Therapy for OCD in Pregnancy, Postpartum & Motherhood
with Natalie Levin-Saada, MA, LMHC
I help mothers experiencing intrusive thoughts, and compulsive patterns feel relief.
Unwanted, intrusive thoughts, intense anxiety, and a constant need to check, control, or make sure everything is “okay” can feel overwhelming. This can be a very unexpected symptom of the hormonal and emotional changes during this time.
These thoughts can feel distressing, confusing, and at times alarming — especially when they go against how you actually feel.
You may even feel scared or ashamed to talk about them, worried about what they mean or how they’ll be perceived.
You’re in the right place if you’re looking for support that helps you understand what’s happening and respond to it in a way that feels more grounded and manageable.
You may be experiencing:
Intrusive, unwanted thoughts that feel distressing or out of character
Thoughts that go against how you actually feel or who you are
Mental loops that are hard to stop or move away from
Avoiding certain situations, objects, or tasks out of fear
Feeling hyper-aware of your thoughts and what they might mean
Trying to control your thoughts or “cancel them out”
Feeling on edge, unsettled, or unable to relax
Fear about what your thoughts say about you
Shame, guilt, or confusion about what you’re experiencing
Feeling scared to talk about your thoughts or ask for help
Women come to me for:
Understanding intrusive thoughts and why they’re happening
Learning how to respond to thoughts without getting pulled into them
Reducing anxiety and the urge to check or seek reassurance
Feeling more in control of their reactions
Breaking cycles of fear, checking, and mental loops
Decreasing shame, guilt, and confusion around their experience
Feeling safe talking about thoughts they’ve been afraid to share
Building trust in themselves and their ability to handle uncertainty
Learning how to tolerate discomfort without needing to fix it immediately
Feeling more steady, grounded, and less overwhelmed day to day
Letting thoughts pass without assigning meaning to them
Having a space where they feel understood, supported, and not judged
How Therapy With Me Works
My approach is thoughtful and grounded in evidence-based treatment for OCD. We start by understanding how intrusive thoughts, anxiety, and patterns like checking or reassurance are showing up for you, so it feels less confusing and more manageable. From there, we use Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) to help you gradually face what triggers anxiety while learning not to respond in ways that keep the cycle going. I also integrate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and psychodynamic therapy to help you relate differently to your thoughts, outside of the intrusive thoughts we focus on, and reduce the intensity of anxiety when it arises.
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The most effective treatment for OCD, helping you face intrusive thoughts or uncertainty while learning not to respond with compulsions, so the thoughts become less powerful over time
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We’ll look at what’s going on in your life beyond the OCD and use CBT to identify and shift unhelpful thought patterns in a more direct, structured way. This helps reduce overall pressure, which supports our OCD work.
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We’ll look at what’s going on in your life beyond the OCD and use a psychodynamic approach to understand deeper patterns, including how past experiences and relationships may be shaping what you’re experiencing. This helps reduce overall pressure, which supports our OCD work.
After therapy, women often notice:
Intrusive thoughts feel less intense and less consuming
More ability to let thoughts come and go without reacting
Feeling less afraid of their thoughts and what they mean
Reduced cycles of anxiety, checking, and mental loops
Feeling more grounded and steady day to day
Less shame and more understanding of what they’re experiencing
Greater trust in themselves and their instincts
A sense of relief not feeling controlled by their thoughts
About Me
Hi, I’m Natalie Saada. I’m a Licensed Mental Health Counselor.
I’m drawn to the experience of motherhood because it holds so much change — in your identity, your relationships, and how you experience yourself day to day. As both a therapist and a mother, I understand how easy it is to feel stretched thin while still trying to hold everything together. But I believe that motherhood can be deeply meaningful and even magical at times, and I see my role as helping you stay connected to yourself so you can fully experience that.
In therapy, I create a space where you can be honest about what you’re feeling during pregnancy, postpartum, and motherhood, with a focus on both insight and practical support that helps you feel more steady in your daily life.
Availability: Virtual sessions throughout New York and New Jersey
Education & Training
BA in Psychology from Binghamton University
MA in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University
MA in Mental Health Counseling, Licensed (LMHC) from Baruch College
EMDR Training at The Center of Excellence in EMDR Therapy
Free Therapy
Consultations
Feeling unsure about starting therapy?
That’s normal.
Our consultation call is how to see if working together feels right for you. It’s a chance to share what you’re looking for, ask questions, and get a sense of what working together is like.
Related Therapy Services
Many of these experiences overlap. You may also be looking for Postpartum Anxiety and Adjustment Therapy, Mom Anxiety and Depression Therapy, High-Achieving Mom Anxiety Therapy, or EMDR Therapy.