Perinatal & Postpartum Anxiety Therapy in Northern Virginia
Specialized Perinatal Anxiety, OCD & Mental Health Care in Vienna, McLean, Arlington, and Throughout Virginia
Intrusive thoughts. Constant anxiety. A mind that won’t settle.
Pregnancy and postpartum can bring profound emotional changes—sometimes in ways that feel completely unexpected, alarming, or out of character. You might find yourself questioning everything: your thoughts, your reactions, and your ability to trust your own mind.
From the outside, it might look like you are holding everything together perfectly. But on the inside, you may be drowning in constant worry, panic, or quiet isolation.
You are not alone, you are not a bad mother, and you don't have to carry this weight by yourself.
Common Challenges During Pregnancy and Postpartum
Many new and expecting parents come to therapy wondering whether what they are experiencing is part of the transition to parenthood—or whether something more is going on. Pregnancy and early motherhood can intensify patterns around anxiety, uncertainty, control, and responsibility.
We provide specialized care for:
Perinatal & Postpartum Anxiety: Constant worry, panic, worst-case-scenario thinking, difficulty relaxing, and feeling unable to trust that things are okay.
Perinatal OCD & Intrusive Thoughts: Unwanted thoughts or images about harm, contamination, mistakes, responsibility, or safety that become difficult to dismiss, often followed by checking, avoidance, reassurance seeking, mental reviewing, or other compulsions.
Pregnancy After Loss & High-Risk Pregnancy: Heightened anxiety, hypervigilance, and difficulty feeling safe following medical complications or previous reproductive trauma.
Understanding Distressing Intrusive Thoughts
If you are experiencing disturbing, unwanted mental images, impulses, or “what-if” scenarios, you may feel frightened by what these thoughts seem to say about you. An intrusive thought is not the same thing as an intention or desire to act. In OCD, these thoughts are often deeply distressing precisely because they conflict with what matters to you.
Some people respond by checking, avoiding certain situations, seeking reassurance, mentally reviewing what happened, or trying to prove to themselves that the thought does not mean anything. These responses can unintentionally keep the anxiety cycle going.
If you are struggling to understand why your brain is generating these images, read our article on Why Intrusive Thoughts Feel So Real Postpartum.
How Perinatal Therapy Helps You Regain Steadiness
Our psychologists provide specialized care for perinatal anxiety, perinatal OCD, intrusive thoughts, pregnancy after loss, birth trauma, and the emotional challenges of pregnancy and early parenthood.
Treatment is supportive while remaining clinically structured. Depending on your concerns and goals, therapy may incorporate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and other evidence-based approaches.
Our Perinatal Psychologists
Dr. Erin Cook, PsyD, PMH-C
Dr. Erin Cook is a psychologist specializing in perinatal mental health and perinatal OCD. She works with women experiencing anxiety, intrusive thoughts, OCD, pregnancy after loss, birth trauma, and the emotional transition into parenthood. Her approach integrates specialized OCD treatment with an understanding of the relational and emotional changes that can accompany pregnancy and early parenthood.
Dr. Amber Morris, PsyD, PMH-C
Dr. Amber Morris is a perinatal psychologist specializing in perinatal mental health, OCD, and trauma. Her clinical work includes supporting women experiencing pregnancy and postpartum mood and anxiety disorders.
What to Expect From Therapy
In our sessions together, we will:
Provide a safe, confidential, and nonjudgmental space to talk openly about what you're experiencing.
Identify the patterns that may be keeping you stuck in anxiety, hypervigilance, avoidance, or compulsive behaviors.
Use evidence-based strategies to help you respond differently to anxiety and uncertainty and move toward greater confidence in yourself.
If you are used to functioning at a high level in other areas of your life, it can feel especially unsettling when pregnancy or parenthood makes your mind feel less predictable. We help you understand what's happening, develop practical tools for responding differently, and reconnect with the parts of life that matter to you.
In-Person in Vienna & Online Throughout Virginia and Beyond
We provide specialized perinatal therapy in person in Vienna, Virginia, and through online therapy for clients throughout Virginia and other states where our psychologists are authorized to practice.
Our psychologists provide care for women in Vienna, McLean, Arlington, Northern Virginia, and communities throughout Virginia, as well as clients who are eligible for telehealth through PSYPACT.
Online therapy makes it possible to access specialized perinatal care from home, which can be especially helpful during pregnancy and early parenthood.
We also offer specialized in-person therapy in Vienna, Virginia, easily accessible for families in nearby McLean and Arlington, through our partnership with the Beehive Wellness community. You can read their introduction to our practice here.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Perinatal anxiety refers to significant or persistent anxiety that occurs during pregnancy or after having a baby. It can involve excessive worry, panic, difficulty relaxing, fear that something bad will happen, or feeling unable to trust your own decisions. Anxiety can also show up through physical symptoms, avoidance, reassurance seeking, or constant attempts to make sure everything is okay.
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Perinatal anxiety and perinatal OCD can overlap, but they often involve different patterns. Perinatal OCD typically includes unwanted intrusive thoughts, images, or fears that become stuck and are followed by compulsions such as checking, reassurance seeking, avoidance, mental reviewing, or other attempts to feel certain or safe. A person can experience both anxiety and OCD during pregnancy or postpartum. A psychologist can help you understand the pattern you're experiencing and determine what type of treatment may be helpful.
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Unwanted intrusive thoughts about harm can occur during pregnancy and postpartum and do not, by themselves, mean that you want to act on them. In perinatal OCD, these thoughts are often deeply distressing because they conflict with the person's values and intentions. When intrusive thoughts become frequent, distressing, or lead to checking, avoidance, reassurance seeking, or other compulsions, specialized OCD treatment can help.
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Perinatal OCD can begin during pregnancy or after childbirth. Some people experience OCD for the first time during the perinatal period, while others notice existing OCD symptoms intensify around pregnancy, childbirth, or the transition to parenthood.
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Therapy depends on your symptoms, history, and goals. Treatment may incorporate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and other evidence-based approaches. Therapy may focus on reducing avoidance and compulsive behaviors, responding differently to uncertainty, understanding intrusive thoughts, and developing greater confidence in navigating pregnancy and parenthood.
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Yes. Red Elm provides specialized treatment for postpartum anxiety, postpartum OCD, intrusive thoughts, panic, and other perinatal mental health concerns. We work with women during pregnancy, postpartum, and the transition into early parenthood.
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Yes. Red Elm provides online perinatal therapy throughout Virginia, in addition to in-person therapy in Vienna. Our psychologists may also provide telehealth to clients in other states where they are authorized to practice, including through PSYPACT.
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You don't need to wait until symptoms become overwhelming. Therapy may be helpful if anxiety, intrusive thoughts, panic, compulsive behaviors, or constant worry are interfering with your sleep, relationships, daily life, or ability to feel present during pregnancy or early parenthood. A consultation can also simply be an opportunity to talk through what you're experiencing and determine whether specialized care makes sense for you.
If what you're reading feels familiar, you don't have to navigate this alone. Reach out today to schedule a consultation, ask questions, and discover a clear path forward.