Postpartum therapy in Bristol

If you're looking for a postpartum therapist in Bristol, you may be wondering whether therapy could help you feel more like yourself again.

I'm Sophie Harris, a Specialist Postpartum & Motherhood CBT Therapist, and I offer postpartum Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in Bristol, alongside talking therapy. I support mums experiencing anxiety, low mood, overwhelm, anger, difficult thoughts, loss of identity and other emotional challenges following pregnancy and birth.

I offer in-person postpartum therapy in Bristol, as well as online sessions, so you can choose the type of support that feels right for you.

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Sophie Harris, Postpartum Therapist in Bristol

What can postpartum therapy help with?

Becoming a mum can be a huge emotional adjustment. Even when you love your baby deeply, you may find that motherhood isn't feeling the way you expected it to.

You might:

Feel anxious or on-edge, you often feel like you are stuck in survival mode.
Often feel angry and irritable, even if you were never particularly angry before having a baby.
Feel that you've lost your identity since becoming a mum, and you can’t even remember what you enjoy doing.
Struggle with intrusive or frightening thoughts, often about something bad happening to you or your baby.
Be struggling with a difficult or traumatic birth experience, which has gone on to impact your experience of motherhood.
Feel resentment towards your partner that your life has turned upside down, whereas it doesn’t feel like theirs hasn’t changed as much.

If any of these points sound like you, then postpartum therapy can help you make this transition into motherhood feel easier.

I offer postpartum CBT, which can give you practical tools to understand what is keeping you stuck and begin making changes that help you feel calmer, more confident and more in control.

Postpartum CBT Therapist in Bristol…

Hi, I’m Sophie Harris, Specialist Postpartum & Motherhood CBT Therapist. I am BABCP accredited and I’ve been working in mental health since 2008, first in the NHS and now through my private practice, since 2020. I know first hand how it feels to experience mental health challenges as a mum, and I use this to inform how I help other mums who are experiencing similar struggles.

I take a holistic & practical approach to supporting mums in managing their emotional well-being. Whether you’re adjusting to life with a newborn or navigating the ups and downs of early motherhood, I’m passionate and skilled in helping women regain their confidence and balance, both as individuals and as mothers.

What is CBT?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is the most evidence-based form of treatment for depression and anxiety. This style of therapy aims to support you to become your own therapist. Together, we practice tools and strategies to manage difficult situations more effectively and make positive changes in your life. For example, interrupting negative or self-critical thought patterns, finding techniques to manage anxiety or practising ways to manage conflict with a partner. I will help you to make positive changes to your life. You will be held accountable for doing what is necessary to move forward and get to where you want to be. In addition to specific psychological support, we will make holistic lifestyle changes to support both your mental and physical health goals.

What areas can Postpartum CBT Therapy in Bristol support you with?

I work with women to improve their experience of transitioning into motherhood. This includes more general issues around self esteem, managing mood and support to manage anxiety or anger. In addition to this support, I am trained and experienced in working with the following mental health conditions..

Postnatal Depression
Postpartum Anxiety
Perinatal Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - Including trauma related to birth or other aspects of pregnancy / postpartum.
Panic Disorder
Health Anxiety - Relating to the health of you or your baby.

What can you achieve from postpartum therapy in Bristol?

What you want to achieve from our work together is completely up to you, and we’ll decide this in our first session. Here are some common goals that many clients have worked toward in the past:

Reclaim your sense of identity and feel more like yourself again.
Understanding your emotional reactions to situations and feel more in control of your mood.
Process any trauma from birth or pregnancy.
Heal from your childhood trauma to prevent this impacting your child.
Feel calmer and more level headed… Manage anxiety and worry as it arises.
A healthier relationship with your partner; help you to communicate better even through the stresses of parenthood.

What does Postpartum therapy in Bristol look like?

I offer Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) & talking therapy specifically tailored to mums navigating the postpartum period & beyond.

In person postpartum therapy sessions will be held weekly, and typically last 50 minutes. Therapy can be short-term (around 6 weeks) or longer-term (20+ weeks), depending on your goals. We’ll discuss what works best for you during our initial consultation.

I’m here to ensure that you get value from every session. Between appointments, I’ll provide manageable tasks that are specifically designed to support your progress and make you feel better. We’ll work together to make sure these fit into your busy schedule.

City street view from my office offering postpartum therapy in Bristol.

Where do I offer postpartum CBT therapy in Bristol?

I offer in-person postpartum therapy from my lovely office on Park Street in Bristol.

If you're based in Bristol and would prefer to meet face-to-face, we can discuss the available in-person options during your initial consultation.

I also offer online postpartum therapy, which can be particularly convenient for mums who are caring for a baby, have limited childcare or would simply feel more comfortable having therapy from home. For many of my clients we use a combination of in-person sessions, and remote therapy sessions when convenient.

My therapy office where I offer postpartum therapy in Bristol.

How much does postpartum therapy in Bristol cost?

£125 per 50-minute session

I offer a free 20 minute consultation to consider whether this is the most helpful treatment option for you.

I am a recognised provider with major health insurers and have a small number of appointments available for insured clients. (inc: AXA, Aviva, Cigna).

If you are seeking therapy via an insurance company, please send me an e-mail to sophie@lookingaftermum.co.uk to check availability before booking a consultation.

“Before I started therapy I was in a very dark place. My OCD prevented me from doing so many normal things in my life and I spent every waking minute anxious and unhappy. Now I feel like a huge weight has lifted and I have reclaimed my life! Although some level of anxiety remains I feel it is a manageable level and I have the tools to cope.”

Client treated for OCD
When I began therapy I was at the lowest point in my life. I was terrified, in a state of constant fear, despair and anxiety. I had reached rock bottom and really believed I would never feel like my old self again. I was riddled with constant anxiety that was having a physical toll on my body. I cried through a lot of my first few sessions with Sophie and remember asking her if there was a way I would ever feel better. She was right when she told me I would! Now I feel happy again. I have a genuine optimism for the future. I feel so grateful that I got through this and I have an appreciation for a healthy mental state that I’ll never take for granted again. I now really understand the importance of looking after your mental well-being.

Client helped with birth trauma and anxiety
I felt like I was drowning at the beginning. I’d been coping for too long and felt a shadow of myself. I now feel more like myself and now understand why I was feeling that way.

Client supported with adjusting to motherhood.
At the beginning I felt quite hopeless and out of control, like there was little I could do to change how I felt and, at times, how I was behaving. My work with Sophie gave me an expanded awareness of myself as a mother, what stories and emotional triggers I bring into it, as well as what parts I can change versus the parts that I can't. It didn't suddenly become easy, but I feel more equipped to consciously choose the type of mother I want to be in the harder moments.

Client supported with depression and prcocessing childhood trauma

What’s next if you are interested in postpartum therapy in Bristol?

If you are interested in working together then I offer a free 20-minute phone consultation. This is a great chance for me to get an understanding of where you are at and whether therapy together will be a good fit for you. To book a consultation, use the button below. If you have any questions e-mail me at sophie@lookingaftermum.co.uk.

BOOK A CONSULTATION HERE

Your Questions, Answered

My therapy office is based at:
Vessel Therapy Spaces Park Street,
49 Park St, Bristol BS1 5NT

(Entrance is pink door on Great George St)
Sessions are £125 per 50-minute session.
I am a recognised provider with major health insurers and have a small number of appointments available for insured clients. (inc: AXA, Aviva, Cigna).
If you are seeking therapy via an insurance company, please send me an e-mail to sophie@lookingaftermum.co.uk to check availability before booking a consultation.
Yes, this often works well for those times that it isn’t possible to get to the therapy office in Bristol.
Typically, therapy sessions are short-term (around 6-12 weeks) , but can also be longer-term depending on your goals. We’ll discuss what works best for you during our initial consultation.
The sessions are 50 minutes.
The sessions will be held weekly as I will have a therapy office pre-booked for your session. If it is difficult to get to the office for any reason, you are welcome to take your session online.
- BABCP accredited Cognitive Behavioural Therapist (membership number 170746)
- Postgraduate Diploma in High Intensity CBT (Graduated from University of Canterbury Christchurch, 2018)
- Occupational Therapy Bsc Hons (Graduated from University of West of England, 2013)
- Founder of Looking After Mum (since 2020)
- Working in NHS mental health services (2008-2022)

Looking for a postpartum CBT therapist in Bristol?

If you've been searching for a postpartum therapist in Bristol I'd be happy to hear from you.

You don't need to have exactly the right words to describe what's happening. You can simply tell me what you've been finding difficult since becoming a mum, and we can take it from there.

BOOK A FREE 20-MIN CONSULTATION HERE

I put it off for a long time as I didn't really believe it would help, but when I reached crisis point I knew it was time to try anything and everything so I started both medication and therapy and I feel they really worked well together and helped me out of a really really bad place.”

Client treated for OCD
Sophie was a friend and a life line during the hardest time of my life. Sophie listens, validates your thoughts and emotions and supports you in every aspect of your recovery. She refers to her own experiences in a perfect way to help you feel like you’re not in this alone. Sophie was SO supportive and a really good listener. She encourages you to go at your own pace and sets really achievable goals for you by getting to know you really well and understanding what works best for you as an individual. I am really socially awkward but Sophie made me feel so comfortable in all our sessions which is a testament to her skills.

Client treated for birth trauma
At the start of therapy, I felt so lost and emotionally heavy, desperately depressed mixed with high anxiety about being the “perfect” mum, I didn’t recognise myself at all. I found very little joy in being a new mum and at my worst, I told myself that I didn’t want to be here anymore. Now at the end of the therapy, I feel like I have my sparkle back and I genuinely look forward to every day with my baby boy. Everything feels lighter and my anxiety has eased as I no longer dread going out with my son or wondering (as much) about what people think. I now recognise that the person I was is worlds apart to how I feel now and am so happy to say that I definitely want to be here.

Client treated for depression
I was at my lowest point when I started therapy. I was really struggling with anxiety and intrusive thoughts and it was consuming my every day and I wasn't enjoying being a mum. Now I feel so much less anxious, I love being a mum and I can recognise when I'm starting to burnout again/not looking after myself and know it's time to slow down and make time for myself.

Client supported to manage anxiety and low mood

Would you prefer online postpartum therapy?

If you are currently navigating pregnancy and looking for support, find out more about how I can help you.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ONLINE POSTPARTUM THERAPY