Perinatal Mental Health Care
Compassionate, collaborative care for parents and families through the many transitions of family-building and parenthood
The journey to and through parenthood can bring moments of profound joy, connection, and growth—but it can also bring unexpected challenges. As your body, relationships, identity, and daily life change, it is natural to experience a wide range of emotions. Whether you are navigating reproductive challenges, preparing to welcome a baby, adjusting to life after birth, experiencing loss, or simply trying to make sense of this new chapter, you do not have to do it alone.
At Mala, we believe that caring for parents is an essential part of caring for families. Our multidisciplinary perinatal team provides compassionate, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and neurodivergent-affirming care throughout the many experiences of becoming and being a parent. We are here to support you with evidence-based treatment, meaningful connection, and a deep understanding of the complexities of this season of life.
What Is Perinatal Mental Health?
Perinatal mental health refers to the emotional, psychological, and social well-being of individuals as they navigate becoming and being a parent. This may include experiences related to fertility, pregnancy, birth, postpartum adjustment, and early parenthood.
This transition can bring significant changes to your body, relationships, identity, and daily life. It can also bring stress, anxiety, grief, uncertainty, or a sense of losing—or rediscovering—parts of yourself. Support may focus on navigating challenges, adjusting to change, strengthening relationships, or simply having space to process the many experiences that come with this time of life.
Common Reasons People Seek Perinatal Support:
Perinatal mental health support can be helpful during many different experiences and transitions related to becoming and being a parent.
Support may be helpful for:
Feelings of anxiety, uncertainty, or worry during pregnancy, postpartum, or early parenthood.
Feeling unlike yourself, emotionally overwhelmed, or disconnected from your sense of identity.
Navigating difficult thoughts or fears that may occur during pregnancy and postpartum.
Processing pregnancy loss, reproductive challenges, or unexpected changes in your family-building journey.
Healing from a difficult birth experience or processing a birth that did not go as expected.
Exploring feelings of connection with your baby and navigating the evolving relationship between parent and child.
Navigating changes in relationships, family dynamics, and connection with partners, co-parents, and family members.
Understanding and supporting your own neurodivergent needs while navigating the emotional, sensory, and practical experiences of parenthood.
Comprehensive Support for Parents and Families
Our multidisciplinary team works together to provide coordinated support across the emotional, relational, sensory, and practical dimensions of perinatal experiences.
Support may include:
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Individual therapy to help you process emotions, navigate challenges, strengthen coping strategies, and better understand yourself during this transition.
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Medication management with providers who understand the unique considerations of pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond.
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Couples and family therapy to help navigate changing roles, communication, and connection.
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Group support to build connection through shared experiences with others navigating similar transitions.
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Speech & language therapy offers parental guidance and support for infants and toddlers to meet their communication milestones.
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Occupational therapy services to support sensory needs, feeding challenges, routines, and the daily experiences of early parenthood.
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Collaboration with healthcare providers and community resources to support your overall well-being
What Makes Mala’s Approach Different
At Mala Child & Family Institute, our collaborative, holistic, and multidisciplinary care model ensures that treatment is tailored to your unique experiences, needs, and goals. Our approach recognizes that pregnancy and parenthood are experienced differently by every individual. We consider the broader context of each person's life—including relationships, family dynamics, culture, and neurodivergence—to provide care that is responsive to who you are and what matters most to you.
Our clinicians draw from a range of evidence-based approaches to support emotional well-being, relationships, and adjustment throughout the perinatal period.
Depending on your needs, therapeutic treatment may incorporate:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
Psychoeducation
Attachment-informed approaches
Trauma-informed interventions
Family-systems approaches.
These approaches can help you better understand your experiences, develop effective coping strategies, strengthen relationships, process difficult experiences, and navigate the many changes that come with becoming and being a parent. In addition to therapeutic support, psychiatry services, occupational therapy, speech therapy, group support, and couples or family therapy can be utilized in tandem to provide comprehensive, whole-person care.
Meet Mala’s Perinatal Mental Health Team
master’s level psychologist
Farmington Hills & Virtual
Ready to Get Started?
Whether you or your partner are pregnant, planning to be, navigating pregnancy loss, adjusting to parenthood, or anything in between — we are here.