Nesting Space provides mental health occupational therapy, paediatric OT and psychology services on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Supporting children, families and individuals with personalised, evidence-based care.

Our Perinatal Mental Health Services

Mental Health Occupational Therapy

We can provide 10 rebated sessions through Medicare if you receive a Mental Health Care Plan from your GP. You're not alone on this journey—we're here to support you every step of the way.

The journey to motherhood is associated with many significant changes in daily routines, roles, responsibilities and relationships. The transformative process and emotional journey of becoming a mother is called Matrescence and is when a woman transitions through pre-conception, conception, birth, postpartum and beyond. Mental Health Occupational Therapists’ working in the perinatal context bring a unique and advanced skill set to the understanding and treatment of mental health in the perinatal period and offer services that blend occupational therapy with a deep understanding of Matrescence. MHOT’s understand that pregnancy, childbirth and the adjustment to parenthood can have a significant impact on mental health that can be exacerbated by sleep deprivation, pre-existing mental health issues and changes to other relationships.  

MHOT’s provide practical support through 1:1 counselling to help mothers experiencing perinatal mental health concerns carry out the daily activities that are important to them, their infants and families as well as manage the identity transition they are currently going through. MHOT’s provide counselling services, drawing on integrative approaches including psychological (CBT, ACT, Mindfulness and more) and sensory practices to support you in doing the things that are important and meaningful to you.

 The areas of support mental health OT can help in include:

  • Mental Health; including post-natal depression and anxiety

  • Sensory overwhelm, dysregulation, intrusive thoughts and rage

  • Building self-esteem

  • Relationship stressors

  • Grief, loss and trauma

  • Fear of childbirth (Tokophobia)

  • Birth trauma

  • Bonding with your baby

  • Changes in role and identity and transition into motherhood through Matrescence coaching

  • Parenting/ Attachment Coaching

At Nesting Space, we believe in the power of community support—the village mentality that is often missing in modern parenting. We are dedicated to creating that village for you, providing a safe space where you can find understanding, guidance and connection.

Raising a child doesn't come with a manual; every child is unique and every parent's journey is different. We recognise the interconnectedness of sleep deprivation and mental health, understanding that poor sleep can exacerbate mental health challenges and vice versa. That's why we offer holistic care, combining mental health support with expert regulation support to address both aspects comprehensively.

  • Occupational therapists (OTs) assess the mental health needs of pregnant individuals and new parents. They evaluate factors such as coping skills, daily functioning, stressors, and support systems to understand the individual's unique challenges and strengths.

  • Based on the assessment, OTs develop personalized treatment plans to address the mental health concerns of perinatal clients. These plans may include strategies to manage stress, enhance coping skills, improve self-care routines, and promote overall well-being.

  • Matrescence is the physical, psychological, and emotional change that occurs during the process of
    becoming a mother. It is a “radical metamorphosis” and is considered a developmental phase, much like adolescence, that can involve a variety of things such as hormonal shifts, body changes, identity reconstruction, and relationship transitions. The four components that contribute to the challenges of matrescence are:

    • Evolving your Family Dynamics: adding a child or children to a relationship undoubtedly causes strain and stress

    • Ambivalence: the push and pull of wanting your baby with you but also needing space and time to yourself without them.

    • Fantasy vs. Reality: anticipating parenthood will go one way, and then discovering it may look different.

    • Guilt and Shame: fear that one may never live up to the “perfect” parent.

  • Becoming a mother results in a functional disturbance of the nervous system which results in hypervigilance, sensory overwhelm, insomnia, irritability and sometimes rage. Working out what your sensory triggers are and how to create an environment that does not increase your sensory overwhelm leading to meltdowns or shutdowns and overall burnout. Providing practical strategies and equipment to reduce dysregulation.

  • Promoting the mother and baby dyad through practical strategies so you can bond better with your baby.

  • Providing practical strategies to cope with the symptoms that come with anxiety and depression so they do not overcome you and impact your relationships.

  • OTs assist perinatal clients in modifying their environment to promote better mental health outcomes. This could involve adapting home environments for increased safety, comfort, and organisation, as well as recommending assistive devices or equipment to support daily activities.

  • OTs are trained in and offer counseling and emotional support to perinatal clients as they navigate the challenges of pregnancy, fear of birth, traumatic childbirth, and the postpartum period. They provide a compassionate and nonjudgmental space for individuals to express their feelings, process experiences, and develop coping strategies.

  • Mindfulness is a mental state of awareness, focus and openness – which allows you to engage fully in what you are doing at any moment. In a state of mindfulness, difficult thoughts and feelings have much less impact and influence over you – so it is hugely useful when you are feeling as though you may be struggling with parenting.

  • Collaboration and Referrals

    OTs collaborate with other healthcare professionals, such as psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, sleep consultants and lactation consultants, to provide comprehensive care for perinatal clients. They may also make referrals to additional services or community resources as needed.

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FAQ’s

  • Mental Health Occupational Therapy in the perinatal context is a combination of developmental and attachment theories, psychological and sociological therapies, and Matrescence - all considered through the occupational therapy lens. Occupational Therapists focus on occupation and being a mother is an occupation.MHOT’s have a deep understanding of the sensory system which is typically completely overwhelmed in early parenthood and is the reason for hypervigilance and overwhelm. MHOT’s will provide you with strategies to reduce your sensory overwhelm so you can cope with the demands that come with early parenthood and build strong connections with your baby.

  • Mental Health OT's are endorsed under medicare. The cost of a standard 50-minute telehealth consultation with Nesting Space is $260, which is payable when you book in the session.

    Nesting Space is now offering in-home appointments for women in their postpartum period in the Sydney area. Cost of these home visit sessions is $280.00
    *Conditions apply

    If referred by your Doctor on a Mental Health Treatment Plan, Medicare will refund $89 for clinic and telehealth appointments, and $109.05 for in-home appointments.

    Rebates are also available through private health insurance. Please check with your private health provider whether Occupational Therapy is covered.

  • Telehealth has many benefits for you including providing a service when you can’t physically attend leave the house as well as limiting person-to-person interactions in waiting rooms and with front desk staff. As a new mum or dad, telehealth can have even more benefits including flexible and convenient appointment times, ability to get support without having to leave home and possibly reducing the need to access childcare.

  • All appointments are scheduled for 50 minutes. You will be phoned or admitted to your Zoom meeting room by your clinician if you are attending via telehealth.

  • Each person attending therapy will have different needs. You will agree the frequency of your appointments with your clinician after an assessment phase and adjust this as necessary during your treatment. At the most frequent you would have weekly appointments. 

  • As above, each person attending therapy will have different needs. You will agree the number of sessions you require with your clinician after an assessment phase and adjust this as necessary during your treatment. At present, Medicare is funding up to 10 sessions through a Mental Health Care Plan.

  • In your first session, the clinician will ask you some questions to understand your current situation and what assistance and treatment may be beneficial for you. This might include topics like:

    • What is currently challenging for you – mood, sleep, eating patterns, behaviours, thoughts, relationships

    • Your mental health history

    • Who your family and current social supports

    • Your living situation

    Your clinician may also ask you to complete some assessments to assess your mental health. You will develop a treatment plan together and subsequent sessions will be spent working together on your goals.