Perinatal Mental Health

I have advanced training in perinatal mental health and supporting parenting relationships. Whether you've struggled with infertility, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), birth trauma, NICU stays, breastfeeding, work/life balance, or shifts in your identity and sense of self, support is available—and effective

As a psychologist with specialized training in perinatal mental health, I offer evidence-based therapy that’s tailored to your unique experience. I have my Perinatal Mental Health Certification (PMH-C) from Postpartum Support International and am committed to staying up to date on the latest research regarding perinatal mental health.

Set up a consultation
Hand holding a pregnancy test; Dr. Spitzer offers individuals therapy for those struggling with infertility, miscarriage, infant loss, and difficult decisions in family planning

Infertility and Family Planning

Fertility challenges, reproductive loss, and complex family planning decisions can bring deep emotional pain and uncertainty. You may feel grief, anxiety, or isolation as you navigate a path that others may not fully understand. Through specialized infertility counseling, I provide a compassionate space to process your emotions, strengthen coping strategies, and support your relationships. Whether you’re pursuing fertility treatments, considering alternative paths to parenthood, or coping with unexpected changes, therapy can help you find clarity, resilience, and hope. You don’t have to face this journey alone.

I have experience helping clients navigate:

  • Difficulty Conceiving

  • Miscarriage and Grief

  • IUI, IVF & Reproductive Assistance

  • Donor, Surrogacy, and Adoption

  • Navigating Abortion Decisions                       

  • Fertility Preservation/Egg Freezing

Profile view of a pregnant person; Dr. Spitzer is perinatal mental health certified from the postpartum support international and offers therapy for individuals throughout their pregnancy and postpartum journeys.

Perinatal Mental Health

Bringing a new life into the world is a beautiful and transformative experience, but it can also be accompanied by a range of emotional challenges. The perinatal period, which includes pregnancy and the first year postpartum, is a critical phase that demands specialized support for both the expecting and new parents. In fact, one in five women will develop anxiety and/or depression during pregnancy or after giving birth. Therapy during the perinatal period can include managing stress during pregnancy, preparing for birth and postpartum period, supporting the transition to parenthood, managing your health and self-care, navigating social support, and assessing and treating perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.

Common Reasons to Seek Perinatal Therapy

  • Feeling persistently sad, anxious, or irritable

  • Trouble bonding with your baby

  • Intrusive or scary thoughts you can’t control

  • Guilt or shame about how you're feeling

  • Sleep issues not solely related to the baby

  • A traumatic birth or pregnancy loss

  • Struggles with identity, partner relationships, or self-worth

Image of two hands reaching out towards an infant in an isolate in the NICU with monitors and feeding pump in background; Dr. Spitzer offers individual therapy for parents with children in or recently in the NICU

Coping with a NICU Stay

Having your newborn in the NICU can be an overwhelming, emotional, and exhausting experience. You may be juggling fear for your baby’s health, the stress of medical uncertainty, and feelings of helplessness or guilt. In therapy, we’ll create a safe, supportive space to process your emotions, strengthen coping skills, and help you navigate hospital life while caring for yourself. Whether your NICU stay is short or long, and even after your NICU experience has ended, you don’t have to carry this weight alone—support is here for you.