Women's Wellness and Counseling Service
- First Appointment Information

Women's Wellness and Counseling Service

We provide specialized psychotherapy and medication management services to birthing persons and their partners.

Trying to conceive, adjusting to pregnancy and parenthood, or coping with perinatal loss can all feel painful and overwhelming. Mental health conditions are the most common complication affecting people during and after pregnancy. One in five people deal with mental health concerns during pregnancy and the first year after giving birth.

Although "postpartum depression" is the term most often used, parents can experience other mood issues such as anxiety and PTSD. People from every culture, age, income level, and race can be affected. The University of Iowa Health Care Women's Wellness & Counseling Service team can help if you are:

Experiencing stress while trying to conceive
Feeling alone as you cope with infertility
Noticing mood changes during or after pregnancy
Grieving a pregnancy loss or other reproductive trauma

We offer a safe place to share you concerns and provide evidence-based treatment to help you feel better quickly.

Iowa's only specialized program

The Women's Wellness & Counseling Service is the only outpatient perinatal mental health clinic in Iowa that offers both psychotherapy and medication management services.

Get help quickly and conveniently

We've made it easy for you to receive care. You don't have to wait long for an appointment. Our scheduling team will contact you soon after receiving your referral and strive to schedule your first visit within one to two weeks.

If it's difficult to come to the clinic in person, you can use telehealth services to connect with a provider via a secure video call.

A therapist can even come to you. Mental health care is available in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and the OB-GYN Maternal Substance Use Disorder Clinic. It's also available if you're hospitalized before delivery.

We also accept self-referrals. Call our scheduling team to learn more about our services or to schedule your appointment.

A team that works together for you

Women's Wellness & Counseling Service specialists work with your other health care providers.

We coordinate care with clinicians at UI Health Care and across Iowa. Coordinated care means better care: Screening and referrals get you the expert care you need, sooner.

Our therapists and medication experts will collaborate with you to develop an individualized treatment plan. The multidisciplinary team includes:

Psychologists
Psychiatrists
Advanced practice nurses
Social workers

Our education and research programs also enhance your care. We're teaching and training the next generation of mental health clinicians, and we conduct mental health research that advances the field.

What to expect

Our scheduling team will contact you within a few days after we receive your referral. They'll talk with you about care options and schedule you to see the right provider as quickly as possible.

If we're not able to provide the services you need, we'll connect you with resources and referrals. We can also direct you to the nearest crisis services if needed.

At your first appointment

Your first appointment will last between 60 and 90 minutes. Your provider will conduct a thorough assessment of:

Your symptoms
Your level of functioning
Your physical and mental health history
Your goals for treatment

In most cases, you'll continue to see the same provider for your ongoing treatment.

Efficient, evidence-based treatments

Your provider will describe your treatment options and craft a customized plan that meets your treatment goals. They'll listen to your needs and concerns, and they'll answer questions using plain language.

You can feel confident that our experts are equipped to help you. They have specialized training in treatments that have been proven effective for perinatal and reproductive mental health issues. You'll likely experience improvement in mood and functioning quickly.

All of our providers are trained in reproductive mental health care. Depending on your needs, you may meet with providers who specialize in: