Alison Hartman
Recognizing and Addressing Perinatal Anxiety: A ...

Understanding Perinatal Anxiety

Perinatal anxiety encompasses anxiety disorders that occur during pregnancy (prenatal anxiety) and after childbirth (postpartum anxiety). Unlike the "baby blues," which are temporary and usually resolve within a few weeks, perinatal anxiety can persist and significantly impact a person's daily functioning.

Recognizing and Addressing Perinatal Anxiety: A Guide for New and Expecting Parents
Alison Hartman
Intrusive Thoughts in Postpartum: A Therapist's ...

Bringing a new life into the world is a beautiful experience, but for many moms, the postpartum period can be challenging. Amidst the joy and wonder of welcoming a newborn, some mothers may find themselves struggling with intrusive thoughts – unwelcome, distressing, and often disturbing mental images that can be deeply unsettling. Today, we'll explore what intrusive thoughts are, why they might surface during postpartum, and most importantly, provide moms with practical coping strategies to manage and reduce these intrusive thoughts.

Intrusive Thoughts in Postpartum: A Therapist's Guide for New Moms to Find Peace
Alison Hartman
Understanding Interpersonal Process Therapy ...

Perinatal mental health issues affect a significant number of individuals during pregnancy and the postpartum period. These challenges can manifest as anxiety, depression, or other mood disorders, impacting not only the mother but also the overall family dynamics. IPT has gained prominence as an evidence-based therapy for perinatal mental health due to its focus on interpersonal relationships and its adaptability to address the unique challenges faced by individuals during this transitional time.

The theoretical foundation of IPT revolves around the idea that one's mental health is intricately linked to the quality of their interpersonal relationships. IPT operates on the premise that life events, particularly changes in relationships, can trigger or exacerbate mental health issues. The therapist and the individual collaboratively explore and address problematic interpersonal patterns, enhancing the individual's ability to navigate and manage social interactions effectively.

Understanding Interpersonal Process Therapy (IPT) for Perinatal Mental Health
Alison Hartman
How to create a Postpartum Care Plan

Baby is coming, you have read all the books and taken the classes on labor, delivery, caring for baby etc. What is your plan for how to take care of yourself during postpartum? I remember not feeling as prepared as I wanted to be for the emotional ups and downs of this time with baby. 

As a therapist specializing in postpartum care, I understand the unique challenges new moms face in balancing the needs of their newborns, their own well-being, and the dynamics with family, your partner, and their return to work if that is part of the plan. One crucial aspect of navigating this transformative period is creating a comprehensive postpartum care plan that not only addresses the logistics of caring for your baby but also prioritizes your mental and emotional health. Here's a guide to help you develop a plan in collaboration with your partner:

How to create a Postpartum Care Plan
Alison Hartman
List of Books on Postpartum

remember when I was pregnant, I probably read about 10 books on pregnancy and having a newborn. And after I had my first child I remember so many things happening with my body and emotions postpartum, that I said “why don't they write books on this experience?” I felt unprepared as my body recovered from giving birth, navigating my body image, emotions, and questioning if I could do this “mom thing”.

List of Books on Postpartum

Postpartum Connection Online Support Group

Postpartum Connection Online Support Group

Group suspended until further notice

Hey everyone! I have been wanting to create a space for moms to come together and connect with one another. So here it is a Postpartum Support Group. I have been wanting to create a postpartum support group for awhile and with my therapy practice completely online, I thought why not also have an online support group for moms to drop in as needed. Plus right now with all the “stay at home” and “safer at home” orders this will keep everyone safe and healthy from the comfort of their homes.

5 Interesting Mental Health Facts about Colorado

5 Interesting Mental Health Facts about Colorado

WIth the current state of the world, our lives have made a dramatic shift from our everyday routines. There is a lot of uncertainty and there are no definite answers when life will return to normalcy.

With this in mind, it is key to take care of your mental well being. I remember reading an article a couple years ago reporting that Colorado was one of the worst states for lacking access to mental health services for adolescents in the United States. That fact really shocked me and is cause for concern especially since suicide rates are the increase and Colorado is 6th in the nation. Colorado has a lot of rural areas that lack access to care and stigma is still high about reaching out for mental health problems.


How to maximize your emotional well being when modern life hits pause

How to maximize your emotional well being when modern life hits pause

The past 2 weeks have felt like a whirlwind and it seems like rules and precautions are changing by the hour. I think everyone is feeling uneasiness and worry and that is okay. What we are all experiencing is historic and is shifting our sense of normalcy and routine. There are a lot of unknowns and when we have unknowns this can lead to fear and we tend to fill in the unknowns with worst case scenarios. 

What No One Tells You About Postpartum Depression

What No One Tells You About Postpartum Depression

With maternal mental health more and more in the media and gaining recognition as an issue needing to be addressed. There is still a lack of screening at pediatricians and OB-GYN offices and options for moms can be limited in regards to treatment if they are struggling with mental health issues, specific to the prenatal to postpartum period.

Stigma is still present and moms are hesitant to start therapy due to barriers to access of services or for a multitude of other reasons; transportation, finances, or they don’t think it is that bad.

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Monday - Thursday

8:00am-4:00pm

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