Postpartum and perinatal counselling in Vancouver, BC.
Support for individuals and couples through pregnancy and the first years of parenthood. In English and Hindi, in Kitsilano and online across BC, with Harshita Agarwal, RCC, PhD.
You might recognize this.
The baby is here, everyone keeps saying congratulations, and you don't feel like yourself. You're exhausted, but your mind won't stop running through everything that could go wrong.
Maybe it started earlier. Pregnancy brought more worry than you expected, or the birth didn't go the way you hoped. Maybe you and your partner keep snapping at each other and can't remember the last real conversation you had.
These experiences are common, and they're treatable. Asking for help doesn't mean you're failing as a parent.
Postpartum anxiety and postpartum depression.
Postpartum anxiety can look like constant worry about the baby's safety, racing thoughts, trouble sleeping even when the baby sleeps, or a tight chest that won't ease. Postpartum depression can feel like sadness, numbness, irritability, or a sense of distance from your baby or the people around you.
Both can begin any time during pregnancy or in the year after birth, and both respond well to support. Counselling gives you a place to say what you're really feeling without being judged, and practical ways to cope day to day.
Support during pregnancy.
Pregnancy can bring up fear about birth, grief from a past loss, or mixed feelings you don't feel allowed to have. Prenatal counselling helps you prepare emotionally, including if a previous birth was frightening or traumatic.
For couples becoming parents.
A new baby changes a relationship overnight. Sleep disappears, roles shift, and old disagreements get louder. Harshita works with couples to divide the load more fairly, stay connected through the hardest months, and work through expectations each partner brings from their own family and culture.
Meet Harshita.
Harshita Agarwal, RCC, PhD, specializes in perinatal and reproductive mental health. She has more than seven years of experience in hospital, community and private practice in Canada and India, and offers sessions in English and Hindi.
Postpartum Counselling FAQ.
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The baby blues are common in the first two weeks after birth and usually pass on their own. If low mood, anxiety or numbness lasts longer than that, or gets in the way of daily life, it's worth reaching out.
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Any time you're struggling. You don't need a diagnosis, and it doesn't have to be severe. Many people come in simply because they don't feel like themselves.
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Yes. Babies are welcome at in-person sessions, and online sessions work well if leaving the house is hard.
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Yes. Sessions are available by secure video anywhere in BC.
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Most extended health plans cover sessions with a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC), and we offer direct billing to most providers.
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If you're having thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, call or text 9-8-8 or go to your nearest emergency room.
Ready to start?
Book a free 15-minute consultation with Harshita, in English or Hindi.