Pregnancy and Postpartum Therapy in Calgary
Make space for how you’re doing.
Inner Balance offers pregnancy and postpartum therapy for women in Calgary who are finding this stage harder than they expected. You may be managing appointments and caring for your baby while worry takes up much of your day. Our clinical psychologists help you understand what’s happening and work on practical ways to respond.
Free 15-minute phone consultation.
You’re Getting Through the Day. Your Mind Hasn’t Had Much Rest.
You might be the person who researches every decision and keeps track of what needs to happen next. During pregnancy or after birth, that sense of responsibility can start to feel constant.
Perhaps you recognize some of this:
Going over appointments or test results long after they’re finished
Checking on your baby repeatedly, then feeling unsure again moments later
Feeling low or disconnected when you expected to feel happy
Finding it difficult to sleep even when you have the chance
Feeling irritable or overwhelmed, then criticizing yourself for your reaction
Struggling to let someone else take over because they might miss something
Feeling unlike yourself and wondering when that will change
Carrying a difficult birth experience or loss that others rarely ask about
You may have told yourself this is just what motherhood is like, or that you should be able to handle it. If what you’re experiencing is affecting your daily life, it deserves attention. You don’t have to work out a diagnosis before asking for help.
What Is Perinatal Mental Health Support?
Perinatal mental health support addresses emotional and psychological concerns during pregnancy and after birth.
At Inner Balance, this includes pregnancy-related anxiety, postpartum depression and anxiety, and perinatal OCD. We also support women processing traumatic birth experiences, pregnancy or infant loss, and the adjustment to motherhood.
Your experience may involve more than one concern. An assessment helps your psychologist understand what’s happening and recommend care that fits your needs.
What Can We Work on Together?
Anxiety During Pregnancy
You may find yourself thinking ahead to every possible complication, searching for reassurance between appointments or struggling to enjoy a pregnancy you wanted. A previous loss or a high-risk pregnancy can make uncertainty especially hard to live with.
Therapy gives you space to talk about those fears and examine how you respond to them. We can work on ways to manage uncertainty while keeping appropriate medical guidance at the centre of decisions about your pregnancy.
Postpartum Anxiety (PPA)
After birth, you may feel persistently on edge or find your mind returning to what could go wrong. Even when you have a chance to rest, worry can make it difficult to switch off.
Your psychologist will help you understand the patterns maintaining your anxiety and practice more helpful ways of responding. Together, you’ll choose manageable steps that fit the demands of caring for a baby.
Postpartum Depression
You might feel low or emotionally flat, with little interest in things you used to enjoy. Everyday decisions may feel harder, and you may be distressed by how different this experience feels from what you imagined.
Your psychologist will explore how your mood is affecting you and what support is needed. Therapy can help you work on patterns of self-criticism and take manageable steps toward reconnecting with activities and relationships that matter to you.
“No one talks about the low moments — the pressure you feel, the incredible letdown every time you hear the baby cry. I've broken down I don't know how many times. Or I'll get angry about the crying, then sad about being angry, and then guilty, like, 'Why do I feel so sad when I have a beautiful baby?”
— Serena Williams
Perinatal OCD and Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts
Perinatal OCD involves distressing, recurring thoughts and responses aimed at reducing the fear they bring. You may repeatedly check, seek reassurance or avoid situations because you’re frightened of what could happen.
Unwanted intrusive thoughts can be upsetting to describe. Your psychologist can help you make sense of them and assess what kind of support is appropriate. When OCD is part of the picture, treatment may include exposure and response prevention (ERP), an approach that helps you change the checking or avoidance patterns that keep the cycle going.
Birth Trauma
Your birth experience may have involved a difficult delivery, an unexpected intervention or feeling frightened and unheard. You may still feel unsettled even when others are relieved that the immediate medical situation has passed.
Therapy offers room to talk about what happened and how it is affecting you now. Your psychologist will discuss a treatment approach suited to your concerns, without expecting you to tell every detail before you feel ready.
NICU Experiences
Having a baby in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can mean spending your days waiting for updates and trying to make sense of unfamiliar medical information. You may find it hard to switch off, including after your baby comes home.
Therapy offers space to process that experience and the uncertainty or separation it involved. Your psychologist can help you work on ongoing worry and the adjustment to life after the NICU.
““There’s no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one.”
— Jill Churchill
Pregnancy and Infant Loss
Miscarriage, stillbirth or the death of a baby can affect how you experience daily life and future plans. People around you may not know what to say, and their expectations about grief may feel far removed from your own experience.
You can bring the loss into therapy without having to minimize it or follow someone else’s timeline. We can also make space for the fear and uncertainty that may accompany a later pregnancy.
Understand the Pattern and Practice a Different Response
Your psychologist will take time to understand your experience, including the demands on you and the support available. Together, you’ll decide what needs attention first.
The work includes practical application. For example, you might notice that searching for reassurance settles a worry briefly, then leaves you needing to check again. Therapy can help you recognize that cycle and practice responding differently.
Depending on your concerns, your plan may include cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy, mindfulness or self-compassion approaches. For OCD, we may use ERP. Your psychologist will explain the approach they recommend and how it relates to your goals.
You might work on asking for specific help, easing rigid expectations of motherhood or making room for an activity you’ve stopped doing. We’ll choose realistic steps together and review what you notice between appointments.
Which psychologist provides this treatment?
Both Dr. Kristin Calverley and Dr. Leah Chadwick provide this treatment. Both are clinical psychologists with doctoral training. Our practice focuses on women’s mental health, including concerns during pregnancy and after birth.
Dr. Kristin holds a Perinatal Mental Health Certification. You can read our team profiles to learn about each psychologist’s background and ask about their experience with your concerns during the consultation.
Your psychologist will discuss whether their experience, the available appointment format and your location are a suitable fit.
What Happens When You Reach Out?
Start with a free 15-minute phone consultation. Briefly share what you want help with and ask about the psychologist’s experience. You don’t need to prepare a polished explanation.
Discuss the practical details. Ask about appointment options and current availability. We’ll confirm the clinician and service that fit where you’ll be located during sessions.
Begin with a 90-minute assessment. If you choose to start therapy, this longer first appointment gives us time to understand your concerns and design a personalized treatment plan. Standard ongoing appointments are 50 minutes.
Online sessions take place through secure Jane video. Our Online Therapy overview explains options in Alberta, British Columbia and Texas, including which psychologist serves each location.
Questions About Pregnancy and Postpartum Therapy
Do I need a diagnosis before starting therapy?
You don’t need an existing diagnosis before reaching out. You can describe what feels difficult, even if you aren’t sure what to call it. Your psychologist will assess your concerns and discuss appropriate next steps.
Can I start therapy while I’m pregnant?
Yes. Perinatal support includes pregnancy as well as the period after birth. You can seek help with current concerns or discuss preparing for a transition that feels difficult, particularly if you’ve struggled before.
What if I’m embarrassed by how I’m feeling?
You can tell your psychologist that a topic feels hard to talk about. There’s room to explain your experience in your own words and ask questions about confidentiality and its limits before sharing more.
Can I attend online if getting out with my baby is difficult?
Online appointments are available through Jane when the format is appropriate and your psychologist is authorized to work with you in your location. You’ll need a private space where you can participate. Discuss feeding, caregiving or possible interruptions during the consultation so we can talk about what is realistic.
How much does therapy cost, and can I use insurance?
The initial 15-minute phone consultation is free. Current fees and payment information are on our Fees & FAQs page. Insurance coverage depends on your plan, location and psychologist; confirm the relevant details before starting therapy.
Will I need medication?
Medication is one possible part of perinatal mental health care, and decisions about it belong with a qualified prescribing clinician. Our psychologists provide therapy and do not prescribe medication. You can discuss whether additional medical assessment is appropriate for your concerns.
When should I seek urgent help?
If you feel at risk of acting on thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, or experience hallucinations, unusual beliefs or severe confusion, seek immediate medical care through local emergency services or the nearest emergency department. Routine consultation bookings are not an emergency service.
Tell Us What This Has Been Like for You
You may have spent a lot of time explaining how your pregnancy or baby is doing. This conversation can focus on how you’re doing, too.
A phone consultation gives you a chance to ask questions and decide whether Inner Balance feels like a suitable place to begin.
Free 15-minute phone consultation.
