Perinatal Mental Health treatment in Texas
Telehealth psychiatric care for adults — based in Austin, serving patients statewide.
"Perinatal" covers pregnancy through the first year after birth — and it is one of the most common windows for mental health conditions to surface. Perinatal depression and anxiety, postpartum OCD with intrusive thoughts (very common, very frightening, and rarely spoken about), perinatal PTSD and birth trauma, and the rare but serious postpartum psychosis are all treatable. Many parents never reach for help because the perinatal period is portrayed as universally joyful; the lived reality is often more complicated, and silence makes it heavier.
At Eki Mental Health PLLC, we treat what you are actually experiencing — not the version you feel pressured to perform. Our care is medically grounded and culturally responsive, with attention to the disparities Black birthing parents face in maternal mental health, the layered stress of immigration and language, and the realities of single parenting and limited support. This is medical, this is treatable, and it is far more common than you have been told.
Signs you may benefit from treatment
- Persistent sadness, tearfulness, or low mood that doesn't lift
- Anxious worry about the baby or yourself that won't quiet down
- Intrusive thoughts — often about harm coming to the baby — that feel disturbing and unwanted (distinct from psychosis)
- Insomnia even when the baby is sleeping, or dread around bedtime
- Panic attacks — racing heart, shortness of breath, sense of doom
- Rage, irritability, or short fuse that feels unfamiliar
- Feeling disconnected, numb, or detached from the baby
- Intrusive memories, flashbacks, or nightmares about the birth
- Hypervigilance — constantly checking the baby, scanning for threats
- Feeling "not yourself" or like you've lost who you were
- Guilt and shame about your feelings, or fear of being judged a "bad parent"
- Thoughts of self-harm, suicide, or escape
How Eki Mental Health PLLC treats perinatal mental health
Care begins with a comprehensive evaluation that goes beyond a symptom checklist. We review your pregnancy and birth history, breastfeeding status and goals, sleep and recovery, support system, prior mental health history, partner involvement, and any prior medication trials. We screen carefully for postpartum psychosis — a medical emergency that looks different from postpartum depression or OCD and requires urgent intervention.
Eki has continuing education in perinatal mental health and stays current on the evidence for medication safety during pregnancy and lactation. Decisions about medication are made collaboratively — with you, with your OB or midwife when helpful, and using established evidence sources like LactMed and MotherToBaby. We weigh the risks of treatment against the very real risks of untreated perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, rather than defaulting to "wait it out."
Treatment options
1. Medication during pregnancy and lactation
Many SSRIs — sertraline is often first-line — have substantial safety data in pregnancy and breastfeeding, and we use evidence-based resources like LactMed and MotherToBaby to guide decisions. Untreated maternal depression and anxiety carry their own risks for both parent and baby, including impaired bonding, preterm birth, and longer-term developmental effects. Our job is to help you weigh real risks against real risks — not to avoid the conversation.
2. Therapy referrals
Therapy is a core part of perinatal care. We refer to PMH-C-certified (Perinatal Mental Health Certified) therapists in Austin, connect families to Postpartum Support International (PSI) resources, and recommend modalities with strong evidence in this population — interpersonal therapy (IPT) for postpartum depression and perinatal-focused CBT for anxiety and intrusive thoughts.
3. Lifestyle, sleep, and support
Sleep is medicine — and we are realistic that postpartum sleep is not the sleep of a textbook. We work with what you have: partner sleep alternation, daytime help from family or postpartum doulas, brief daily light exposure, gentle movement, and protected stretches of uninterrupted sleep when possible. Small, doable shifts often make outsized differences.
4. Crisis pathway for postpartum psychosis
Postpartum psychosis is rare but serious — a psychiatric emergency that can include rapid mood shifts, confusion, paranoia, hallucinations, and dramatic insomnia within days to weeks of birth. If you or someone you love is experiencing these symptoms, do not wait for an appointment: call 911 or 988 immediately or go to the nearest emergency room. Early treatment dramatically improves outcomes.
What to expect at your first visit
Your first visit is a 60–90 minute comprehensive evaluation. We review your pregnancy and birth history, current symptoms, sleep, breastfeeding plans or status, your OB or midwife and how to coordinate care, and the support system around you. If medication is appropriate, we walk through benefits and risks during pregnancy or lactation in detail — using current evidence — so you can make an informed choice. Many decisions can be made at the first visit; some take a brief follow-up to coordinate with your OB or pediatrician.
Optional: GeneSight pharmacogenomic testing
If you'd like, we can order GeneSight at your first visit — a simple cheek-swab genetic test that analyzes how your body metabolizes psychiatric medications and provides a clinician-facing report to guide prescribing.
Benefits:
- Reduces medication trial-and-error by predicting which medications you're likely to tolerate well
- Identifies medications you may metabolize too quickly (less effective) or too slowly (more side effects)
- Especially useful if you've had a hard time tolerating medications in the past or first-line options haven't worked
- Covers 60+ psychiatric medications — antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, anxiolytics, ADHD meds
- One-time test — your genes don't change, so results stay relevant for life and follow you to future prescribers
- Non-invasive cheek swab; results typically return within 2–3 days
Entirely optional — we only order it if you want it. Insurance coverage varies; we'll review cost and coverage with you before ordering.
Insurance & cost
In-network with Aetna and UnitedHealthcare / Optum; most insured patients pay $20–$60 per visit after benefits. Self-pay rates: $400 initial evaluation, $250 standard follow-up. Superbill provided for out-of-network reimbursement. Full pricing & insurance details →