Pregnancy and Early Childhood within Psychological Therapies

We recognise that  pregnancy and early parenthood can be both an exciting and overwhelming time. Becoming a parent is a major life change, with role changes and a mixture of emotions.

As many as 1 in 5 women can experience emotional difficulties and 1 in 3 new fathers/partners are concerned about their mental health during this time. This can happen to anyone. It is not your fault.

Asking for help doesn’t mean you can’t cope or can’t care for your child and it is very rare that children are taken away from their parents but it is the start of getting the right help to ensure you can be the parent you want to be.

"Just after 4 sessions I felt like a weight had been lifted; I was able to stop the intrusive thoughts in their tracks and as a result I felt less anxious. By the end of therapy, my anxiety had completely gone and I felt like a new person and a better mother because I was in control again’’ (Mum who accessed this service).

Manchester Psychological Therapies is a Talking Therapies service and offer primarily Counselling and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). We prioritise Perinatal clients – expectant parents and their partners at any stage of pregnancy, and parents or main caregivers to a child up to the age of 24 months. We usually offer 12 sessions of 1-1 support (face-to-face, video or telephone) and we also run groups, such as in Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), designed for the Perinatal period.  PCFT GROUP POSTER.docx [docx] 978KB

• We welcome people from all ethnic backgrounds.

• We welcome families with different structures and different needs: same sex couples, different sex couples, single parents, surrogate mothers, trans parents, adoptive parents, parents raising gender neutral children and many more.

Pregnancy and Early Parenthood within IAPT Services leaflet  GMMH139 Perinatal and Early Pregnancy IAPT Service Leaflet.pdf [pdf] 430KB

Our services aim to keep both parents and the infant in mind, making our services as accessible as possible with appointment flexibility, locations in family friendly venues and priority for assessment and treatment. Our service welcomes and prioritises individuals who are pregnant, or parents with children under 2, including mums, dads and same sex partners.

If you feel that you’re struggling, you can self-refer or you can ask your GP to refer you via self-help services. They will talk to you, and arrange an assessment with you, to see how best we can help.  

"I was referred to this service through my health visitor, as I had high anxiety due to the health of my premature baby. The counsellor I worked with was sensitive to my needs as a new Mum, and gave me the skills I could use throughout my lifetime. I no longer suffer from anxiety and can put my energy into providing the best experience for my baby. The help I have received has been invaluable" (Mum who accessed the service).