Perinatal Psychotherapy and Counselling Association of Ireland
Connecting Families with the Specialist Support they Deserve
Our Mission
The Perinatal Psychotherapy and Counselling Association of Ireland strives to maintain an engaged, credible and nationally recognised body of accredited and specially trained perinatal mental health professionals who serve the perinatal population of Ireland. PPCAI is dedicated to the advocacy of all individuals, couples and families navigating the perinatal period and to reducing barriers to accessing needed care and support.
Connection is why we're here. It is what gives purpose and meaning to our lives
Brené Brown
FAQs for Those Looking for support
Please email us at info@ppcai.ie if you cannot find an answer to your question.
Perinatal mental health encompasses the emotional and psychological wellbeing of a person leading up to and during pregnancy, and in the first year after birth. (Antenatal or pre-natal refer to before birth, and postnatal or postpartum refer to after birth).
The perinatal period is one of the most significant and vulnerable transitions in a person's life, bringing profound changes to identity, relationships, body, and daily reality. Dana Raphael coined the term Matrescence to describe postnatal identity shifts - learn more about Matrescence HERE. Mental health difficulties during the perinatal period are estimated to affect up to 1 in 5 women, yet they often go unrecognised or untreated due to stigma, lack of awareness, or the mistaken belief that struggling is simply part of new parenthood. Left unsupported, perinatal mental health difficulties can affect not only the mother, but also the developing attachment between mother and baby, and the wider family.
The "baby blues" are a very common and short-lived emotional response to the dramatic hormonal shift that happens in the days immediately after birth, typically peaking around day 3 or 4, and resolving within two weeks. They might involve tearfulness, mood swings, irritability, or feeling overwhelmed, but they generally don't interfere significantly with day-to-day functioning.
Perinatal depression and anxiety are different in both their impact and duration. They persist beyond two weeks, are more pervasive, and can include symptoms like persistent low mood, inability to experience joy, intrusive or distressing thoughts, constant worry, panic attacks, difficulty bonding with the baby, or feeling completely disconnected from yourself and your life. These conditions don't simply pass with time and rest, and require specialist support and care. Learn More HERE
A perinatal mental health psychotherapist focuses exclusively on your emotional and psychological experience of pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood. Whereas your midwife or obstetrician monitors your physical health and the baby's development. A therapist provides a confidential, non-judgemental space in which to explore how you are feeling, make sense of difficult experiences, and develop coping strategies. The range of issues a perinatal specialist can support includes: fertility challenges; antenatal anxiety and depression; postnatal anxiety and depression; birth trauma and PTSD following a difficult delivery; tokophobia (fear of childbirth); pregnancy loss, miscarriage, stillbirth, and infertility grief; neonatal illness or NICU experiences; adjustment difficulties and loss of identity; relationship strain and changes in intimacy; difficulties bonding with a baby; previous trauma activated by pregnancy or birth; and complex grief when the perinatal experience doesn't match expectations. Perinatal specialists hold qualifications in psychotherapy, counselling, or psychology, and undertake additional specialist training in perinatal issues.
If difficult feelings have lasted more than two weeks, are getting worse rather than better, or are interfering with your ability to function, care for yourself or your baby, or find any enjoyment in life, it's time to reach out for support. Many people wait, hoping things will improve on their own, but early intervention typically means a shorter and smoother recovery, so it’s best to seek help sooner rather than later. You don't need to reach a crisis point to deserve help. If something feels wrong, you deserve to be supported to feel better.
Yes. Fathers face their own profound transition in parenthood (patrescence) and 1 in 10 struggle with their mental health. Changes to their identity, relationship, financial pressure, sleep deprivation, and often a sense of being sidelined or unsure of their role are common. They may also experience grief after pregnancy loss or birth trauma, sometimes without feeling socially "allowed" to express it. Because the focus naturally falls on the birthing parent, fathers often suffer in silence, and their difficulties can go unrecognised for far longer. Perinatal mental health support is equally relevant and available for fathers.
Partners can access perinatal mental health support both individually to address their own emotional experience, and as part of couples therapy, which can be particularly valuable when a relationship is under strain from the pressures of new parenthood, grief, trauma, or one partner's mental health difficulties. Therapy can help partners understand what their loved one is experiencing, navigate changed relationship dynamics, improve communication, and rebuild intimacy and connection. Supporting a partner through perinatal mental health difficulties can itself be exhausting and emotionally costly, and partners deserve their own space for support, not just as caregivers, but as people going through a significant life change in their own right.
Many of the therapists listed in our directory also work with fathers.
For Questions about PPCAI please see our ABOUT section.
For our Directory of Therapists please see our DIRECTORY.
To learn about Perinatal Mental Health and common challenges please see out WHAT WE DO page.
For Questions about joining PPCAI please see our JOIN PPCAI page.
For questions relating to the logistics of therapy settings, please consult with the individual therapists on our DIRECTORY.
Any other questions please email us at info@ppcai.ie and we will return your query as soon as possible. Please note this is not a crisis resource and it may take time before we can reply.
It is important to note that this is not a crisis service. If you find yourself in an immediate crisis or emergency, your safety is paramount. Please contact your local emergency services or a crisis hotline immediately.
These services are equipped to provide urgent assistance and are available 24/7. Here are some resources you can contact:
- Emergency Services: Dial 112 or 999
- Samaritans: Available 24/7. Call 116 123
- Pieta: Provides a 24/7 Freephone Crisis Helpline & Text Service. Call 1800 247 247 or Text HELP to 51444
FAQs for Professionals
Please email us at info@ppcai.ie if you cannot find an answer to your question.
There are many training opportunities around perinatal mental health of varying quality and depth. PPCAI accepts the following trainings in perinatal mental health for membership:
- Advanced Perinatal Mental Health Specialist Training with The Perinatal Mental Health Institute
- PMH-C Certification with Postpartum Support International
- Certificate in Perinatal Mental Health with Dundalk Institute of Technology
- MSc in Perinatal Mental Health with University of Limerick
We recognise there are many paths to specialisation and alternative training programs and experience will be considered for approval on a case by case basis.
In order to become a member of PPCAI all applicants must provide proof of the following:
- Professional qualification in Counselling and/or Psychotherapy.
- Specialised training in perinatal mental health (please see question above for approved programs).
- Current insurance coverage.
- Current membership in good standing with one of the following professional bodies - IACP, IAHIP, ICP, PSI or FTAI. Other professional bodies will be considered on a case by case basis.
- Certificate of completion of Tusla's Children’s First Training. You can find the training for free HERE.
- Pay the €90 annual membership fee.
Interested in joining? Fill out our contact form HERE or email us at info@ppcai.ie
Yes, and the gap between need and provision is significant.
Perinatal mental health is one of the most under-resourced areas in mental health care, despite the scale of need being well established. Up to 1 in 5 women experience a perinatal mental health difficulty, and when partners are included, the number of families affected is enormous. Yet specialist perinatal therapists, particularly in community and private settings, remain scarce. Many people are seen by general practitioners or generic counsellors who, while well-meaning, may lack the specific training to recognise and treat the full range of perinatal presentations, from birth trauma and tokophobia to grief after pregnancy loss or the complex identity shifts of early parenthood.
In Ireland specifically, HSE perinatal mental health services have grown in recent years, but waiting lists are long and the threshold for accessing specialist care is often high, meaning many people with moderate but very real difficulties fall through the gap. Private therapy is an option for those who can afford it, but therapists with specialist perinatal training remain relatively few.
For Questions about PPCAI please see our ABOUT section.
For our Directory of Therapists please see our DIRECTORY.
To learn about Perinatal Mental Health and common challenges please see our WHAT WE DO page.
For Questions about joining PPCAI please see our JOIN PPCAI page.
For questions relating to the logistics of therapy settings, please consult with the individual therapists in our DIRECTORY.
Any other questions please email us at info@ppcai.ie and we will return your query as soon as possible. Please note this is not a crisis resource and it may take time before we can reply.
Perinatal Psychotherapy and Counselling Association of Ireland