Online therapy across Ontario
Therapy for Dads and Partners
Have you been holding it together for everyone else since your baby arrived? Therapy gives you a place to deal with the stress, low mood or worry, so you can feel like yourself and enjoy being a parent.
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Signs in dads and partners
Do you feel like you have to be the strong one?
Partners are often expected to hold things together, look after the birthing parent and get straight back to work. When you’re struggling too, it can feel like there’s no room to say so, or like your feelings would take attention away from your partner.
Depression and anxiety in partners can look different from what people expect. You might feel irritable or angry, work longer hours, pull away from home, drink more or feel numb rather than sad.
Asking for help is part of looking after your family.
Supporting a partner
What helps when the person you love is having a hard time
When your partner is struggling with postpartum depression or anxiety, it’s normal to feel worried, helpless or unsure what to say. What helps most is often simple: listening without trying to fix things, taking on a night feed or a chore without being asked, and helping them book an appointment.
Your own wellbeing matters here too. Depression in one parent is linked with depression in the other,[1] (source, opens in a new tab) and you’ll be a steadier support if you have somewhere to take your own worries.
In therapy, we can talk about how to support your partner, how to look after yourself and how to stay connected as a couple through a hard season.
Why it happens
Becoming a parent changes partners too
In a Canadian study that followed about 2,500 new fathers, nearly 22% had high levels of depression and anxiety symptoms in their baby’s first year.[2] (source, opens in a new tab) Ontario recommends screening mothers for depression and anxiety, but not fathers, so partners are easy to miss.
Sleep loss and new pressure
Broken sleep, more work at home and money worries can pile up quickly in the first year.
Your partner is struggling
Supporting a partner through postpartum depression or a hard recovery can wear you down too.
You saw a hard birth
Watching a frightening birth, or fearing for your partner or baby, can leave its own trauma.
How therapy helps
Feel more like yourself and enjoy being a parent
Therapy gives you a confidential place to talk about what you’ve been keeping to yourself, along with practical tools you can use straight away. We start with whatever is weighing on you most.
Ease the pressure
Calm the stress and irritability, so you can be more patient at home and get through the workday.
Lift low moods
Work through the low moods, numbness or anger, so you can feel more like your usual self again.
Support your partner
Learn practical ways to help your partner while still making room for your own needs and feelings.
Bond with your baby
Feel more confident and connected with your baby, even if bonding hasn’t come easily yet.
Heal a hard birth
Work through a frightening birth you witnessed, so the memories stop catching you off guard.
Our approach
Specialized care for pregnancy and the early months
Sessions are practical and down to earth, and you can say what’s really going on without being judged. We draw on CBT and ACT for depression and anxiety, along with DBT skills for stress and anger. The goal is for you to feel steadier and more able to show up for your family.
Perinatal Mental Health Certified (PMH-C)
Postpartum Support International
EMDRIA Certified Therapist
EMDR International Association
Specialized in the perinatal years
I hold the Perinatal Mental Health Certification (PMH-C) from Postpartum Support International. Pregnancy, birth and the early months are the centre of our practice.
Help with what’s underneath
If a hard birth or an earlier loss is feeding how you feel now, EMDR can help those memories settle. I’m an EMDRIA Certified Therapist.
Built around life with a baby
Sessions are by secure video, so you can join from home without arranging childcare. Saturday appointments are available too.
Nicole Graff-Rowe
MSW, RSW · PMH-C · EMDRIA Certified Therapist
- Online sessions, anywhere in Ontario
- Based in Waterloo Region
- No referral needed
About your therapist
A certified perinatal therapist who’s also a mom
I remember the sleep regressions, the feeding worries and not quite recognizing myself after my baby arrived. I started Nurtured Family Counselling so parents have somewhere to say the hard things out loud without being judged.
It’s okay to feel like you’ve lost yourself after having a baby. I want to understand your history, your struggles and your story, and help you move forward in a way that’s rooted in your own values and goals.
I work with dads and partners as well as birthing parents, and I know how often partners get left out of the conversation. In our sessions, your experience is the focus.
FAQ
Questions parents ask before booking
It’s normal to have questions before reaching out. If yours isn’t here, you can send us a message.
Can dads get postpartum depression?
Yes. About 1 in 10 dads has depression during pregnancy or in the first year after birth.[1] (source, opens in a new tab) Partners can have anxiety too, and it often shows up as irritability, stress or pulling away.
I’m not the one who gave birth. Is it okay to need help?
Yes. Becoming a parent is a big change for everyone in the family, and your mental health matters for you and for them.
Is this only for dads?
No. We work with any partner of someone who is pregnant or has recently given birth, including non-birthing mothers.
Can I come to therapy to learn how to support my partner?
Yes. We can work on practical ways to help your partner, along with what you’re going through yourself.
What if my partner and I are both struggling?
It’s common for both parents to struggle at the same time. Each of you can get support, and you can read more about postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety.
Is therapy covered by insurance?
Many workplace health plans cover therapy with a Registered Social Worker, and you don’t need a referral to book. Fees, receipts and how to check your coverage are on the Fees and insurance page.
Get started
Looking after yourself helps your whole family.
You don’t have to keep holding it all together on your own. We can talk about what’s been hard and what might help.
Book a Free Consultation (opens in a new tab)