ABSTRACT
The Postpartum Voice of Depression describes a strength-based perspective of how depressive symptoms can, at times, serve as an agent to protect and advocate for the individual. Imagine a woman who has spent a lifetime taking care of others or has disregarded her own well-being in support of others. The Postpartum Voice of Depression Response Model, developed though clinical observation, comprises four primary emotional domains, which have been observed to take precedence over others. Self-absorbed states present with sharp contrast to the insistent demands of the infant. Feelings of powerlessness, whether perceived or actual, can incapacitate a new mother. Confusion will aggravate a sense of powerlessness leading to greater anguish. Postpartum women report that feeling out of control and defenseless exacerbates their current state of distress. A therapist's optimal response to powerlessness is the expert expression of steady encouragement and reassurance.
