Melissa Baunton Psychology
The perinatal period, which is the time during conception, pregnancy and the first few years post birth can be a particularly vulnerable time in both an individual and couple’s life. Whilst welcoming a new baby into the family is a joyous experience, it can also be a time filled with various challenges, changes and unexpected emotions that can take a toll on the mental and emotional wellbeing of parents.
This time can be particularly challenging and at times can throw you into a very unexpected emotional space. There are so many internal and external expectations placed on us throughout the perinatal period that having someone help you find the way through all the ups and downs in a reassuring, comforting and nonjudgmental way can be incredibly validating. This is where I can help.
Psychology Services
Some of the areas I work with often include:
- Preparing for pregnancy, postpartum and parenthood
- Feelings of worry, anxiety, anger, loss of control and uncertainty
- Depression / low mood / not feeling “like yourself”
- Struggling with intrusive or scary thoughts
- When motherhood isn’t how you had pictured it
- Changes to your identity and sense of self after becoming a parent
- Feelings of comparison or that you are ‘not good enough’
- Adjusting to the experience of your conception, pregnancy or parenthood journey vs how you imagined it might be
- Not feeling connected to your pregnancy or baby
- The impact on your relationships during the perinatal period, whether that be with your partner, friends or family.
- Processing your birth experience
- Pregnancy / parenting post loss
- Pregnancy and parenting following infertility / donor cnception
- Exploring infertility or third-party reproduction treatments
- Grief associated with requiring infertility treatments.
- Donor implications counselling
- Exploring the idea of ceasing fertility treatment – “when enough might be enough”
If any of these resonate with you, please know that you are not alone. I truly get it and I am committed to challenging the societal view of “normal” and how or what “should be”. Please get in touch so that I can help support you to work through and understand the thoughts, feelings, self-doubt, fear, grief, and complexities you may be experiencing with the aim of creating insight, self-compassion, practical strategies and ongoing meaningful change in your life.
Cost
Cost per session is $215.
If you have a Mental Health Care Plan from your GP, you can access up to 10 rebated sessions per calendar year. The current rebate is $92.90 per session.
About Melissa
Melissa Baunton completed her Bachelor of Psychology at Murdoch University in 2006. She is a registered psychologist with over 10 years’ experience working with individuals and couples and is committed to providing a safe and supportive space for all her clients; walking alongside them through whatever challenges they may be facing. She has practiced in both the private and public sector where the majority of her work has been focused on significant life events and the impact of these on mental and emotional wellbeing and the individuals’ capacity to cope.
Melissa was drawn to working in the perinatal space following her own challenges with conception and the impact that this had on her adjustment to parenting following the birth of her son. As such she is incredibly passionate about helping to normalise the variety of emotional responses and reactions that can be experienced during conception, pregnancy, birth and beyond and to help others navigate these experiences with self-compassion, insight and confidence in their abilities as a parent.
In addition to her work at Western Obstetrics, Melissa is a member of the Australian and New Zealand Infertility Counsellors’ Association (ANZICA) and the senior counsellor at Fertility Specialists of Western Australia providing psychological support to individuals and couples undergoing fertility treatment including those exploring alternative pathways to parenthood through donor conception.
