The treatment(s) for postnatal depression you may have will depend on what is available in your area, the degree of the depression you are experiencing, as well as your individual needs and preferences. They may include:
Individual counselling
Individual psychotherapy
Couple counselling or therapy
Support groups
Medications
Individual counselling. Individual counselling is usually useful for women dealing with mild depression. The counselling should be provided by an empathetic health professional with appropriate training and skills, ideally experienced in dealing with woman suffering from postnatal depression. This could be from a qualified counsellor, psychotherapist, social worker or another professional who has undertaken further training in this area. Individual counselling is aimed at discussing issues in a non-judgemental way, enabling the woman to work through her feelings and reactions, assess her own problems and identify some effective self-help support strategies.
Day to day self-help strategies will often help women get through the days, weeks and months ahead, taking one step at a time. It may also assist her to slowly regain some sense of self worth, and restore her feelings of control, especially at times that she is feeling overwhelmed or 'out of control'.
Partners often need support and information as well, so they too can gain a deeper understanding about postnatal depression and accept that it is not his (nor her) fault. Partners may also benefit from individual counselling, especially if they are experiencing feelings of depression themselves.
Individual psychotherapy. Individual psychotherapy may be required for women experiencing moderate to severe postnatal depression. Psychotherapy aims to identify patterns in the woman's thoughts and behaviours, incorporating past and present experiences, to come to an understanding of why she may be feeling this way.