Is my anxiety hurting the baby?

Acute, severe, sustained anxiety can affect pregnancy outcomes, which is exactly why getting support matters. But everyday anxiety in response to a real history is not damaging your baby. What's most protective is treatment, which is what you're doing by looking for help.

I don't feel attached to this pregnancy. Is that a problem?

Protective detachment is extremely common in pregnancy after loss. Many people unconsciously hold back attachment until they feel safer, often after the gestational week of the previous loss, after a key scan, or sometimes not until they're holding the baby. That's your nervous system protecting you. It doesn't predict your bond.

When should I start therapy in pregnancy after loss?

Earlier is better. Many clients start before they're pregnant or in the first trimester. Having tools and a relationship with a therapist in place before the highest-anxiety milestones makes a real difference.

Do you work with parents after a stillbirth or neonatal loss?

Yes. Loss at any gestational age, and after birth, is treatable with grief and trauma-focused therapy. Many of our therapists have specific training in this work.

Can I get therapy online if I live in Washington?

Yes. Phoenix Health provides telehealth therapy to residents of Washington. Sessions are conducted via secure video from your home, office, or anywhere private — no commute required. All Phoenix Health therapists are licensed and authorized to practice in Washington.

What is a PMH-C certification?

PMH-C (Perinatal Mental Health Certification) is awarded by Postpartum Support International (PSI) to clinicians who have completed advanced training in perinatal mental health — covering postpartum depression, anxiety, OCD, birth trauma, and related conditions. It represents the gold standard of specialization in this field.

How do I know if I need therapy?

If you're struggling — with your mood, your thoughts, your relationship, or just how you're coping — that's enough of a reason to talk to someone. You don't need a diagnosis. A free consultation is a low-commitment first step.

🌻Pregnancy After Loss

Joy and terror at the same time. That's pregnancy after loss.

Therapists in Tacoma, Washington

"I'm pregnant again but I can't let myself feel excited. I'm terrified."

✓See a specialist this week✓PMH-C Certified Therapists✓Telehealth · see anyone from home✓In-network in Washington

In network with

+9 more

No commitment. We'll confirm your coverage before your first session.

Virtual therapy for Tacoma families

Your spouse just deployed from JBLM, the baby is two months old, and the postpartum class you signed up for meets across town at 10am, which is the only nap window you have. For military families at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, postpartum often arrives in the worst possible logistical configuration, and postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety follow. Civilian families across Tacoma's North End, Stadium District, University Place, and Gig Harbor face the South Sound version of the same problem: high housing costs, limited specialist perinatal therapists in the local market, and the cost-and-childcare math of getting to an in-person appointment with a newborn. Phoenix Health therapists hold PMH-C certification, the specialty credential in perinatal mental health, and have experience with TRICARE and military families. Sessions happen by secure video from home, with no drive to base or downtown. We specialize in postpartum depression, perinatal anxiety, birth trauma, and pregnancy loss. Gig Harbor families can access the same care without paying the bridge toll.

Tacoma neighborhoods: North End · Stadium District · University Place · Gig Harbor

You might benefit from therapy if…

✓You're pregnant after a miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal loss, or termination for medical reasons, and the fear is constant
✓You're holding your breath until the next scan, then starting over
✓You can't let yourself buy anything for the baby, decorate, or talk about plans
✓Anniversary dates of the previous loss are coming up, and you're bracing for them
✓You feel guilty about the previous baby or the previous pregnancy
✓You don't know how to talk to your partner about it without making things harder for them

Dr. Emily Guarnotta

Psychologist & Founder

From our founder
Pregnancy after loss is one of the hardest stretches I treat, because the people around you want you to be happy and you're busy trying to survive each week. Therapy gives you somewhere to put all of it, the grief and the terror and the slow, careful hope, without having to manage anyone else's reaction.

What therapy looks like

Therapy for pregnancy after loss is paced to the pregnancy itself. The work often blends grief therapy with trauma-informed approaches like EMDR or Trauma-Focused CBT, plus anxiety tools to get you through the high-fear weeks. Most Phoenix Health therapists hold PMH-C certification, and several have specific training in perinatal loss. Early sessions usually map the shape of the previous loss, the specific weeks and milestones that feel loaded, and what supports are or aren't in place. From there the work might include processing parts of the previous loss that still feel stuck, learning tools for the high-anxiety days around scans, navigating relationship strain, and slowly making space for hope without forcing it. Many clients start before they're pregnant or in the first trimester and continue through the postpartum period, because birth and the early weeks postpartum tend to surface a lot. Improvement is usually steady rather than dramatic, and the goal is to help you stay yourself through a pregnancy that asks a lot.

Your therapist

Most Phoenix Health therapists hold PMH-C certification — the gold standard in perinatal mental health.

Sailys Concepcion
LMHC, LPC, LPCC, PMH-C
Sailys is a bilingual therapist who helps parents navigate the emotional journey of pregnancy, postpartum, infertility, and loss across California, Florida, Georgia, Arizona, Washington, and Louisiana.
Licensed in CA, LA, WA, AZ, GA, FL

Real clients. Real relief.

What our clients say about their experience.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“"After my stillbirth I was terrified to try again and terrified not to. When I finally got pregnant, I dissociated for most of the first trimester, just protecting myself from more loss. My therapist helped me reconnect before the baby arrived so I wasn't meeting him already armored."”

— loss mom

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“"I refused to buy anything for the nursery until 36 weeks. I wouldn't let my husband tell anyone. I went to every appointment convinced they were going to find something wrong. My therapist helped me understand that the hypervigilance made sense, and also that it was costing me the pregnancy. Slowly we worked on staying in the present instead of waiting for bad news."”

— expecting mom, 2nd pregnancy

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“"I got pregnant again six months after my loss and couldn't celebrate. Every week past where we'd lost the last one felt like permission to breathe a little more, and every week before it felt like holding my breath. My therapist helped me stop spending the pregnancy in survival mode and actually be present for it. It wasn't easy. It was worth it."”

— mom after loss

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I lost my first at 22 weeks. When I got pregnant again I couldn't breathe until I was past that week. My therapist helped me make a plan for the day I crossed that line and for every scan after. I am holding a baby now and I am still grateful for how she got me there.”

— Jordana, after stillbirth

Expert care.
Covered in Washington.

✓Aetna (incl. CVS Health, First Health, & Meritain)
✓BCBS (incl. Anthem, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, & state plans)
✓Cigna / Evernorth
✓United Healthcare (UHC) / Optum (incl. UBH, UMR, Surest, Oscar, & Oxford)

Most clients pay less than $20 per session.

Accepted Insurance Networks

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Ready to start Pregnancy After Loss therapy? Here’s how it works.

The whole process takes about 5 minutes. We handle insurance — you just show up.

1
Book your free call
A quick 15-minute chat to hear what you're going through, answer your questions, and make sure we're a great fit for your needs. No cost, no commitment.
2
Get matched
We'll pair you with the right specialist for your specific situation. We'll also check your insurance, so you know your exact cost per session before moving forward.
3
Start your first session
Meet your therapist from the comfort of home. No commute, no waiting rooms, no judgment. Most clients notice a real difference within just 2 to 3 sessions.

No commitment · Most insurance accepted · Available this week

Common questions

Acute, severe, sustained anxiety can affect pregnancy outcomes, which is exactly why getting support matters. But everyday anxiety in response to a real history is not damaging your baby. What's most protective is treatment, which is what you're doing by looking for help.
Protective detachment is extremely common in pregnancy after loss. Many people unconsciously hold back attachment until they feel safer, often after the gestational week of the previous loss, after a key scan, or sometimes not until they're holding the baby. That's your nervous system protecting you. It doesn't predict your bond.
Earlier is better. Many clients start before they're pregnant or in the first trimester. Having tools and a relationship with a therapist in place before the highest-anxiety milestones makes a real difference.
Yes. Loss at any gestational age, and after birth, is treatable with grief and trauma-focused therapy. Many of our therapists have specific training in this work.
Yes. Phoenix Health provides telehealth therapy to residents of Washington. Sessions are conducted via secure video from your home, office, or anywhere private — no commute required. All Phoenix Health therapists are licensed and authorized to practice in Washington.
PMH-C (Perinatal Mental Health Certification) is awarded by Postpartum Support International (PSI) to clinicians who have completed advanced training in perinatal mental health — covering postpartum depression, anxiety, OCD, birth trauma, and related conditions. It represents the gold standard of specialization in this field.
If you're struggling — with your mood, your thoughts, your relationship, or just how you're coping — that's enough of a reason to talk to someone. You don't need a diagnosis. A free consultation is a low-commitment first step.

From the Phoenix Health resource center

Articles and guides about pregnancy after loss

Pregnancy After Loss: A Complete Guide to Anxiety and Fear

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Why It's Hard to Ask for Help in Pregnancy After Loss (And How to Do It Anyway)

People in pregnancy after loss often face specific internal barriers to seeking support — the sense that asking for help will jinx the pregnancy, the guilt of focusing on fear rather than gratitude, the feeling that struggling isn't allowed. These barriers are real and addressable.

Read article →

Therapy During Pregnancy After Loss: What Helps and Why

Pregnancy after miscarriage or loss involves a specific combination of grief, anxiety, and protective detachment that general anxiety treatment doesn't fully address. Here's what approaches actually help, and what to look for in a therapist.

Read article →