Mental Health Support

Physical and emotional wellbeing tend to move together, and mental health support at SOMOM is offered as part of that fuller picture rather than as a separate, disconnected service. Sessions are provided by an appropriate regulated mental health professional and are shaped around what you are experiencing — whether that is the emotional weight of pregnancy and early parenting, the adjustment that comes with a changing body, or the frustration and worry that can build up around persistent pelvic pain. For families in High Park and across Toronto, this is meant to be a steady, unhurried space to talk, alongside the physical care you may already be receiving here.

What this support is and how it works

Mental health support at the clinic generally takes the form of talk-based sessions with a regulated professional, focused on your emotional experience rather than the diagnosis or treatment of physical conditions. The approach is whole-person: your provider will want to understand not just a symptom or a stage of life in isolation, but how it fits into your broader circumstances, relationships and history. Sessions are intended to be non-judgmental — there is no expectation that you arrive with a tidy narrative or have already figured out what you are feeling. This support is designed to work alongside your family physician and any existing mental health care you have in place, not to replace it, and your provider may suggest additional resources or a referral when that is the most appropriate next step, including urgent care when needed.

What this support can help with

• Perinatal mood and anxiety — pregnancy and the postpartum period can bring mood and anxiety changes that go beyond ordinary adjustment, and having a dedicated space to talk about this early can be a meaningful part of care.
• Adjustment to body changes — pregnancy, birth and other life stages can shift how a person feels in their body, and processing that change, rather than pushing past it, is often part of settling into it.
• Distress related to chronic pelvic pain — living with ongoing pelvic pain can bring frustration, worry and a sense of isolation, and talking this through alongside physical treatment can support how manageable the experience feels day to day.
• The mind-body links in persistent pain — pain that continues over time is understood to involve the nervous system as well as tissue, and exploring stress, past experience and coping patterns may be a useful complement to physical treatment.
• The broader emotional demands of early parenting — disrupted sleep, identity shifts and the workload of caring for a new baby can be significant, and support for the emotional side of this stage is often as valuable as support for the physical one.

How this fits with pelvic health and family care at the clinic

Persistent pelvic pain, prenatal anxiety and postpartum overwhelm rarely arrive on their own, which is part of why this support is offered as one piece of a connected approach to pelvic health at the clinic rather than in isolation. With your consent, your mental health provider can stay loosely connected to the rest of your care team, including anyone you are seeing for pelvic-health physiotherapy, so the emotional and physical sides of your care are not working against each other. This can be particularly relevant during the postpartum period, when physical recovery and emotional adjustment are often happening at the same time.

What a first visit involves

A first session is largely a conversation. Your provider will ask about what brought you in, a little about your history and circumstances, and what you are hoping support might look like — there is no obligation to share more than feels comfortable on a first visit. Confidentiality and consent are central to how sessions are run, and the pace is set by you, with your provider checking in regularly rather than assuming what you want to focus on. From there, you and your provider can talk about what ongoing support, if any, makes sense, including whether a referral elsewhere would be helpful.

Who this support suits

This support tends to suit people navigating the emotional side of pregnancy, postpartum life, chronic pelvic pain, or a major body or life change, who want a regulated professional to talk to alongside their existing medical care. It is not designed for emergency or crisis care: if you are in crisis, having thoughts of harming yourself, or need urgent help, please contact emergency services, a crisis line, or your nearest emergency department right away rather than waiting for an appointment. For non-urgent support, you can book a session to get started.