Confidential pregnancy mental health counselling in Edmonton and St. Albert, with virtual sessions available across Alberta. Psychologists registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP). Registered Provisional Psychologists practise under the supervision of a senior registered psychologist. In person at five Edmonton and St. Albert locations, or virtual across Alberta, 50-minute sessions.

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You Might Be Wondering Whether Counselling During Pregnancy Is Right for You

You may be wondering whether what you are feeling is just part of being pregnant, or whether it is enough to talk to someone about. People may keep telling you this should be an exciting time, and you are not sure what it means that it does not always feel that way. You might also worry that saying any of this out loud would sound ungrateful.

For some people, it looks like lying awake running through everything that could go wrong, long after the house is quiet. For others, it is smiling through appointments and baby plans while feeling flat or far away inside. It can also show up as a shorter fuse with a partner, followed by guilt that is hard to shake.

These reactions make sense. Pregnancy can bring emotional, practical, relational, and identity-related changes all at once, often while your body and your plans are shifting too. Mixed feelings, worry, and low stretches are human responses to a big transition. They do not mean you are failing at pregnancy, and they do not mean something is permanently wrong with you.

Your emotional well-being during pregnancy is a valid thing to bring to counselling, whether your concerns feel large or hard to name. If you are trying to work out whether speaking with someone could help, you may wish to read on and see what this kind of support looks like, what it does not cover, and how to reach out if and when you decide to.

Who We Help

This service is for people who want support with their mental health during pregnancy. You do not need a diagnosis to discuss your mental health during pregnancy, and you do not need to be sure what is wrong.

Counselling during pregnancy may be a good fit for:

• people who are pregnant and feeling worried, low, overwhelmed, or unlike themselves
• people adjusting to a planned or unplanned pregnancy, or holding mixed feelings about it
• people who are pregnant after pregnancy loss, fertility challenges, or a difficult previous birth
• people whose relationships, intimacy, family expectations, work, faith, or culture feel different during pregnancy
• partners and support people who are struggling themselves or want to understand how to help
• people who want to plan support for life after birth, including postpartum mental health

If you are reading this for a partner, friend, or family member, you are welcome to share this page with them. You can also contact the admin team with general questions about how getting started works. The choice to begin counselling remains theirs.

This service may not be the right fit for:

• Urgent safety concerns or a crisis. Please use the crisis resources below.
• Medical, obstetric, midwifery, or medication questions. These belong with your prenatal care provider, family physician, or pharmacist.
• Forensic or legal needs, such as reports for court. These are outside this counselling service. Psychological assessments are a separate service and are not part of pregnancy counselling.

If You Need Help Right Now

Counselling is not designed for emergencies. If you are thinking about harming yourself, are worried about your own or your baby's safety, or feel you cannot stay safe, please contact one of these services now:

• 911 or your nearest emergency department if you are in immediate danger
• Alberta Mental Health Help Line: 1-877-303-2642 (24/7)
• 9-8-8: call or text for immediate support anywhere in Canada
• Family Violence Info Line (Alberta): 310-1818 (24/7, toll-free), if you are unsafe at home or in your relationship

Wholesome Psychology is not an emergency or crisis service.

What This Service Is

Mental health counselling during pregnancy is talk-based support for the emotional, relational, and practical side of being pregnant. Counselling can offer a private space to discuss what is happening and what support may be useful. You set the pace, not your therapist. You will not be pushed to talk about anything before you are ready.

This service is not:

• a substitute for urgent, emergency, prenatal medical, obstetric, midwifery, or medication care
• a crisis or emergency service
• a legal service or an investigative process
• a psychological assessment, which is a separate service

Each therapist works within the scope of their own profession and training. Therapists do not give medical or medication advice. When a question falls outside counselling, your therapist may suggest you bring it to your physician, midwife, or other care provider. Confidentiality is explained in your first session and covered in more detail further down this page.

Signs Emotional Strain During Pregnancy May Be Affecting You

These are patterns some people notice. They are not a checklist, and they cannot tell you whether you have a particular condition. They are simply things worth paying attention to.

• Worry that keeps circling back, even after you have been reassured
• Feeling flat, tearful, or far away from yourself for stretches at a time
• A sense that you should feel happier than you do, and guilt about that gap
• Trouble switching your mind off at night, or focusing during the day
• Feeling irritable or on edge with a partner, family, or coworkers
• Pulling back from friends, or avoiding conversations about the pregnancy
• Memories of a past loss or birth coming up more than you expected
• Feeling tense, keyed up, or drained in a way that is hard to put into words
• Doubting whether you will cope with what comes after the birth

Some of these overlap with ordinary physical changes in pregnancy, such as broken sleep or lower energy. That overlap is part of why it can be hard to tell what is going on, and your prenatal care provider is the right person for physical health questions. Having any of these experiences does not mean something is permanently wrong with you. They are common human reactions to a period of real change, and structured support may help you make sense of them.

How Treatment Works Here

Getting started involves a few steps. You can move through them at your own pace.

• Find your therapist. Use the Match with a Therapist tool or browse profiles on the Our Therapists page. If you would rather talk it through, the admin team can help at 780-904-4880.
• Book your first session. You can book through the online booking system. The first session includes a conversation about consent, confidentiality, and goals. You can ask questions before sharing anything personal.
• Build your plan together. You and your therapist shape a plan around your goals, circumstances, and preferences. Depending on the therapist and your goals, counselling may include practical coping, reflection, communication, and support-planning strategies.
• Ongoing sessions. Sessions are 50 minutes, usually weekly or bi-weekly, and the rhythm can be adjusted as needed. If it fits your needs, sessions can continue after your baby arrives.
• Progress check-ins. Your therapist reviews how things are going with you regularly. The plan can change as your needs change.

There is no fixed number of sessions. Therapy here is collaborative, and your voice shapes each stage, including when to slow down, change focus, or finish.

Evidence and Approaches

Mental health during and after pregnancy is recognized as a public health topic in Canada (Public Health Agency of Canada [PHAC], n.d.). Statistics Canada has also reported on access to postpartum health care and perinatal mental health support through its 2024 Parental Experiences Survey (Statistics Canada, n.d.).

Internationally, the World Health Organization's ICD-11 classification includes a category for mental or behavioural conditions associated with pregnancy, childbirth, and the period after birth (World Health Organization [WHO], n.d.). The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published clinical guidance on antenatal and postnatal mental health (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence [NICE], n.d.). In Canada, the Canadian Psychological Association has published a fact sheet on perinatal anxiety (Canadian Psychological Association [CPA], 2025).

Together, these sources show that emotional well-being in pregnancy is a recognized area of care. They are not used here to describe anyone's experience as a disorder.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)-Informed Approaches

What it helps with: CBT-informed approaches may be used when worry, low mood, or stress during pregnancy are among the things you want to work on.

Evidence summary: CBT-informed approaches have been studied in perinatal mental health research. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials has examined CBT for perinatal depression, anxiety, and stress ("Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy," n.d.). Whether CBT strategies are used depends on your goals, your clinician's scope, and your shared plan.

Limitations: The study details available for this page did not include effect sizes or full conclusions, so no claim is made about how well CBT works. Responses vary, and CBT is one option rather than the right fit for everyone.

Your therapist may also draw on other ways of working, such as reflection, values-based conversations, and communication support, depending on their training and your preferences. These are described here as possibilities rather than research-backed treatments, because the research reviewed for this page focuses on CBT. You are welcome to ask any clinician which approaches they use and why. You can also read more about cognitive behavioural therapy at Wholesome Psychology.

What Results to Expect

Counselling may help, but it does not work the same way for everyone, and no therapy can guarantee a particular outcome. Progress is rarely a straight line. You might have weeks that feel lighter and then a harder stretch, especially as the pregnancy moves along and circumstances change.

Some people notice shifts within a few months. Others benefit from longer-term work that continues after the birth. What you experience may depend on:

• what you are carrying into this pregnancy, including past experiences
• what is happening in your life now, such as health, work, money, and relationships
• the support you have around you
• how well you and your therapist work together

Fit matters. If the approach or the therapist does not feel right, you can change direction, try a different approach, or ask to work with someone else.

Confidentiality and Privacy

What you share in counselling is confidential. Psychologists at Wholesome Psychology are registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP) and follow its standards, along with the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Code of Ethics. Registered Social Workers are regulated by the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW).

Two Alberta privacy laws are relevant. The Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) generally governs how private clinics collect, use, store, and disclose personal information, including what you share in counselling. The Health Information Act (HIA) governs health information held by public health custodians, such as Alberta Health Services, and by people working on their behalf. The HIA may apply if your care involves information shared with or from those providers.

Confidentiality has limits. A therapist may need to share limited information without your consent when:

• there is a risk of serious harm to you or someone else
• there is suspected abuse or neglect of a child, which Alberta law requires to be reported
• a court orders the release of records

Your therapist will explain these limits clearly in your first session. If you are worried about what might need to be shared, you can ask questions before you say anything personal. The same standards apply to virtual sessions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to talk about everything in detail, including past losses or difficult births?

No. You decide what to share and when. You can start with what is happening day to day, such as sleep, worry, or tension at home, and that can be enough to work with. If a past loss or birth experience is part of the picture, you and your therapist can decide together whether and how to approach it, at a pace that feels manageable.

Is what I share kept private?

Yes, within some legal limits. Counselling is confidential, and your information is handled under Alberta privacy law, including PIPA, and the professional standards of CAP. Exceptions include a risk of serious harm, suspected abuse or neglect of a child, and court orders. Your therapist will go over this in your first session, and the Confidentiality and Privacy section above has more detail.

How many sessions will I need?

There is no set number. Some people find relief from just 2-3 sessions. Others prefer ongoing support through the rest of the pregnancy and after the birth. You and your therapist will review progress regularly and decide together what makes sense.

What if the therapist is not the right fit?

Fit matters, and it is reasonable to want a different match. You can tell your therapist, or contact the admin team at 780-904-4880, and they can help you find a different clinician. New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

Can I access counselling online?

Yes. Virtual sessions are available across Alberta, subject to clinician availability, and they follow the same confidentiality standards as in-person sessions. This can help if travel is tiring, if you are not feeling up to leaving home, or if your schedule is hard to predict. You can read more about online counselling.

Do I need a diagnosis to book?

No. You do not need a diagnosis to discuss your mental health during pregnancy. Counselling here focuses on your concerns and goals rather than on a label. If you or your care provider want a formal psychological assessment, that is a separate service, and the admin team can explain the options.

Can my partner or a support person come to a session?

If it fits your goals and the therapist's approach, you can ask whether a partner or support person may join part of a session. Some people find this useful for talking through changing roles or how to support each other. If your partner would like support of their own, they can book separately, or you might look into couples counselling.

What if I am not safe at home?

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. The Family Violence Info Line (Alberta) is available at 310-1818, 24/7 and toll-free. Counselling can be one part of support, but it does not replace safety planning with crisis or violence services. You can also read about family violence counselling.

Meet Your Clinicians

Wholesome Psychology includes Registered Psychologists, Registered Provisional Psychologists, Registered Social Workers, Canadian Certified Counsellors, Mental Health Therapists, and Student Therapists. All psychologists are registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists. Registered Provisional Psychologists practise under the supervision of a senior registered psychologist. Student Therapists are master's-level practicum students offering reduced-rate counselling.

Clinicians bring different training and areas of focus. If experience with pregnancy and perinatal concerns matters to you, check individual profiles on the Our Therapists page, or ask the admin team at 780-904-4880 who is currently seeing clients for pregnancy-related concerns. The Match with a Therapist tool can also help you narrow your options.

Children and Youth

Pregnancy affects the whole family, including children who are already part of it. Wholesome Psychology offers counselling for children, adolescents, and young people. Therapists who work with younger clients use age-appropriate approaches, and they work with caregivers to support the child's environment at home. Teens who are pregnant can also reach out for support. You can learn more about child and youth counselling.

When You Are Ready to Reach Out

If you would like to learn more, you can take the next step in whichever way feels easiest:

• Book a session online
• Match with a therapist
• Call 780-904-4880
• Email info@wholesomepsychology.ca
• Read Getting Started with Therapy

You do not need the right words or a clear plan before your first conversation. Starting the conversation is enough.

New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

References

• Canadian Psychological Association. (2025). Perinatal anxiety [Fact sheet].
• Effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy for perinatal maternal depression, anxiety and stress: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. (n.d.). PubMed record.
• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (n.d.). Antenatal and postnatal mental health: Clinical management and service guidance.
• Public Health Agency of Canada. (n.d.). Mental health during and after pregnancy. Government of Canada.
• Statistics Canada. (n.d.). Access to postpartum health care and perinatal mental health support, 2024 Parental Experiences Survey.
• World Health Organization. (n.d.). ICD-11.