Postpartum Support Virginia seeks to help mothers overcome Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders

June 17, 2022June 17, 2022

At least 1 in 5 people giving birth will struggle with Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) during pregnancy and/or postpartum.

But thanks to organizations like Postpartum Support Virginia(PSVa), you do not have to suffer alone.

The Deputy Director, Sultana Karim, M.A., LCPC, LPC, CCTP, is a mom who struggled with Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) after experiencing a traumatic birth, and her daughter was in the NICU. Sultana turned to Postpartum Support Virginia to gain support and once healed, she gave back as a volunteer at PSVa. She eventually became a staff member and continued to advocate and support to perinatal people heal from PMADs.

Sultana sat down with PW Perspective to share more about the work she is doing to help those suffering.

What does PSVa Virginia offer?

*PSVa offers support for new and expectant families through support groups, peer mentors, care coordination, and a 24/7 peer led warm line in English and Spanish. We also train healthcare professionals, mental health providers and the community about PMADs. We launched our Perinatal Mental Health Coalition last month that focuses on providing community support and efforts to improve perinatal mental health and access to care. We also have a Refugee Services program where we offer training on how to take care of self, baby, and understanding birthing; and Spanish Services.

PSVa’s mission is to educate families, healthcare providers, and communities about Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders (PMADs), and provide resources to help perinatal people and their families overcome anxiety, depression, and other PMADs.

What is one message that you want to give to the community?

My first message is directly to Health Care Providers. Let’s treat the whole person and the whole family. If a child is suffering with any challenges, include treating the mother as part of the process. Establish a relationship with the entire family system. I would love for this education to reach Daycare providers, midwives, basically anyone that comes in contact with providing services for child care. Screening is also important. There are certain risk factors for Perinatal Mood Anxiety Disorders, such as fertility issues, miscarriages, infant loss, depression, domestic violence, and other challenges that needs to be considered. When a woman (perinatal person) is pregnant, screening and education is a way to provide support and treat mental health problems sooner when they come up during the pregnancy and/or postpartum.

I have a message to anyone that may suffer from a PMAD. You are not alone. With help, you can feel like yourself again! Please reach out if you are feeling off or not right. I know there is a stigma about mental health— admitting that you have a mental health issue or that you have to take medication to support your mental health— is seen as a weakness. Actually, it takes incredible strength to acknowledge that you need help and get the help you need. Also, for you to be the best person that you can be for yourself, baby, and family, you need to be mentally well!

Last, as a community, Perinatal mental health and suicidality in this population is a health crisis! We need partnerships with the communities to help treat this issue. We need the community to work with us in our Perinatal Mental Health Coalition, where we will work together on identifying the barriers for this population and figuring out how we as a community can find community-based solutions so that all perinatal people have access to care, and we are treating the whole- person and family system. We also need to sponsor to contribute to this initiative.

You also have a Private Practice, can you tell us about that?

Yes, my private practice, Karim Counseling Services, PLLC, where I provide individual counseling to adults who are pregnant and postpartum struggling with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, adjusting to parenthood, trauma, and loss; and adults who want to process and heal from childhood trauma, or those who are survivors of trauma- specifically, domestic, intimate partner, and sexual violence. I offer these services virtually for people who live in Maryland & Virginia.

Are there any last words you want to share?

Yes, parenthood is hard. Perinatal Mood Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) are common. There is no shame in this! When a mom (birthing person) is suffering, this affects the baby, which affects future generations. Let’s work together to create a different future of approaching mental health now!

About Sultana Karim

Sultana Karim, M.A., LCPC, LPC, CCTP

Sultana Karim is the Owner and psychotherapist at Karim Counseling Services, PLLC, and the Deputy Director at Postpartum Support Virginia. She is a licensed professional counselor in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the State of Maryland, and a certified clinical trauma professional. Sultana has over 10 years of clinical experience working with children, adolescents, adults, and families in outpatient mental health, child advocacy centers, domestic violence shelters, family services, and hospital settings. She specializes in treating sexual and domestic violence, perinatal mental health, and loss. In her private practice, she provides individual counseling to adults who are pregnant and postpartum struggling with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, adjusting to parenthood, trauma, and loss; and adults who want to process and heal from childhood trauma, domestic and sexual violence. These services are provided virtually for people who live in Maryland & Virginia.

At Postpartum Support Virginia, she oversees all our direct services to perinatal people and their families. Those services are support groups, peer mentor programs, warm line, refugee services, and Spanish Services. She has also presented on the topics of racial and ethnic disparities in perinatal mental health, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, trauma, child sexual abuse, domestic violence, perception of race, bullying and depression, play therapy, and sexual trauma. She serves on the Maternal Quality of Care Alliance (MQCA)– a part of the Virginia Neonatal Prenatal Collaborative (VNPC). Sultana is a member of the DC Metro Perinatal Mental Health Collaborative, Postpartum Support International Perinatal Mental Health ECHO, Baltimore Perinatal Mental Health Professional Study Group, Association of Military Spouse Entrepreneurs, American Mental Health Counselors Association, and Northern Virginia Licensed Professional Counselors.