Maternal Mental Health & Postpartum Therapy
Seattle and online across Washington
Compassionate support for pregnancy, postpartum, and the emotional challenges that can accompany this season.
Iris Hogan, MSW, LICSW
When You Don’t Feel Like Yourself Anymore
Motherhood can be meaningful, beautiful, disorienting, exhausting, and emotionally overwhelming - sometimes all at once.
You may love your baby deeply and still feel unlike yourself.
You may look like you're coping on the outside while internally feeling anxious, emotionally stretched thin, disconnected, or overwhelmed in ways you didn't expect.
Therapy offers a steady, compassionate place to process anxiety, birth trauma, and postpartum overwhelm - a place to feel more supported through the many transitions that come with motherhood.
Why This Season Can Feel So Hard
Motherhood is often idealized, but the reality is complex.
Your body changes. Your identity shifts. Your relationships adjust. Even loving, supportive relationships can feel strained under exhaustion, stress, shifting roles, and the emotional weight of this season.
Many women quietly feel lonely, unseen, resentful, or disconnected in ways they never expected.
Your nervous system is under constant demand. Your sleep is disrupted. Your hormones fluctuate. Your responsibilities multiply.
And if you've experienced trauma, loss, or a difficult birth, your system may still be trying to make sense of what happened.
This is not a personal failure. It's your body and mind responding to an overwhelming season.
I offer maternal mental health therapy in Seattle and online postpartum therapy across Washington, so you can access support from home - even in the most demanding seasons.
Therapy offers a place where you don’t have to keep holding everything together
Together, we may work toward:
- understanding your nervous system responses
- processing difficult or traumatic experiences
- reducing anxiety and overwhelm
- rebuilding self-trust and self-compassion
- creating more steadiness emotionally and physically
- helping you feel more connected to yourself again
We move at a pace that feels manageable and supportive for your system.
How to know when to seek therapy
Pregnancy, postpartum, and early motherhood can shift how you experience yourself, your body, and your life.
Many women quietly grieve parts of the life they once had - even while deeply loving their baby.
You may miss:
your independence
feeling mentally clear or in control
the version of yourself that once felt steady and capable
freedom, flexibility, or space to breathe
You may find yourself worrying about:
career or professional changes
how motherhood is affecting your identity
why this season feels harder than you expected
whether you'll ever fully feel like yourself again
Many women have a hard time saying these things out loud, but these experiences are far more common than most people realize.
For women who are used to pushing through and functioning well under pressure, this season can feel especially disorienting.
Therapy can help you make sense of what you're carrying with more compassion, steadiness, and support for your nervous system.
Why this work matters so deeply to me
I've lived through how vulnerable and overwhelming the perinatal season can be.
After a long and complicated birth, my son was transferred by emergency helicopter to Nationwide Children's Hospital just six hours after he was born. He spent the next 12 days in the NICU, followed by ongoing medical challenges and difficulties with feeding and nursing.
It was one of the most intense seasons of my life. It deepened my understanding of how profoundly birth trauma, fear, and nervous-system overwhelm can affect women during pregnancy and postpartum.
That experience showed me how important support and self-compassion can be during seasons that feel overwhelming.
That experience is part of why my heart remains so connected to supporting women through difficult reproductive and maternal experiences.
Therapy that is collaborative, steady, and paced with care
My work is grounded in evidence-based, trauma-informed approaches that support both emotional wellbeing and nervous-system regulation during pregnancy and postpartum.
We may integrate:
- nervous-system-based approaches
- perinatal CBT strategie
- interpersonal and attachment-informed approaches
- mindfulness and grounding strategies
- compassion-focused therapy
- EMDR therapy or EMDR Intensives
Together, we explore the fears, pressures, and patterns that keep anxiety and trauma feeling so consuming while helping you develop a different relationship with your inner experience.
You do not need to have everything figured out before starting.
We begin where you are.
My approach is:
- steady and collaborative
- nervous-system informed
- trauma-informed and attachment-aware
- paced carefully for overwhelm or dissociation
- adapted to your individual needs
I integrate EMDR with somatic approaches, attachment-based therapy, and grounding and nervous-system regulation work.
Women often tell me they feel safer, more supported, less overwhelmed, and more able to go deeper gradually.
Pregnancy and postpartum can intensify anxiety - even for women who have never struggled with it before.
Therapy for women in Seattle & across Washington
Online therapy can make support more accessible and sustainable, especially during demanding seasons of life.
You don’t need to wait until things feel unbearable to reach out
A free 15-minute consultation is a simple place to start - a chance to talk through what's been feeling heavy and explore what support might feel like.
Birth Trauma & Difficult Reproductive Experiences
Even when things look "fine" from the outside, your body may still be holding the impact of:
- a frightening or unexpected birth
- medical trauma
- NICU experiences
- fertility challenges
- miscarriage or pregnancy loss
- traumatic reproductive procedures
You may feel on edge, disconnected, ashamed, confused, overwhelmed, or numb. These responses are common - and they are not your fault.
I offer birth trauma therapy in Seattle and online EMDR for reproductive trauma across Washington, helping your system settle so you can move through this season with more steadiness and support.
Anxiety in Pregnancy & Postpartum
Pregnancy and postpartum can intensify anxiety - even for women who have never struggled with it before.
You might notice:
- racing thoughts
- intrusive worries
- difficulty sleeping
- feeling overstimulated
- fear of something happening to the baby
- pressure to "do everything right"
These experiences are incredibly common, and they respond well to therapy.
I offer postpartum anxiety therapy in Seattle and online perinatal anxiety support across Washington.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if what I'm feeling is "normal" postpartum?
You don't need to decide whether it's "normal" or not. If you feel overwhelmed, disconnected, anxious, or unlike yourself, that's enough to reach out. We sort through it together - gently and without judgment.
Is this postpartum depression or postpartum anxiety?
Many women experience a blend of both. You don't need a diagnosis to get support. What matters is how you're feeling and what your system needs right now.
What if I'm afraid to say what I'm thinking?
Intrusive thoughts are incredibly common in pregnancy and postpartum - especially for women under pressure. You won't be judged. We talk about them with care, context, and nervous-system understanding.
Can therapy help with birth trauma even if the birth looked "fine" on paper?
Yes. Birth trauma is about how your system experienced the moment - not how it looked from the outside. EMDR and trauma-informed therapy can help your body settle and integrate what happened.
What if I don't feel bonded with my baby?
This is more common than people talk about. Bonding is a process, not a test - and therapy can help you understand what's happening and reconnect at your own pace.
Can we meet online?
Yes. I offer online maternal mental health therapy across Washington, and many women find virtual sessions more accessible and grounding during pregnancy and postpartum.
What if I'm not sure what I need?
You don't have to know. A consultation is simply a conversation - a place to talk through what you're experiencing and explore what support might feel like.
Reaching Out
You don't have to navigate this season alone.
A free 15-minute consultation is a simple way to talk through what you're experiencing and see whether this support feels like the right fit.
A brief, no-pressure conversation to talk through what's been feeling overwhelming and what kind of support might feel most helpful.