How many kids do you have? How long have you lived in Westport for? I have three kids, ages 1 ½, 6 and 8, and I can honestly say that each pregnancy and postpartum period were different and came with their own unique challenges. I have lived in Westport for 3 years, but I grew up coming to Westport throughout my life, as my aunt and uncle live here.
What do you do for work? In addition to being a mom, I am the co-founder of City Psychology Center (CPC), a clinical psychology practice with offices in New York City and Westport. CPC specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy, and other evidence-based therapies, for clients struggling with a variety of mental health and mood symptoms across the lifespan.
What are perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADS)? Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders, known as PMADs, are mood and anxiety disorders that occur during pregnancy and up to a year after giving birth. They also include women that have experienced pregnancy loss (miscarriage). People are often shocked to find out how common PMADs are. 1 in 5 women will develop a PMAD, and women of all ages, cultures, or income levels are at risk of having one.
Reproductive Mental Health is a broader term that encompasses mental health issues that can arise during female reproductive transitions, which include fertility challenges, birth complications or menopause. I like to make sure to speak about this subset of women, as this group is very susceptible to experiencing mood and anxiety symptoms.
What were your own postpartum experiences like? I had a major health scare with my now 6-year-old when she was six weeks old that required her to be hospitalized. The aftermath of this experience was postpartum anxiety, which I was not fully aware of until several months into it. I share this, as I want people to know that no one is immune to experiencing mood and anxiety symptoms, even those women that treat them. My mission is to help women during this period and reduce the stigma and shame that often goes hand in hand with it.
What are the most common symptoms to look for if you think you may have experiencing a PMAD? It is common to have some type of mood symptom after giving birth. In fact, 80% of women will experience something called “baby blues,” characterized by frequent tearfulness and/or mood shifts related to the sudden hormonal changes after giving birth. However, “baby blues” will resolve within the first month after giving birth, while a PMAD will persist beyond that period.
Women should consider getting treatment if their symptoms continue beyond the first month. Most women will describe feeling that they are “not themselves,” and/or struggling with a higher-than-normal level of anxiety, tearfulness, or a general difficulty feeling happy. What can make PMADS sometimes challenging to identify is that no new mom feels totally like themselves. Women will often delay seeking treatment because they see their symptoms as part of the experience. What I tell women is that while being tired and overwhelmed are common experiences, feeling depressed and anxious is not a state that we have to just accept or endure as a parent. A happy mom is a happy baby, and there is nothing better you can do for your child than working on yourself.
What do you typically do/what are some of the best practices for helping people struggling with this? My focus in the beginning is always on building rapport with my clients so they feel comfortable and safe opening up to me. Speaking to a stranger can feel uncomfortable for anyone, and PMADs can be particularly sensitive issues to talk about because of perceived cultural expectations of what motherhood should be. When women are experiencing anything less than just “excitement and joy” during pregnancy or in the postpartum period, they are often ashamed and fearful about what this means about their ability as a mom.
In terms of the therapy, I am a cognitive behavioral therapist. I teach clients how to identify unhelpful thinking patterns about themselves, others or their situations. Many women are not even aware of the negative biases they are having when they are evaluating themselves and their environment. When a client can learn to identify those thoughts and beliefs, we can then work on reframing them in a more balanced manner. In addition to working on thoughts, I simultaneously work with clients on learning adaptive coping behaviors they can use when they are experiencing distress. This helps them learn how to get through a negative moment without feeling so stuck. As a working mom myself, I understand how limited time is and my approach is always practical, collaborative and solution-focused. I want therapy to focus on the goals of my client, not on what I define as the goal.
What got you into this field originally? I have always been interested in trying to understand people and using that knowledge to try and help them and their situations. My teachers used to provide feedback to my parents that I was spending too much time trying to make other kids feel better, and not enough on the task that was given. So, in many ways I knew early on that I was destined to be doing this work, as no other subject ever interested me in the same way as psychology.
My interest in perinatal mental health started early in my training when I was put on the perinatal outpatient clinic at Northwell Health on Long Island. I found it so rewarding to be able to support women at such a pivotal moment in their lives, while also knowing that by helping women through this time, I was also helping their babies and entire family.
How has your practice evolved as women’s needs have evolved? The biggest change in my practice over the years has been the integration of technology. Among the many difficulties and losses that occurred during COVID, one of the positive changes is how it made telehealth therapy an accepted form of practice. The use of virtual therapy has enabled so many more women, and others, to access therapy in a way that many were not previously able to. Seeing the benefits of this really helped me to see how important flexibility is, especially for a new mom. In the past several years, in addition to offering virtual therapy and virtual support groups, I also often meet clients and their babies out for a walk while they have a session, or encourage them to bring their baby to session if needed. Treatment with a baby is certainly better than no treatment at all.
To connect with Amanda directly, you can email her at: [email protected]