Having a baby can be the best thing that ever happens to a woman but many people don’t talk about it can also be really challenging.  Pregnancy alone brings hormone changes, additional stress, and sleep deprivation.  Deliveries rarely go as planned and complications as well as a C section (which few people stress is major surgery) can lengthen the physical recovery of the mother.  Include the addition of lactation issues and possible isolation as well as additional marital stress and it’s no surprise that 10-15% of women experience Postpartum Depression, Anxiety and even Psychosis that reaches far beyond the often discussed baby blues. 

Help is available! If your blues last beyond a month, you find yourself still struggling with worry and negative thinking or wish you had more support, we are here for you!  Contact us today to make an appointment.  Babies are welcome in session if you don’t want to leave them.

We can provide educational resources (because knowledge empowers us), coping strategies, and a support network through Facebook to help you redefine yourself as you care for a newborn for the first or even 20th time.

Call Michelle today at 972-979-9720.  If you hear a message that says she isn’t accepting new clients, let her know that you are a postpartum mom, your insurance plan (if you plan on using this resource) and when you are available and your call will be returned as soon as possible.

Even after women leave what’s often labeled as the postpartum phase of life (most insurance companies define this as the first 2-3 months after childbirth), they often have untreated depression or anxiety in relation to parenthood.

Becoming a mother adds another role to a woman’s life and challenges them to once again redefine their identity.  Many begin juggling work and parenting, other’s stay home and experience loneliness and a lack of identity that came from work, while still others try balancing both and report experiencing guilt regarding both their work and performance as a Mom. 

Previous issues such as past episodes of depression and anxiety, relationship stress, and experiences of trauma and abuse can further increase a woman’s chances of being diagnosed with an adjustment or mood disorder.

Finally, our society today with all its access to information sends an implied message that holds mothers to an impossible standard is they choose to embrace it.

Help is just a phone call away!  Whether your struggles involve mood issues, life balance, marital dissatisfaction, or parenting dilemmas, Michelle Nietert brings over 10 years of experience walking beside women and providing them with hope, information, resources, and a plan of action to create change.  Call her at       972-979-9720 today.

I have a passion for working with postpartum moms and bring over 10 years of experience treating women struggling with depression, anxiety, relationships, and parenting struggles.

Contact me today to see if my skills are a good fit for you.  Sessions are generally 45 minutes in length and vary in frequency.  Most phone calls will go to voicemail and if I’m not accepting new clients, please leave a message letting me know you are a postpartum mom, when you are available, and if you plan to use insurance, what company your coverage is through (Michelle is contracted with Aetna, Cigna, BCBS, and several EAP’s).  Private pay and out of network fees vary from $150 to $75 a session. 

If you need to reach someone more quickly, you can call the ACA on call staff number at 214-509-6888.  Neither line is for counseling emergencies. 

More About Michelle

Michelle has an undergraduate degree in Education, a Master’s Degree in Counseling, and has done post graduate work in school and Biblical counseling as well as Women’s Studies.

She is the clinical director of                Allen Counseling Associates (www.allencouselingassociates.com).  She offers women support, empowerment, and real life solutions.  Michelle has also completed all the training as a Certified Gottman Educator focusing on his materials regarding Bringing Baby Home (a resource program for couples that teaches emotion coaching, encourages dad’s involvement in parenting, and was designed to strengthen marriages (as many couples report marital strain to surge or increase with the birth of the first child in the family).

Michelle’s approach in the counseling office is genuine and directive.  Clients often leave the first session reporting they have hope, resources to turn to, and a plan that treats the symptoms presented. 

Outside the counseling office, Michelle balances caring for two small children with her husband Drew, a healthcare consultant.  She has started a neighborhood playgroup and knows what it’s like to ask for help from an extensive support network while experiencing fertility treatment, pregnancy and delivery complications, an unplanned C section, baby blues, lactation issues, and career changes due to becoming a mother.