One in seven women will experience postpartum depression, according to the American Psychological Association. Licensed mental health counselors Janna Kinner, Katie Hunter and Aimee Peters will conduct the Taking Back Motherhood course at the Fishers YMCA.
“We noticed we were treating women having struggles right after their baby was born but oftentimes women would wait until their baby is almost a year old,” Kinner said. “I have quite a few friends that have started speaking up about their struggles. I’d say the combination of professional experience and also hearing more women being open about it helped us realize there was a need in the community.”
The YMCA was the perfect community setting for the group to meet, Kinner said.
“There might be more stigma in terms of seeking treatment at a hospital versus in a community setting,” Kinner said. “A lot of moms struggle, not just after their first baby is born, but maybe (after) their second, third or fourth babies are born, and that means they have older children at home as well.”
Play and Learn child care is available for babies and/or their older siblings. It’s free for members, or $5 per hour, per child for non-members.
The course is formatted to allow women to share their experiences while also learning from the therapists.
“We’re also planning to have a short time of education where whoever is facilitating the group will bring a topic such as self-care of how to handle changes in your marriage or other relationships related to this adjustment period in your life,” Kinner said.
Sessions will be held on the first and third Thursday of the month from 10 to 11:30 a.m. For more information about the group and to complete a required brief phone screening, contact Janna Kinner at 317-775-3030 or [email protected].
