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Reproductive Mental Health Services

We help people and their families who are dealing with mental health challenges and disorders before, during, and after pregnancy and birth.
Our Services

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Services for Patients

We provide the following services:  

  • Assess and treat people with mental health disorders who are pregnant and have given birth. 
  • Provide pre-pregnancy consultation for people with psychiatric illness who are thinking about pregnancy and want advice about management of their illness before, during, and after pregnancy and birth.  
  • Provide a group educational session about premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). 
Services for patients take the following forms: 
  • Help from a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals including psychiatrists, counsellors, social workers, and dietitians.
  • Individual, couples or group psychotherapy
  • Access to health information and other programs for patients, their partners and families
Your doctor, nurse practitioner or midwife must refer you to our clinic. 

Group Therapy

Please note that to participate in any of the below groups you must be a Reproductive Mental Health patient.  Learn more about the referral process here.‎

 

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy group uses both cognitive behavioural therapy and mindful meditation to deal with current stressors as well as distressing thoughts and feelings. 


The goal is to help patients accept and observe their thoughts and feelings without judgement and negativity. Come join other moms and learn how to handle the stressors of motherhood and life in general with patience, confidence, and mindful acceptance.

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Join us in a safe, non-judgmental environment where you will meet other moms and learn ways to manage the transition to motherhood. You are not alone. Group size of eight people. 

 
This is a four week introductory group to emotional regulation and anger. The sessions are 75 minutes long.  The group size will be limited to 5 participants. 

We will discuss anger in general and within the context of perinatal depression. We will cover strategies to manage anger including: 
  • mindfulness
  • radical acceptance
  • cognitive behavioral strategies
  • self-care
It will be partially experimental (including practicing mindfulness and completing cognitive behaviour therapy exercises) and partly discussion.

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This is an 8-week skill-development closed group that focuses on supporting members to learn self-compassion skills during the group meetings. The sessions are 75 minutes long.  The group size will be limited to 6 participants. 

Adapted from the Mindful Self-Compassion Program, with a motherhood and postpartum cognition awareness, this group targets mothers that are psychologically minded and have good self-awareness, with mild symptoms of postpartum depression or in remission.

 
The Circle of Security Parenting Program is based on decades of research about how secure parent-child relationships can be supported and strengthened. Group size of six people. 

Parents and caregivers will learn to:
  • Understand their child’s emotional world by learning to read emotional needs
  • Support their child’s ability to successfully manage emotions
  • Enhance the development of their child's self-esteem
  • Honour the innate wisdom and desire for their child to be secure

 

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for partners uses both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and mindful Meditation to deal with current stressors as well as distressing thoughts and feelings.


This group is designed to provide partners with the tools to navigate this new life period, and learn how to handle the stressors of parenthood and life in general with patience, confidence, and mindful acceptance.


Participants must be a partner of a current patient. Patients can sign their partners up. 

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Severe premenstrual syndrome, otherwise known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder can be debilitating. Women have aptly described this time of the month as an “emotional rollercoaster”.

In this workshop conducted online via Zoom, we will explore the causes and learn ways to better manage and understand symptoms. You are not alone. Group size of sixteen people.





Appointments

1How to make an appointment

When your referral form is submitted, you will be contacted to set up an appointment.  The referral form must be completed by a doctor, nurse practitioner, or midwife.

2Before your visit

Please bring any medications that you are currently taking to your appointment.

Read about What to Expect During Your First Visit to prepare for your appointment. 

For in-person appointments 

  • Our clinic is a family-friendly space so feel free to bring your infant. 
  • Allow yourself adequate time to find parking 

For online appointments 

  • You must be physically located in B.C. or we will not be able to have the appointment. 
  • If you are concerned that your mood, anxiety or ability to function are getting worse while you are waiting to be seen, your referring healthcare provider can call the clinic at (604) 875-2025.

3During your visit

Your first appointment will last approximately one to one and a half hours long. 

At your first appointment, you will be see a psychiatrist, ideally in-person or virtually if necessary. Our psychiatrists are medical doctors specializing in the mental health of pregnant and postpartum women.

The psychiatrist will ask you many questions in order to understand what your main concerns are and how they can help you. These questions may include inquiries about:

  • any previous mental health symptoms and/or diagnosis and any treatment you received
  • any family history of mental illness 
  • your early childhood experiences

We will treat all your information as confidential and will only share information with your referring provider and other healthcare providers you may choose.

At the end of the appointment, you and the psychiatrist will discuss your situation and treatment options available to you, including psychological treatment and treatment with medications. 

You may be referred for a follow-up appointment with the psychiatrist or another member of the multidisciplinary team. These may be limited to one to four appointments. There may also be opportunities to participate in group therapy or attend educational sessions with other parents.

4After your visit

If possible, we recommend that you allow yourself some time and space for self-care and processing after the appointment, before returning to work or other commitments.


Resources

Explore the following resources to gain knowledge and discover the tools you need to support your mental health throughout your reproductive journey.

 

Postpartumcare.ca is an evidence-based website that provides new parents who are struggling with postpartum depression and/or postpartum anxiety symptoms with access to:

  • Educational materials on topics such as causes and diagnosis, and self-care
  • Stories from parent peers, and peer support
  • Links to BC-based resources
  • A mood and anxiety tracker

Visit www.postpartumcare.ca for more information. 

 

This website was co-developed based on research led by a dedicated team at the Women's Health Research Institute, and with insights from BC Women's Hospital and Health Centre (BCWH) clinical experts.  Learn more here.


 

The BC Reproductive Mental Health Program developed two self-care guides on: 

  1. Coping with Depression During Pregnancy and Following the Birth
  2. Coping with Anxiety During Pregnancy and Following the Birth 

These self-care guides are for both healthcare providers and people who may be experiencing mental health challenges during pregnancy and after birth. The guides are meant to: 


  • Educate healthcare providers and people on signs and symptoms of anxiety or depression before and after birth 
  • Educate people and healthcare providers on the available treatment options 
  • Support the collaboration between people and healthcare providers on their own treatment and recovery, by using exercises and other lifestyle changes 

 

To learn more about different mental health disorders some may experience during the reproductive cycle including during pregnancy and after birth, visit the following links to watch the videos developed by BC Reproductive Mental Health.


This is Michelle's story of anxiety and depression, deciding to take antidepressants during pregnancy, and how the Reproductive Mental Health Program supported her to feel confident that she could be a great mother.

This is Ava's story of depression in pregnancy and postpartum as a member of the Chinese community, and how the Reproductive Mental Health Program and Mindfulness-Based Interventions supported her recovery.

The animated video below describes the personal journey women take in deciding whether or not to take antidepressant medication during pregnancy.  It was created in the hopes that others can understand the complexities of making such a decision, while facing internal and external pressures.  It was based on the research of Dr. Catriona Hippman.

 

The following Fact Sheets, produced by the BC Reproductive Mental Health Program, share information on different disorders including how they may present, possible treatment options, and resources.


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