Austin Postpartum Anxiety Therapist

Normal new parent worry is manageable and doesn't interfere with daily life. Postpartum anxiety (PPA) involves excessive, persistent worry that feels uncontrollable. You might have racing thoughts, difficulty sleeping even when the baby sleeps, physical symptoms like rapid heartbeat or nausea, and intrusive thoughts about harm. If worry is consuming your day and affecting your ability to function, it's likely PPA requiring professional help.

Intrusive thoughts are unwanted, disturbing thoughts about harm coming to your baby or yourself. They're extremely common in postpartum anxiety and postpartum OCD. Having these thoughts does NOT mean you'll act on them—in fact, moms with intrusive thoughts are often the most protective. These thoughts are a symptom of anxiety, not a reflection of your character. With proper treatment, intrusive thoughts can be managed and reduced.

Yes, postpartum anxiety can occur on its own, though it often co-occurs with postpartum depression. Many moms experience anxiety as their primary symptom without significant depression. Symptoms include excessive worry, physical tension, racing thoughts, difficulty relaxing, and hypervigilance about the baby's safety. Both conditions respond well to therapy.

Medication can be very effective for postpartum anxiety, especially when combined with therapy. Many anti-anxiety medications and SSRIs are safe while breastfeeding. The decision about medication should be made with your doctor or psychiatrist. Dr. Rundle provides therapy-based treatment and can coordinate with your medical providers if medication is recommended as part of your comprehensive treatment plan.

Most moms notice some improvement in anxiety symptoms within 2-4 weeks of starting Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for postpartum OCD. Significant improvement typically occurs by 8-12 weeks. The timeline varies based on symptom severity and consistency of treatment, but evidence-based therapies have strong success rates for postpartum anxiety.

A postpartum anxiety therapist treats the anxiety that shows up during pregnancy and after birth, using approaches built for this season of life rather than generic stress management. In practice that means Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to loosen the grip of catastrophic 'what if' thinking, Exposure and Response Prevention for intrusive thoughts, checking, and reassurance-seeking, body-based skills like paced breathing for panic, and practical work on sleep and support. The goal isn't to make you worry-free. It's to get your nervous system out of constant alarm so you can care for your baby and yourself without the dread running the show.

Postpartum anxiety is about too much activation: racing thoughts, constant worry, intrusive thoughts, panic, hypervigilance, a body that won't settle. Postpartum depression is more about depletion: persistent sadness or numbness, losing interest in things, hopelessness, trouble feeling connected to your baby, very low energy. Many moms have both at once, and it's common to lead with anxiety and only later notice the depression underneath. A perinatal specialist assesses for both so the plan fits what's actually happening, not just the symptom that's loudest.

It depends on what you're looking for. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who evaluates symptoms and prescribes and manages medication. A clinical psychologist diagnoses and treats with therapy. Dr. Jana Rundle is a licensed clinical psychologist (PsyD, PMH-C); she does not prescribe. If medication becomes part of your plan, that decision is made with your OB-GYN, primary care physician, or a psychiatrist, and Dr. Rundle coordinates with them so the therapy and the prescribing work together. Many moms do best with both. If you don't yet have a prescriber, she can point you toward reproductive psychiatry options in the Austin area.

Yes. Dr. Rundle offers secure telehealth sessions to moms anywhere in Texas, alongside in-person sessions at her North Austin office. Virtual therapy is often the more realistic option in the first year: no packing up the baby, no drive, and you can log in from the nursery during a nap or a feed. Texas licensure means you can be in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, or a small town hours from a specialist and still get care from someone trained in perinatal anxiety and OCD.