You deserve to be supported by professionals who truly understand your unique situation, and have the specialized training to help you.
About US
A Canada-wide therapy group especially for parents was long overdue.
Society sets us up to believe that parenthood will come naturally and be a simple and easy transition that “we were built for.” But parenthood can be turbulent and not anything like you expected - full of so many new layers of stress, anxiety, and interpersonal challenges that you never could have seen coming. And even if you’re years into family life, you know that somehow the stress keeps piling up and it feels impossible to hold it all.
That's where we come in.
Our team is trained to help you manage the peaks and valleys of the entire journey of becoming a parent, and staying connected to yourself along the way. From deciding to have children, to navigating your journey through fertility, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, relationship changes, parenting, career demands and beyond, parenthood can be rife with challenges. Our team is here to support you through it all.
- Fertility challenges
- Pregnancy loss and stillbirth
- Decisions regarding family planning
- Termination or abortion
- Feeling unprepared for how life changed
- Managing life stress
- Cultural differences in parenting
- Grief and loss
- Postpartum and pregnancy anxiety
- Sharing the load of parenting
- Unexpected anger or resentment
- Depression and low mood or motivation
- Intrusive or scary thoughts
- Relationship changes or difficulties
- Rebuilding intimacy and sex
- Identity transitions
- Navigating boundaries with family
- Not feeling like yourself anymore
- Birth trauma or disappointing birth experiences
- Retuning to work
Common Areas We Can Help You With In Counselling
MEET OUR THERAPISTS
Clients come to us at various stages of parenthood - there’s no timeframe that limits when you can connect with us. We know that postpartum doesn’t end after a year.
There’s no referral needed to see a therapist on our team.
therapy focus
How We Can Help
We offer 1:1 counselling, relationship counselling, and group counselling focusing on challenges in the perinatal and early parenthood stage, to people across Canada.
Counselling / THERAPY
Groups + Events
We have a growing library of workshops, a monthly free support group for moms, and group therapy options to support you in your perinatal mental wellness journey.
SERVICES
We believe in the power of 1:1 counselling, and we also acknowledge that this isn't the only way to improve your mental health. Here are some other ways to get support from our team.
Parenting support
We have parenting experts on the team who are here to help you work through a specific challenge, so that you have a plan in place and the confidence to approach even the toughest moments with your family.
Our Story
When you become a parent, you're automatically exposed to a number of double standards and unrealistic expectations. Society just wants to talk about pregnancy glows and falling in love the second we first hold our baby. Oftentimes though, new parents are shocked when the reality of caring for their baby instead looks like overwhelm, self-doubt, intrusive thoughts, postpartum anxiety, or major waves of depression.
This was certainly the case with both Kate Borsato and Melissa Medjuck, co-owners of The Perinatal Collective. After experiencing the major gaps in the perinatal field - both as therapists supporting new moms and as mothers themselves - they emerged into the world of perinatal mental health with a desire to provide up-to-date support and to combat the toxic cultural narratives surrounding parenthood. In their work, they’ve recognized the silencing of parents’ struggles, the societal devaluing of motherhood itself, and the need for better perinatal mental health support for all parents.
Today, their motivation is simple: to help parents feel better, however that looks for families, and to give perinatal professionals the necessary tools so that their clients can feel heard, seen, and understood.
ABOUT
Our Leadership Team
Kate Borsato (left) is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) in British Columbia, Founder of The Perinatal Collective, holds a masters in counselling psychology, as well as the Perinatal Mental Health Certification (PMH-C). Melissa Medjuck (right) is a Registered Social Worker (RSW) in British Columbia, a certified birth and postpartum doula (CD(DONA)), holds a masters in social work, and was a former adjunct professor with the School of Social Work at the University of British Columbia.
In addition to supporting perinatal clients in individual counselling, they also create educational resources for perinatal professionals, and offer free educational resources through their social media channels. Their vision is to create a mental health hub for the perinatal world, including both parents and professionals, that's honest, relatable, accessible, and truly helpful.
Our leaders have been FEATURED IN:
Our Vision For The Perinatal Collective
At The Perinatal Collective, our future vision is to transform the perinatal care landscape by prioritizing collaborative care that truly supports individuals during this crucial period. We understand that perinatal mental health is a multifaceted journey, and that's why we're dedicated to connecting you not only with our expert mental health team but also with a network of other healthcare providers that you might look to for support.
Further, we are committed to advancing perinatal mental health education by creating valuable resources for healthcare providers and extending our support to students eager to learn about this field. At The Perinatal Collective, we believe that through collaboration, education, and unwavering support, we can make a positive difference in the perinatal care experience.
We also aspire to launch a charity in 2024 aimed at providing low and no-cost mental health support for families in need. We recognize that these vital services are often inaccessible to many, and our goal is to bridge that gap. By establishing this charity, we hope to ensure that every family, regardless of their financial circumstances, can access the essential perinatal mental health support they deserve.
Our Beliefs
these statements define our values and work as therapists
- Your experience from your fertility journey to birth to the postpartum years has a huge impact on your mental health and identity.
- A parent’s mental wellbeing has a direct impact on their family life, relationship, and child’s happiness.
- You are more than “just a mom” or “just a dad” and deserve to be fulfilled intellectually, socially, creatively, physically, and spiritually.
- There’s no wrong way to feel in parenthood and you have permission to feel the way you do without judgment from yourself or others.
- You do not need a clinical mental health diagnosis to deserve support.
- Those who have a history with depression, anxiety or any other mental health illnesses are more likely to suffer in parenthood.
- Postpartum depression and anxiety are some of the most prevalent mental health illnesses but yet they’re one of the most misunderstood and under-treated.
- Historical oppression, racism, and family trauma can contribute to mood disorders for parents.
- Moms from marginalized communities are at greater risk for childbirth trauma, perinatal mood disorders like postpartum depression and anxiety, and have less access to mental health support.
- Not all clients identify as cisgender women. We work to be inclusive and accommodating for trans clients and all birthing people seeking support.
- We consciously work towards inclusivity with language, graphics, associates and contractors and other partners.
Contact Us
Get in touch! If you have questions about our services, would like to receive printed materials, have a media inquiry, or any other question, please fill out this contact form.
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