Pregnancy Therapist in Columbus, OH
Preparing Moms⁺ for More Than the Nursery
Somatic, nervous-system preparation for the parts of early parenthood that no checklist covers.
The hospital bag is ready.
But is your nervous system?
Your hospital bag is packed. The nursery checklist completed. The registry, the birth plan, and the pediatrician interviews taken care of. But there’s a deeper kind of preparation that doesn’t show up on any list: getting your nervous system ready for the biggest transition of your life.1 in 5 moms develop a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder⁺⁺, far more common, and far more preventable, than most women realize.
Whether your pregnancy has been easy, difficult, or somewhere in between, somatic therapy for pregnancy is for you.
⁺⁺According to Postpartum Support International.Expanding Your Capacity for Labor, Postpartum, and All the Things No One Posts About
By working with a somatic pregnancy therapist, you can head into birth and postpartum with nervous system awareness and tools already in place.
✓ Recognize what safety feels like in your body before you’re in labor and need it
✓ Feel less at the mercy of what your body is doing, and more able to work with it
✓ Build the capacity to stay present through the unexpected, instead of just getting through it
For moms
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For dads
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For birth parents
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For birth parents
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For non-birthing parents
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For expecting parents
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For adoptive parents
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For foster parents
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For step-parents
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For co-parents
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For parents navigating infertility
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For moms • For dads • For birth parents • For birth parents • For non-birthing parents • For expecting parents • For adoptive parents • For foster parents • For step-parents • For co-parents • For parents navigating infertility •
I Was a Mental Health Professional, and Still Wasn’t Prepared for My Pregnancy & Birth Experience
I'm Rachael Bardnell, a somatic pregnancy therapist and the founder of The Whole Parent Collective. I found out I was pregnant on a Friday, and by Sunday, hyperemesis had taken over completely. I was hospitalized numerous times, hardly able to work or eat. Even though I’d spent years in the mental health field, and am a high-achieving planner by nature, I was still blindsided by what pregnancy took from me.
It wasn’t until I discovered perinatal somatic therapy months postpartum that I began to heal my nervous system. Now, I offer this capacity-expanding support to mothers from the very beginning of your journey.
WHAT SUPPORT LOOKS
Somatic Pregnancy Therapy Session
What it is: Our 60-minute, 1:1 pregnancy therapy session gives you space to prepare for labor, birth, and postpartum from the inside out, not just the checklist version. We use a somatic (body-based) approach to help you build nervous system capacity, so you feel steady and grounded, not just informed.
Who it’s for: This session is for mothers at any point in pregnancy, whether you just found out or you’re weeks from your due date. It’s also for moms who've had a difficult pregnancy before and want a different experience this time, as well as women struggling with infertility.
Led by: Pregnancy therapist Rachael Bardnell
Investment: $175 per session
Insurance not accepted
Session type: We can meet in-person at our office in Columbus or virtually throughout Ohio.
Office Address:
1496 Old Henderson Rd
Columbus, Ohio 43220
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From Your First Session to Your Due Date and Beyond
Start
Begin at any point in your pregnancy, whether you’re still trying, just found out, or you’re weeks from your due date. There’s no wrong time to begin.
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Prepare
We build the nervous system capacity and body safety needed to meet labor, birth, and everything that comes with it.
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Birth Check-In
After birth, we check in and continue the work, so you have support during postpartum, as well.
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Wondering If You’re at Higher Risk for a Perinatal Mood or Anxiety Disorder?
Certain experiences can make you more likely to develop a perinatal mood, anxiety, or stress disorder during pregnancy or postpartum.
If you check even one of these, it doesn’t mean something is wrong. It means you may be at greater risk of developing a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder, and support now, before anything feels overwhelming, could make a real difference.
If You Need More Than Somatic Support
Sometimes what you’re carrying calls for more than nervous system work alone. I’m connected with trusted a psychiatric provider for consultation and evaluation:
Dr. Brendan T. Carroll, MD: consultation and evaluation for perinatal catatonia (available across Ohio and for virtual appointments)
To arrange a consultation or talk through what kind of support makes sense for you, please schedule a call.
When ‘It Will All Be Worth It In the End’ Isn’t Helpful
You’ve probably heard it will all be worth it in the end from well intentioned friends or family members. But being excited for your baby’s arrival doesn’t make a difficult pregnancy or a pregnancy’s effect on your mental health any easier or less traumatic. You’re allowed to feel unprepared, anxious, or overwhelmed right now, without needing to rush yourself to the other side of it. We’ll hold space for all of the feelings.
Common Questions About Somatic Therapy During Pregnancy
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You can start at any time. Whether you’re just thinking about becoming pregnant, newly pregnant, or almost at your due date, there’s no time too early and no time too late to reach out to pregnancy therapist Rachael Bardnell.
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Not at all. While somatic therapy is body-based therapy work, I don’t touch your body at all, nor are you asked to move in any way. This work is about helping you notice and work with what’s already happening in your nervous system, not physical treatment.
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Yes, therapy during pregnancy is actually where I love to start with mothers, helping you build capacity before baby comes. Support doesn’t have to wait until postpartum, though I'm here for that season too.
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Birthing classes prepare you for what happens to your body during labor and delivery. This work prepares your nervous system, the part of you that decides whether you feel present, grounded, and safe through it, not just informed. Somatic therapy for pregnancy is a great addition to your already planned birthing class.
There’s No Time Too Early, and No Time Too Late
Book your first session, and let’s begin to prepare your nervous system for the physical and mental expansion of motherhood.