Maternal Mental Health Clinic
About us
The Maternal Mental Health Clinic (MMHC) offers psychological therapies to women and birthing people experiencing moderate to severe/complex mental health difficulties directly linked to the perinatal experience.
This would include those with experience of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) following birth trauma or perinatal loss (including miscarriage, stillbirth, termination, neonatal death), parent-infant separation at birth due to safeguarding concerns, severe fear of childbirth (Tokophobia) and severe fear of foetal medicine.
The team consists of Clinical and Counselling Psychologists, Counsellors, an Assistant Psychologist and a Peer Support Worker. The service covers the county of Devon, alongside an equivalent service in Plymouth.
The MMHC is part of the wider Community Perinatal Mental Health Service. We work in close collaboration with other services such as TALKWORKS, the Centre for Women’s Health Counselling Service, and other perinatal mental health services.
What we offer
The MMHC provides assessment and psychological therapies for women who have experienced trauma or loss at any stage of their perinatal journey.
We offer a psychological assessment to gain further information and assess readiness for therapy. If appropriate, either counselling or psychological therapy will be offered based on individual need.
Psychological interventions can be adapted to suit the individual’s needs but may include counselling, EMDR, Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) and Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT). We can also offer advice and signposting as appropriate, for example to other local NHS services and relevant charities.
The majority of our therapies are currently delivered online, although we can provide face-to-face appointments depending on preference and need. The service operates Monday to Friday 9am until 5pm.
If you are experiencing a crisis with your mental health crisis, please contact our First Response Service on 111. This service is available 24 hours, 7 days a week.
Health Inequalities
We recognise that some women and birthing people face additional challenges in accessing the right care and support in their perinatal journey. As a service, we are particularly keen to promote access to women and birthing people from ethnic minority populations, LGBTQ+ communities, as well as people who are disabled. Please do let us know if there is anything we can do to make accessing our service easier for you.
Involvement of partners and other significant people
You are welcome to bring your partner, friend or family member with you for your first appointment. We will ask for your consent before sharing any information with friends, family members or carers.
Dads play an important role in their partner’s recovery. We know that the perinatal period can also be a difficult time for dads. With consent we can work closely with dads to help them access support to meet their own individual needs as appropriate.
Visit Dads Matter UKHow to refer to our service
We are open to referrals from Midwives, Health Visitors and GPs. Please note that we are not able to accept self-referrals at this time.
If you would like to discuss a referral with the team please contact us on 01392 674964, and we would be happy to help.
Completed referral forms can be emailed to dpt.mmhc-referrals@nhs.net. Referrals are reviewed on a weekly basis and we will inform you of the outcome as soon as possible.
Service Leaflet
A leaflet giving information about the service is available.
Confidentiality and consent
The details you share with us will remain confidential. This principle is central to trust between patients and health professionals. Details of your care and treatment, including anything you tell us, will be confidential within the service, and will only be shared with other professionals if there are specific concerns about your own or someone else’s safety.
All health professionals are bound by law and professional codes of conduct to this duty of confidentiality to their patients.