by Dr Bronwyn Leigh
For someone hearing the term for the first time, how would you explain what a perinatal psychologist does?
A perinatal psychologist supports the mental health and emotional wellbeing of families during the perinatal period, both before and after a baby is born.
A lot of our work centres on the emotional shift that happens when someone becomes a parent. We look closely at the early relationships that develop between parents and their babies and the many psychological changes that can come with that transition. It can be joyful and overwhelming and we support families through both sides of that experience.
The aim is to strengthen those early relationships and help parents feel more confident, supported and connected as they find their feet.
While there’s often a natural focus on mothers, perinatal psychologists think about the whole family system. Having a baby involves more than one person, so we also support fathers, partners, infants, couples and families during this time. Even if one person reaches out for help their experience sits within a family context and everyone in that system is affected.
About the Author
Dr Bronwyn Leigh is a clinical psychologist, perinatal and infant clinician and early parenting consultant. She is the Director of the Centre for Perinatal Psychology. Bronwyn is an expert in the psychological aspects of becoming a parent, the emotional development of infants, and parent-infant relationships.
