Center for Perinatal Bonding and Support
Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, like postpartum depression, are the most common complication of pregnancy, affecting nearly 20 percent of people during pregnancy and the postpartum year. You are not alone and help is available.
The Center for Perinatal Bonding and Support offers specialized, knowledgeable and timely care to prevent and treat perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, and strengthen attachment. By offering compassionate, nonjudgmental, short-term care and consultations, we hope to reduce the shame and stigma that surrounds perinatal mental health. We believe meeting mental health needs in pregnancy and postpartum can have a positive, generational impact on families.
Reproductive Psychiatry sees patients as part of enrollment within the Day Program. If you are not interested in the Day Program but would like to meet with a psychiatrist to discuss medication management, please call 206-386-3863.
Being a new parent is hard. Possibly the hardest thing you’ll ever have to do. Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, like postpartum depression, are the most common complication of pregnancy, affecting nearly 1 in 5 in pregnancy or through the postpartum year. If you feel anxious or depressed, or if something just doesn’t feel right, know that you’re not alone. Help is available.
The Day Program is an intensive health program that serves birthing parents up to one year postpartum. The program was developed to address perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADS) that are significantly impacting daily life and/or connection to baby. This includes conditions like postpartum depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and postpartum psychosis (once active psychosis is resolved). The goal of an intensive program is to help parents feel better more quickly than they might with once or twice weekly outpatient therapy.
- Individual and group therapy drawing from evidenced-based interventions including cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy
- Discussions of pregnancy and birth experiences, relationships and identity
- Support with bonding with baby
- The opportunity to connect with others experiencing similar symptoms
- Activities like baby massage, yoga and art therapy
- Discharge planning with partners or other supports
- Medication evaluation and management (if needed)
You are encouraged to bring your non-mobile baby. We have cribs, changing tables, bouncy chairs and a lactation room for private pumping or feeding if desired.
Insurance plans typically cover this program; following an intake with one of our psychiatrists, we will review your insurance benefits with you. Call to schedule an appointment to see if the program is a good fit for you.
The Day Program runs from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday. On your first day, you will meet with one of the therapists to identify goals for your time in Day Program. Most people attend Day Program for 12-16 days
The Day Program is an intensive mental health group treatment program that primarily serves postpartum birthing parents in their first postpartum year. We also complete assessments for program fit with pregnant parents in their third trimester and non-birthing parents, as we recognize that PMADs impact parents regardless of birthing status. The intensive nature of the program allows us to provide the support and services needed to help you feel better as quickly as possible. The staff includes three perinatal therapists and two psychiatrists with a specialty in treating perinatal mood disorders.
1101 Madison, Suite 500 (5th floor)
Seattle, WA 98104
We are located in the 1101 Madison Tower. There is paid parking available in the Marion & Minor Garage, located beneath the building with entrances on both Marion Street and Minor Avenue. For a full day, the rate is currently $18.00 per day. To pay for parking, please connect your license plate & payment through https://app.metropolis.io/sign-in. There will be a QR code for you to scan when you arrive to register your car and card.
Parking validation is provided to patients with Medicaid insurance plans to reduce barriers to attending Day Program. If you do not have Medicaid but feel the cost of parking would be a barrier for you attending, please let staff know on your first day. Bus routes that stop at or near 1101 Madison: 2, 10, 11, 12, 60. You can use the King County Metro Trip Planner to find the best route.
Day Program hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:30am - 3pm. Once you are in the program, we ask that you attend every day (unless you have an illness or important appointment). We do not meet on Fridays, weekends, or national holidays. You are invited and encouraged to bring your non-mobile baby. You will need to arrange childcare for children over 1.
On your first day, we ask that you come at 9 AM to make a treatment plan and get oriented to the space.
With the support of a therapist, participants will develop a treatment plan on their first day that includes 1-4 measurable goals to focus on during their time in program. Throughout the program, participants will continue to reflect on their treatment plan, goals, and length of stay/graduation date with therapists. The average length of stay is 12- 16 days but can vary based on individual needs.
A lot of people worry about caring for their baby in a new space. We have found that the babies tend to do well in this setting. We are also used to and comfortable with all the ways babies communicate with us! Babies are welcome to nap in arms, in a carrier, in a bouncy seat, or in a crib.
We offer a non-judgmental space where participants are welcome to feed their baby formula, chest milk, baby food, or some combination. Chest and bottle feeding are both welcome; some participants opt to wear a cover while nursing while others do not. Some participants pump in the room or choose to pump/feed in another space. We are happy to help you problem-solve any concerns you have about feeding your baby. We have a hospital-grade Medela Symphony pump available for use.
We provide lunch from a nearby take-out restaurant. There are sandwich, salad or soup options. Please advise us if you have special dietary needs.
While we sometimes make changes, this is a typical day's schedule:
9:30 a.m. – 10 a.m.: Check - In Group
10:15 a.m. – 11 a.m.: Attachment Group
11:15 a.m. - Noon: Coping skills Group
Noon – 1 p.m.: Lunch
1 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.: Neighborhood Walk or Yoga
1:45 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.: Psychotherapy Group
2:30 p.m. – 3 p.m.: Wrap-up Group
This program is centered on relational health, with an emphasis on discussing attachment and the social emotional needs of young children. Our program curriculum integrates modalities and frameworks such as Circle of Security (an abbreviated version), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and trauma-informed somatic-based techniques. While everyone has their own treatment goals, they will often find connections to and similarities with others in the group.
- Diapers (plus a plastic bag to bring home dirty diapers)
- Baby wipes
- Pacifiers, if used
- Baby blanket or toys, if desired
- What you need to feed baby: formula, baby food, your own pump
- A stroller, wrap, carrier, or other way to carry your baby on short walks
In the kitchen area, we provide water, snacks, and a fridge. We encourage you to dress in comfortable clothes that can stretch. We will usually do some kind of light movement like walks or yoga.
Prior to starting the program, we will check your insurance benefits and find out what out-of-pocket expense you might be charged. Some insurance companies require a prior authorization which we will obtain for you. Once we have relayed this information to you and you have agreed, we will set up a first day for you to start.
No, partners cannot complete the program concurrently. This program was originally created with the needs of postpartum birthing parents in mind. However, we recognize that non-birthing parents are also affected by perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. We complete assessments with both birthing and non-birthing parents to determine fit for our program, and if indicated, discuss other resources in the community that may be a better clinical fit. Every day program participant receives a discharge planning session as their "graduation" from program approaches; we encourage participants to invite a partner or other support person to these sessions to talk about learnings from day program and how they support continued progress at home.
Patients who are established with an outpatient therapist prior to starting Day Program will be supported in transitioning care back to that provider at time of discharge. With a signed release of information, Day Program therapists are happy to provide a verbal handoff to your outpatient therapist about your work in program. Patients who do not have an outpatient therapist when they start day program will be offered referrals to community providers if they are interested in this. They may be also offered short term therapy with one of our therapists, as they continue to stability and transition back to home and/or work. Our psychiatrists are available to follow patients for up to one year postpartum before transitioning their medication management to their PCP or a community provider.