The Village Postpartum Group

Of course! This is one of the main reasons we run this group virtually – we know you have a lot on your plate. This is a baby/child friendly, informal, do what you need to do, kind of group. Other participants will have their babies with them too, feeding, napping, playing. And yes, crying babies are welcome too.

The 8 week group costs $65/wee for a total of $520. Most insurance companies do cover the cost of group therapy if you have coverage for Registered Social Work services. We highly suggest you speak with your provider to ensure they do cover group therapy, and explain to them that it is not a support group – it is led by a Registered Social Worker.

We may be biased, but we think group therapy always helps! This group is truly a foundation in maternal mental health, and gives you the building blocks to feel better. Some folks will find they have “sticky parts” – things that are extra difficult, or that may need some 1:1 attention, such as a trauma, intense mood or anxiety challenges, or ongoing relationship distress, for example. If resources are not a barrier, we suggest participating in a group, and then following up with individual therapy if you notice those sticky parts haven’t shifted for you. Many folks do the group and find it so helpful, they opt not to do individual therapy afterwards – others will do both at one point or another. If you are someone with a history of significant mental health challenges, are dealing with very distressing symptoms day to day, or have limited resources for therapy, we would recommend booking a consult or trying individual therapy first and getting some individual guidance on a treatment plan from an experienced perinatal therapist.

There is no pressure to speak up in a therapeutic group setting – some people need to be a bit of an observer for a while to build comfort in a group setting. And no one will ever force you to speak! There is definitely a benefit to going outside of your comfort zone and opening up as you feel able to – the more you engage, the more you have to gain. And, when you step outside of your comfort zone, and do the thing that scares you, you teach your body one of two things: one, it wasn’t that scary after all, or two, it was scary, and you survived it. Either way, you reduce your social anxiety moving forward. With that said, you know yourself best. You may not yet have the mental space or capacity to push yourself – and that’s a-okay. You might feel more comfortable doing individual therapy, and your therapist can cover the group content with you 1:1 if you’d like!

We like to keep the group small to provide a bit of intimacy, and to allow for each member to have the time and space to share and participate. With that in mind, we cap the group enrollment at 8 participants.

You don’t have to choose! They are both really great options, and in a perfect world, we’d love it if every new parent could experience group therapy and individual therapy. The benefits of group are that you build a community of like-minded parents who you can be in an authentic relationship with – you can talk about all the hard things and know you are safe from judgment. You can open up and be supported, and have your experiences validated. You also receive a real foundational education in maternal mental health – why it’s hard, and what to do to feel better and build your resiliency to manage the ups and downs.

Individual therapy is better suited to work through specific challenges in greater depth; you might find individual therapy more supportive if you are seeking support around issues like birth or reproductive trauma, significant anxiety or mood challenges, shifting problematic thought patterns and mindsets, processing childhood wounds and trauma, and painful family dynamics.

Many folks will do the group to build community, feel seen and understood, and create a coping tool kit, and then take this as a jumping off point for in-depth individual work on areas they may have realized need further tending. If you aren’t sure which option is best, please feel free to reach out to us at hello@wholefamilypsychotherapy.com and we would be happy to help you decide which option might best suit your individual needs.

Because this is a closed group – meaning no new participants can join part-way through, joining this group is a commitment to attend the entire duration of group.  Missed sessions are not reimbursed, but you will be caught up by the therapist and all materials will be sent to you.