Occupational Therapy combined with Psychotherapy can provide a unique perspective on a new mother’s transition because it recognizes that a rapid change in habits, routines and the loss or inability to participate in prior life activities can negatively impact health. This point of view also provides reasoning for the factors contributing to depressive conditions experienced by new mothers.

First-time mothers experience abrupt and significant life changes postpartum. The transition happens easily for some but many women endure a period of shell shock relating to the physical, mental and emotional responsibilities associated with the role of motherhood. According to a survey conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 12% of women experience moderate depression and 6% feel severely depressed in their first year postpartum (CDC; 2011). Depression interferes with a mother’s ability to bond with her infant and can negatively impacts the infant’s behavior as a result.

Fay Gershgorin, Occupational Therapist and Psychotherapist works with both expecting mothers and mothers post childbirth because preventing postpartum depression and facilitating a smooth transition into motherhood impacts the health of the mother, infant and spouse.

What role can occupational therapy provide for new mothers struggling to adapt to life change?

Services offered & Some Helpful Tips to Keep in Mind during pregnancy:

• Optimism during pregnancy render women less susceptible to developing postpartum depression. Stress-frequency and pessimism during pregnancy have been identified in several studies as predictive indicators for the development of postpartum depression.

• Occupational change occurs in the number of activities and roles that changed pre and post partum therefore these new experiences to the new role of motherhood may bring mixed emotions and bring a new mother into an overwhelmed emotional and physical state of being.

• Highly recommend the effect of a social support group for new mothers (depressed and non-depressed) intervention focused on 1 to 1 therapy and/or social support groups. Offer social support prenatally and postnatally.

• Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Perinatal Depression.

The life change experienced by new mothers postpartum can lead to varying levels of depression. Protective factors such as social support, optimism and minimal stress decrease a mother’s risk for developing postpartum depression. Exercise and continued social support postnatally improve a new mothers self-perceived health. These findings have important implications for healthcare professionals working with expecting mothers because they have the opportunity to screen for these risks. Occupational therapists are healthcare professionals who are trained in developing interventions to promote a successful life transitions and they have the potential to benefit mothers who are struggling to adapt to the role of motherhood.

Interventions the OT could use to serve new mothers are providing patient education adapted to the mom's learning style and introducing resources that are helpful for their unique context. OT’s can facilitate social support through their therapeutic rapport while encouraging participation in the client’s pre-childbirth activities by modifying their environment, adapting their activities and by working with the moms-to-be in developing habits and routines that allow for increased participation with friends and family. Occupational therapists can improve a client’s optimistic point of view by highlighting their strengths and teaching coping skills to use during stressful situations. They can also teach techniques such as mindfulness practice, meditation, exercise and breathing techniques to reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Video/Telephone Sessions available upon request.

Corporate Mental Health

An organization’s health is vastly dependent on the well-being of the individuals it employs. Today our modern society is exponentially developing at a rapid pace. With all the modern advancements, individuals across the organizational level are facing increasing pressure to perform both in the workplace and crossover in their personal their lives.

As a result, individuals can be left feeling overwhelmed, increased fatigue/burnout and insecure thus affecting personal health and overall well-being. Furthermore, without the appropriate intervention, this will result in a trickling down affect of decreased job performance, reduced absenteeism, interpersonal relationships suffered, and loss of motivation. Recognizing that today many people need assistance with luckily the right support available can break the barriers of concerns associated with mental health stigmas.

Fortunately, times are changing and talking about feelings and discussing such issues with a professional is no longer taboo! Rather, it is recognized as an opportunity for problem solving and personal growth and can be attributed to improvements in mental health and general well-being.

It is in best interest of a business/organization and all its constituents to assist employees gaining the support they need at a personal level thus benefiting them at a professional level – not just for the individual’s welfare, but also for improved performance within the business/organization.

Benefits of Therapy within the Workplace

An integrated therapy program, which supports employees’ mental health and emotional well being, will also have a positive impact on:

• Increasing productivity and workplace morale
• Reducing levels of sickness and absenteeism
• Reducing stress (and associated illness) in the workplace
• Improving staff retention
• Increasing levels of job commitment and motivation
• Preventing problems reaching crisis stage
• Developing more effective communication and coping strategies in both professional and personal lives

Can I opt in and out of this Service?

Yes. There is a simple, fixed charge per session. There is no requirement to sign an annual contract – simply call or email me and I will arrange therapy for your employees.

Is Therapy Confidential?

Yes. Confidentiality is an important part of any therapeutic client-centered relationship. What the client tells the therapist is in utmost confidentiality. The only exceptions to this are if the client is considered to present a danger to themselves, or to other people. In these circumstances, the therapist is ethically driven to take action, and the most likely disclosure will be to a General Practitioner (GP) or other healthcare professional, to ensure safety is maintained.

Anything discussed within the therapy session will not be shared with the employer, unless agreed with by the client.

Where will the Therapy Sessions take place?

Typically therapy sessions will take place at a mutually agreed upon location close to work so that much time will not be interrupted during the day. Many of my clients prefer to speak over the phone or face time/Skype. I also have an office located in Concord, Ontario that can meet the needs of my clients within close proximity to the Vaughan area. However, please do contact me (via phone, email or contact form) if you would like to discuss arranging therapy sessions in the workplace. I try my best to accommodate all my clients due to their busy schedules.

How I can help

Prior to training and working as a Occupational Therapist and Psychotherapist, Fay has worked within the capacity of several management roles for large non-for-profit, real estate, law, and finance organizations before and after she achieved her Bachelor of Business Administration and Masters of Business Administration (MBA). She was responsible for the development, motivation and leadership of high performance teams – so understands all too well the stresses and strains associated with corporate life.

Fay Gershgorin_Yanovitsky, OT Reg. (Ont.), MBA, is available to help your company with the following:

• Working with staff to resolve any personal and/or work related issues
• Providing therapy for traumatic workplace incidents or accidents
• Providing therapy to staff to address and resolve workplace stress and work-life balance
• Working with staff to enhance communication, addressing conflict resolution and anger management

Video/Telephone Sessions available upon request.