Women's Counseling Across Life Stages
Women's counseling is therapy shaped around what is happening in your life, at any age: stress from carrying too many roles, strain in a relationship, mood changes during pregnancy or after birth, the menopause transition, or caring for a relative. You set the goals. We offer in-person and telehealth appointments through our Salisbury and Bethesda offices.
Who it helps
Feeling stretched across work, home and everyone else's needs
Sadness or anxiety during pregnancy or after having a baby
Mood or sleep changes around perimenopause
Looking after a parent, partner or child with little time left for yourself
A relationship that leaves you unheard or worn out
Wondering who you are after a big life change
What brings women to counseling
There is no single women's issue, and no two women arrive with the same story. Some want a place to think clearly about a decision. Others are tired in a way that rest does not fix.
Biology and circumstance both play a part. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) notes that depression, anxiety disorders and eating disorders are more common in women than in men, and that some forms of depression are tied to hormonal change: during or after pregnancy, around the menstrual period, and during the menopause transition.
None of that means distress is just hormones. A therapist's job is to listen to your whole situation. If worry or low mood is at the center of it, our pages on anxiety therapy and depression counseling explain how we approach each.
Pregnancy and the months after birth
Many new mothers have brief, mild mood shifts in the first couple of weeks after delivery, often called the baby blues. NIMH explains that symptoms that are severe, or that last longer than 2 weeks after childbirth, may point to postpartum depression. Depression can also begin during pregnancy.
Signs can include a persistent sad, anxious or empty mood, trouble bonding with the baby, and withdrawing from people close to you. The Office on Women's Health is clear that any woman can become depressed during pregnancy or after having a baby, and that it does not make you a bad mother.
NIMH says treatment usually includes therapy, medication, or both. Counseling can help you understand and cope with what you are feeling. Any decision about medication belongs with you and your prescriber.
When to get help immediately
If you have thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, call or text 988 or call 911. Our office does not provide emergency services.
NIMH describes postpartum psychosis as a psychiatric emergency. If you or someone near you sees signs of it, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Perimenopause and menopause
The years around menopause can bring irritability, crying spells, and nights when it is hard to stay asleep. The Office on Women's Health notes that many women also report trouble with memory or focus during perimenopause.
These mood changes are usually not the same as depression. Still, the Office on Women's Health says the risk for depression and anxiety is higher around menopause, and it recommends seeing a health care provider if you have symptoms of either. Therapy is one of the treatments a provider may recommend.
Counseling at this stage is often about more than symptoms. Midlife can coincide with children leaving, aging parents, career shifts and changes in a long relationship.
Caregiving, role overload and relationships
The Office on Women's Health describes caregiver stress as the emotional and physical strain of caregiving. Signs include feeling overwhelmed, feeling alone or isolated, and feeling worried or sad often. It reports that more women caregivers than men caregivers say they have stress and other health problems.
Role overload does not require a formal caregiving role. Being the one who remembers everything, plans everything and absorbs everyone's moods is its own kind of weight.
In therapy you can look at what you are carrying, what can be shared or set down, and how to ask for that. When the strain sits inside a partnership, couples counseling lets you both work on it.
How we work with you
Therapy here is a conversation, not a lecture. Several of our clinicians use cognitive behavioral therapy, which NIMH names as one of the evidence-based therapies for perinatal depression.
Start where you are. At your first visit, your therapist invites you to share what has been going on and what you would like to be different.
Choose what matters most. You pick the goals. They can be as concrete as sleeping through the night or as broad as feeling like yourself again.
Meet regularly. Weekly sessions are typically recommended at the beginning, and you and your therapist decide on the schedule.
Try things between visits. You may get a small piece of homework, such as practicing one conversation or protecting one hour for yourself.
Scheduling, insurance and fees
Appointments are available in person and by telehealth. Telehealth depends on where you are located during the session, so ask when you call 443-978-8688.
Coverage depends on your plan. Our insurance and fees page lists accepted plans, self-pay rates and the Sliding Fee Program. The new patients page explains how to begin, and our article on women's mental health across life stages goes deeper on these topics.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a diagnosis or a crisis to start counseling?
No. Many women come because they feel overloaded, stuck or unlike themselves, without anything they would call a disorder. A first session is a conversation about what has been going on and what you want from therapy. If your therapist thinks a specific condition may be involved, they will talk with you about it openly.
What is the difference between the baby blues and postpartum depression?
The baby blues are brief, mild mood shifts in the first couple of weeks after delivery. The National Institute of Mental Health says symptoms that are severe or that last longer than 2 weeks after childbirth may be postpartum depression. Only a clinician can tell you which you are experiencing. If you have thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, call or text 988 or call 911.
Can therapy help with mood changes in perimenopause?
It can. The Office on Women's Health says the risk for depression and anxiety is higher around menopause and that a health care provider may recommend therapy, medicine or both. Counseling can help with mood, stress and the life changes that often arrive at the same time. Talk with your medical provider about physical symptoms and any medication questions.
I look after everyone else. Is that enough of a reason to come?
Yes. The Office on Women's Health lists feeling overwhelmed, feeling alone and feeling worried or sad often among the signs of caregiver stress. You do not have to wait until you are at a breaking point. Therapy can be the one hour in the week that is about you.
Can my partner come to a session?
We work with individuals, couples and families, so that is possible. Some women start on their own and later invite a partner in. Others begin together in couples counseling. Tell us what you have in mind when you call and we will help you choose the right kind of appointment.
Does insurance cover women's counseling?
Coverage depends on your plan, so please verify your mental health benefits before your first visit. We accept plans including CareFirst / Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Humana, Medicaid, Medicare, Tricare and UnitedHealthcare. Without insurance, the initial assessment is $150 and individual therapy is $130 for 45 to 50 minutes. A Sliding Fee Program based on household income and family size is available.
Is telehealth an option if I cannot get away from home?
Yes. Telehealth appointments are available, which can help when childcare, caregiving or work makes travel hard. Telehealth depends on where you are located during the session, so ask when you call. You will want a spot where you can talk privately for the length of the visit.
Ready to talk with someone?
Call 443-978-8688 or request an appointment. We see clients in person in Salisbury and Bethesda and by telehealth across Maryland.
Sources
If you are in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988. In an emergency, call 911.
