New therapy practice now open in Watertown, MA focusing on Pregnancy and Postpartum Mental Health

Mara Acel-Green, LICSW, is pleased to announce the opening of Strong Roots Counseling in Watertown, Mass., on March 30. Strong Roots Counseling will provide a full range of services — including individual, family, couples, and group counseling — covering a range of issues such as anxiety, depression, grief and loss, and relationship issues, among others. While Strong Roots Counseling is a general practice for adolescents and adults, we have a specialty in the underserved area of pregnancy and postpartum mental health.

Emotional complications are the most common complication of pregnancy and postpartum, and yet the vast majority of cases go undiagnosed and untreated. Medical research shows that 20% of women meet the criteria for depression and 10% for anxiety during pregnancy, with nearly identical numbers postpartum for depression and an increase to 17% postpartum for anxiety. The numbers for postpartum bi-polar disorder, OCD, and PTSD are higher than the prevalence rates for the general population. Research indicates that only 17% of women identified as having a perinatal (pregnancy or postpartum) mental health need get treatment. Similarly, research shows that 10% of men meet the criteria for depression during or after pregnancy, yet they are not screened and rarely seek professional support. When left untreated, pregnancy and postpartum mental health issues can impact length of gestation, attachment, nursing, and child development.

Mara Acel-Green is a widely recognized leader in the area of perinatal (pregnancy and postpartum) mental health. She has created an innovative new group treatment model using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for women experiencing pregnancy or postpartum anxiety and depression that will be offered at Strong Roots Counseling this spring. Mara has been practicing in the Boston area since 2001. Her master’s degree was completed at Smith School for Social Work, and she holds a certificate in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy from Boston University. In addition to her private practice and adjunct faculty position at Northeastern University, she facilitates trainings and workshops for clinicians, childbirth professionals, and families.

She has given numerous talks at agencies and Universities and will be speaking at Beth Israel Hospital in March, Riverside Community Care in April, Boston University in May, Smith School for Social Work in July, and at the upcoming Postpartum Progress Warrior Moms Conference in July 2015. Mara’s written work can be seen on Huffington Post, as well as her website, www.maragreen.com. Mara also facilitates Clinical Conversations, which convenes local perinatal clinicians to discuss best practices and challenges facing the perinatal population.

For more information contact Mara Acel-Green, LICSW, Strong Roots Counseling at 617-548-2438.