Therapy for Pregnancy in Seattle, Bainbridge Island, Kitsap Peninsula + Washington Statewide

it's about more than the baby - it's about you, too.
Close-up of a woman holding a newborn baby in her arms, with the baby wearing a cream-colored striped outfit and the woman dressed in a light-colored sweater.

  • Pregnancy anxiety is one of the main experiences that I treat + the #1 reason I see pregnant women in my practice. If it’s happening to you, you aren’t alone.

    Pregnancy anxiety is when fear, worry, and/or “what if” thoughts take over and make it hard to feel present and balanced. You might be anxious about your baby’s health, your changing body, the upcoming birth, or whether you’ll be a “good enough” mom.

    Many people don’t talk openly about these feelings because it’s taboo. Stigma, fear of judgment, or simply not knowing that they don’t have to suffer through this stops any women. However, these feelings are incredibly common, and they don’t mean anything is wrong with you — just that you need and deserve support.

  • These are examples of feelings and experiences some moms face during pregnancy. This list isn’t exhaustive — every pregnancy is different, and your feelings are valid no matter what.

    • You’re constantly worried about your birth plan, and watching birth classes only makes the anxiety worse.

    • You find yourself feeling tearful or irritable over things that didn’t bother you before.

    • You’re having trouble sleeping, even when you’re exhausted, and it’s affecting your mood.

    • You feel disconnected from your baby or unsure how to bond before birth.

    • You struggle to focus on everyday tasks because your mind is racing or overwhelmed.

    • Physical symptoms like a pounding heart, nausea, or restlessness come on without a clear cause.

    • You’ve experienced postpartum anxiety or depression before and worry it might happen again.

    • You’ve had anxiety or depression at other times in your life, and pregnancy feels triggering.

    • You feel alone with your feelings, even if friends and family don’t understand what you’re going through.

    Maybe you’re experiencing all of these things. Maybe you’re experiencing one.

    Whatever you’re feeling, I’m here to assure you that pregnancy doesn’t have to feel this way. You can feel better again with support.

My Approach to Therapy During Pregnancy and Trying to Conceive

One of the main experiences I treat is Pregnancy Anxiety. Growing a baby is more than a physical process; it’s emotional, too. You’re becoming a new person alongside your baby. It’s not easy for any woman, but for moms who experience stress and anxiety during pregnancy, it can feel especially hard.

Being pregnant is hard.

Maybe you’re feeling sad or guilty because you aren’t connecting with your baby or your intuition in the way you thought you would. Or you’re really, really tired - like way more tired than you’ve ever felt in your life. You know it’s different than the exhaustion of caring for a newborn, and it’s making it incredibly difficult to feel like the kind of parent you expected to be. Or you might be wondering if you made a mistake by becoming a mom, because it’s that hard.

I totally get where you are.

When you work with me, you’re met with compassion and understanding. From the moment we talk, you know that you’re not alone. The specialized treatment I provide for PPD is highly individualized. I draw on my training and expertise in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and motivational interviewing (MI) to come alongside your goals & your situation. Together we will explore your symptoms and come up with.a treatment plan that helps you find connection, confidence, and relief.

And want you to know there’s hope.

I want you to know that there is hope. What you’re experiencing sounds like Postpartum Depression. I want you to know that it’s much more common than most people realize.

You don’t have to keep living this way. It is possible to start feeling the joy you were expecting in motherhood. With the support of a therapist in Seattle or Bainbridge Island, you can start feeling better. Please connect with me today so we can get started.

Prenatal Stress + Anxiety FAQs

  • Many women learn that their experience goes beyond the baby blues when they meet with their OBGYN or midwife at the 6-week or 8-week postpartum visit. It is routine practice for medical providers to screen women for PPD at that time.

    Other women do not start experiencing symptoms PPD until later in the first year postpartum. It is common for PPD to show up at 3-months postpartum, 6-month postpartum, and even later.

    Rule of thumb: if you think you are experiencing PPA, you probably are.

    Here are the common signs and symptoms of PPD:

    • Feeling disconnected or like you haven’t bonded with your child

    • Being anxious, angry, or irritable

    • Crying and sadness

    • Feeling hopeless

    • Not being interested in things you used to enjoy

    • Trouble sleeping

    • Wondering if you made a mistake by having a child

    • Recurrent thoughts about death or suicide

    • Being overly tired, even if you’ve slept

    As you can see, this lists general and doesn’t capture the nuances of your personal experience.

    When you start working with me, we will discuss the specifics of what’s happening for you. Together we can decide if postpartum depression is impacting you.

  • This is not your fault. Nothing that you did or didn’t do caused this. You are not alone, and you will feel better with support and care.

    We don’t have a clear answer for why one woman experiences postpartum depression (PPD) or postpartum anxiety (PPA) while another does not. But we can identify risk factors that make I more likely for a woman to experience PPA or PPD. These include:

    • experiencing depression or anxiety during or before pregnancy

    • medical conditions such as diabetes or thyroid issues

    • a history of PMS

    • a history of sexual trauma or abuse

    • a family history of postpartum mood disorders

    • pregnancy loss or infant loss

    • Being a parent to multiples

    • Having a baby in the NICU

    • Relationship issues

    • Financial struggles

    • Being a single mother

    • Not having a support network

    • Challenges with breastfeedig

  • Yes, many women experience both postpartum depression (PPD) and postpartum anxiety (PPA) at the same time.

    These two experiences can feed into each other.

    If this sounds like you, I’m here to support you. I can help you learn more about where your anxiety and depression symptoms come from, how they’re connected, and how you can feel better.

WOMEN WHO GET POSTPARTUM SUPPORT TEND TO FEEL BETTER QUICKLY, AND THAT INCLUDES YOU.

Hi! I’m Dr. Julie Franks

YOUR WASHINGTON MENTAL HEALTH THERAPIST FOR POSTPARTUM WOMEN

First, I’m so glad you’re here. I know how hard it is to admit that you’re struggling emotionally when you’re a new mom. The fact that you’re here shows me that you’re ready to commit to your wellbeing.

You’re not alone, and I’m here to help.

My name is Dr. Julie Franks, and I go by Dr. Julie. I’m an experienced therapist for women, a social work educator, and a toddler mom. Even though I have a pretty snazzy education and more than a decade of experience as a clinical social work therapist, I consider my experience as a mother to be my most important credential. I had to go through infertility and postpartum anxiety myself to truly get it.

I specialize in maternal mental health and exclusively serve women who are facing infertility, pregnancy loss, or who are pregnant, postpartum, and in the early years of motherhood. Most of the women who work with me have children who are elementary school aged or younger.

My virtual office is located on Bainbridge Island. I offer online therapy sessions to women who reside in Washington State.

A woman with shoulder-length brown hair, smiling, wearing a peach-colored blazer and light-colored shirt, standing with crossed arms against a plain wall.

Ready to get started?

Even though postpartum depression is more common than most people realize, many new mothers don’t get the emotional support they need. I understand how isolating, exhausting, and invisible it can be. You don’t have to do this alone; we can do it together.