What is reproductive mental health?
Reproductive mental health offers tending and care to the emotional and psychological side of reproductive experiences. Our physical and emotional selves are intrinsically tied together, and reproductive experiences really highlight the connection between our mind and body. Hormonal and physical changes can impact our mood, our energy, our relationships with others, and especially our relationship with ourselves.
What reproductive mental health can include (but is not limited to)
Reproductive experiences take many forms. They can include chronic physical health conditions that are often unseen or underacknowledged, like PCOS (also referred to as PMOS), endometriosis, and PMDD. They can also include family building experiences around (in)fertility, miscarriage & loss, ectopic pregnancy, TFMR, pregnancy and postpartum, NICU, and birth trauma. Some people come for support in the middle of one of these experiences, while others are carrying something from years ago. Support can be beneficial at any point along the way.
Why reproductive mental health often gets overlooked
Many of these experiences are hard to see from the outside, such as the two week wait, a diagnosis that took a long time to get, a loss few people knew about, and so many more nuanced and often painful moments. Health care focuses on the immediate needs of the body, which is important but often leaves little room for how it feels to live in your body or to move through the changes happening in it.
When your experience is minimized, dismissed, or neglected, it can leave you doubting what you know about yourself. That doubt is part of what reproductive mental health pays careful attention to - the work is often learning to lean into your intuition or find your voice within a health care system that doesn't always make room for it.
What it can look like day to day
Reproductive experiences rarely stay in one corner of our lives. They can show up as:
Mood changes in ways that surprise you, feeling heavy or on edge
Less energy, focus, or patience than you are used to
Strain in your relationships with a partner, family, and friends
A complex relationship with your body and how to make sense of the unexpected
None of this means you are doing something wrong. They are common responses to a lot of physical, emotional, and hormonal changes, and support can help.
What support can look like
Support starts with a conversation, at your pace. In sessions, we make room for what you are feeling, what your body is telling you, and the areas of your life that you want to tend to first. My approach is integrative of different somatic and evidence-based techniques and highly collaborative with both my clients and their care team.
I work with individuals and couples and have specialized training in reproductive and perinatal mental health and EMDR. I currently see clients in person in Sebastopol and Petaluma, and virtually throughout California.
You don't need a diagnosis or a crisis to get support
You do not need a diagnosis, a crisis, or the right words to reach out. If something about your reproductive experience is taking up more room than you would like, or you want a place to share the intensity for a while, support can help. If you would like to talk, you are welcome to schedule a free 20-minute consultation.
If you need support right now
If you are in crisis, call or text 988 or visit your local emergency room. The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline is also available 24/7 at 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262). This post is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for care.
Kelsey Weiss, LMFT #146182, PMH-C
