ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the pregnant therapist and new mother as a person-her changing biological, psychological and role status serving as a backdrop to her reaction to her client and their work together. It fleshes out how the therapist's physiological state, social and professional role changes, and feelings about pregnancy may color her feelings toward patients apart from how the patients themselves may be responding. The chapter provides a broad overview by trimester of the physiological and psychological changes that are likely to be occurring during pregnancy, so that the pregnant therapist is able to appreciate the potentially profound influence that this transformation and its resulting psychic disequilibrium may have on her and her work. It considers how the therapist might address treatment management issues that arise when the therapist is pregnant. The chapter focuses on factors that influence when to return to work and management of new childcare responsibilities that affect and potentially complicate the therapeutic relationship.
