Women’s Mental Health: Psychiatric Treatment & Therapy

Outpatient Psychiatry for Women In-Person & Online

Emily Bernstein, MD. Director of Women’s Mental Health at Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates.

Women have unique experiences both physically and emotionally through their lives. There are many physical and hormonal changes that women go through monthly, during pregnancy and postpartum, and peri and post menopause. These changes can dramatically affect mood, anxiety, sleeping patterns and more. Women’s mental health treatment is not general mental health treatment. It’s a specific focus within psychiatry and patients benefit from working with a women’s mental health psychiatrist, nurse practitioner and/or therapist, with expertise in this area of medicine.

Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates has a team of women’s mental health providers, who offer psychiatric evaluations for women, pregnancy treatment planning, postpartum depression treatment, premenstrual psychiatric symptom management, peri and postmenopausal women’s mental health treatment and medication management, and in-office and online therapy for women.

Women’s Mental Health Conditions Treated at Rittenhouse

Pre-Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a psychiatric condition where women have fluctuations in mood, anxiety, sleep and/or irritability that can cause significant distress. Symptoms typically appear within a week of menstruation, and resolve within 1-2 days afterwards. Symptoms can be severe, and can not only affect the woman with PMDD emotionally, but can also have a significant impact on their social, academic, and occupational lives – in addition to their relationships. Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a treatable medical condition, and treatments may include psychiatric medication management, in-office and online therapy for women, dietary changes, vitamins and supplements, and behavioral changes as well.

Postpartum Depression

Postpartum Depression is a psychiatric condition where a woman experiences an increase in sadness and/or a decreased ability to experience positive emotions, after the birth of a child. Associated symptoms include changes in sleep, energy, appetite, self-confidence, focus and motivation. Suicidal thoughts and even psychosis can occur. Postpartum Depression is a serious psychiatric condition, and warrants a psychiatric evaluation by a women’s mental health psychiatrist, specialist or therapist. Treatment for Postpartum Depression is available and effective, and may include psychiatric medication management, in-office or online therapy for women, and/or vitamins, supplements, and behavioral changes.

Perimenopausal Depression, Anxiety & Insomnia

Psychiatric symptoms such as depression, anxiety, irritability and insomnia, can worsen (or even be caused by) the hormonal changes that naturally occur for women during and after menopause. Women’s mental health psychiatrists and other specialists, can not only help women to manage these symptoms, but also treat hot flashes, night sweats, joint and muscle discomfort, pain during sexual activity and other associated symptoms. The women’s mental health psychiatrists and doctors at Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates can additionally collaborate and coordinate care with a woman’s OBGYN, therapist, and other providers, to effectively treat emotional and physical distress associated with peri and post-menopause.

Our Women’s Mental Health Treatment Process

Our providers will work with patients to create a custom treatment plan.

Your First Visit for Women’s Mental Health

Your first visit at Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates for women’s mental health, will consist of a thorough 60-90 minute psychiatric evaluation by a women’s mental health psychiatrist or other women’s mental health specialist. They will perform an evaluation for various conditions unique to women, in addition to general psychiatric conditions, such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD, substance use disorders, eating disorders, personality vulnerabilities and others. Your provider will then work with you, to develop a specific treatment plan, which may include psychiatric medication management, psychotherapy, additional medical workup, collaboration with a woman’s primary care provider, OBGYN and/or other specialist, laboratory tests (which may include hormone levels), dietary changes, vitamins, supplements and/or behavioral modification.

Therapy for Women

In addition to evaluations by women’s health psychiatrists, patients may schedule therapy with one of our psychotherapists with a focus on women’s mental health. Psychotherapy for premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), postpartum depression, and peri and postmenopausal psychiatric symptoms, will include education (which has a significant role in women’s mental health in-office and online therapy), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing, supportive therapy and/or EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing).

The women’s mental health therapists and specialists at Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates will collaborate with your prescriber at RPA, and/or specialists outside of our practice as well, to deliver the best quality of care.

Medication Management

The Women’s Mental Health Doctors and Specialists at Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates believe that medication management for premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), postpartum depression, peri and postmenopausal symptoms and other women’s mental health conditions can be part of a woman’s treatment, but that holistic, individualized, and patient-centered care is ideal. Medications may work differently from one patient to the next, and specialists are able to not only predict the best medication for an individual’s specific condition, but also adapt, when necessary.

Our providers will work to develop a plan which may include medication, but also may involve psychotherapy, the treatment of underlying medical conditions (and collaboration with appropriate providers – even outside of our practice), the treatment of co-occurring psychiatric conditions and behavioral strategies and coping mechanisms for one’s symptoms.

Women’s Mental Health Medication Management Available in these States:

• California
• Delaware
• Florida
• Massachusetts
• Maryland
• New Jersey
• New York
• Pennsylvania
• USVI

Our Women’s Mental Health Psychiatrists & Specialists

Emily Bernstein, MD

Karen Chen, CRNP

Nicole Palaio, MS, LPC

Kristine Spano, PsyD

Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates In-Person Women’s Mental Health Treatment Locations

• Wilmington, DE
• Collingswood, NJ
• Manhattan, NY
• Paoli, PA
• Philadelphia, PA
• Pittsburgh, PA

Mental Health Resources for Women

• MGH Center for Women’s Mental Health: Women’s reproductive mental health resources.
• MotherToBaby: Information on 275+ types of exposures during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Individuals can search their database, or review literature on exposures such as medications, vitamins and supplements, illnesses, vaccines and others.
• Postpartum Support International: Their patient helpline is also available – 1.800.944.4PPD (4773).
• The Menopause Society: Menopause mental health information
• Mom’s Guide to the Fourth Trimester: A book on postpartum wellbeing by RPA provider Nicole Palaio, MS, LPC.