It can show up alongside intrusive thoughts that feel terrifying to admit — usually a sign that the part of you that loves your child is exhausted and needs help, not a sign that you’re a danger.

If any of this is landing, please call. There is real help, and there is no shortage of parents who have walked through this with us and come out on the other side.

This page might be for you if…

The season after birth feels nothing like the cards and books said it would.
You’re afraid to tell your partner how heavy it actually is.
Sleep deprivation is real, and there is something underneath it that doesn’t resolve when the baby sleeps.
You’re a non-birthing parent and quietly wondering if any of this applies to you. It does.

What this can feel like

From the inside, it often sounds like this.

You feel disconnected from your baby in a way you can’t admit to anyone.
You cry without warning, or you can’t cry at all.
You’re afraid to tell your partner how heavy it actually is.
Your sleep deprivation is real and so is something underneath it that doesn’t resolve when the baby sleeps.
You’re having intrusive thoughts that horrify you and that you’re terrified to name.
You feel like a failure for not feeling the way the cards and the baby books said you would.

If any of this is landing, please call. There is real help, and there is no shortage of parents who have walked through this with us.

— From the practice

How therapy can help

What working on this looks like.

We work with parents in pregnancy, in the first year postpartum, and beyond. Group therapy with other parents in the same season has been one of the most reliably helpful things we offer here — being in a room with people who understand without explanation tends to do something that books and one-on-one talk can’t fully do.

Approaches we use:

Perinatal-informed individual therapy — clinicians experienced in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, who don’t need you to translate.
Postpartum group — when scheduling allows. Telehealth options are available so you can attend during nap windows.
Couples work — for partnerships under the strain of new-parent life and one or both partners’ depression.
Coordination with your OB/midwife/pediatrician when appropriate, with your written permission.

If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, please call or text 988 immediately. Postpartum depression with intrusive thoughts is treatable; postpartum psychosis is a medical emergency. We can help you tell the difference, and we will not judge you for asking.

Not sure if this fits what you’re carrying?

A short conversation with our healthcare coordinator usually clears it up. No commitment to schedule.

Talk to someone

Common questions

Things people ask about Postpartum Depression.

I’m a non-birthing parent. Can I have postpartum depression?

Yes. Postpartum depression occurs in non-birthing parents and adoptive parents. The season after a child arrives reorganizes everyone in the household.

Will I be reported for having scary thoughts?

Routine intrusive thoughts in postpartum depression are common, distressing to the parent, and not the same as being a danger to the child. Mandated reporting applies to specific situations — your therapist will be transparent about exactly what those are at the start of care.

Can I bring my baby to telehealth?

Yes. Many parents do. Sessions adapt to feedings and naps.

You don’t have to figure this out alone

Reach out — even if you’re still not sure.

Most people sit with the question for a long time before making the call. Whatever you’re carrying, we’ve almost certainly sat with someone holding something similar. The first step is just a conversation.

Book Your First Session Call (626) 354-6440

Postpartum & Perinatal Depression

What we mean when we say Postpartum Depression.

This page might be for you if…

From the inside, it often sounds like this.

What working on this looks like.

Not sure if this fits what you’re carrying?

Things people ask about Postpartum Depression.

Reach out — even if you’re still not sure.

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