The Community Every New Mom Deserves: Announcing The Fourth Trimester Virtual Postpartum Therapy Group
Looking for a postpartum support group in New York, New Jersey, or a PSYPACT state? The Fourth Trimester is a 12-week virtual therapy group for moms in the first year postpartum. Beginning in late September 2026, this therapist-led group is designed to help you feel supported, connected, and understood during one of life's biggest transitions.
——————————————————————————————There are some lessons you learn as a psychologist. And then there are lessons you learn as a mother. For me, one of the biggest was this:
Community isn't just a nice thing to have during postpartum. It's essential.
Before becoming a mom, I spent years supporting women through pregnancy and the postpartum period. As a licensed psychologist specializing in perinatal mental health, I often encouraged my clients to lean on their support systems, make time for connection, and remember that they didn't have to do this alone.
I believed it.
But if I'm honest, I don't think I truly understood the depth of that advice until I became a mother myself.
It wasn't that I needed someone to have all the answers. If anything, I quickly learned there aren't many universal answers in motherhood. Every baby is different. Every family finds its own rhythm. What I needed was something much simpler. I needed people who understood this season without needing an explanation.
Other moms who could reassure me that I wasn't the only one wondering if I was doing enough. Who could laugh with me about the chaos of trying to leave the house with a baby. Who understood why getting everyone out the door felt like a victory, why I could miss parts of my old life while deeply loving this new one, and why I could feel overwhelming gratitude and complete exhaustion in the very same day.
I realized that what moms need isn’t more information. It is connection and it is community.
As a psychologist, I know the power of evidence-based therapy. As a mother, I've come to appreciate that healing is often deepened when it happens in connection with other women who truly understand what you're going through. Group therapy offers both.
Over the past few months, one of my favorite parts of hosting my Mommy & Me Mindful Moments gatherings has been watching this happen in real time. During our event, moms arrive knowing no one and they're often a little hesitant at first. Then the conversations begin and someone admits they've been struggling with something they thought only they felt. Another mom smiles and says, "Me too." Before long, phone numbers are exchanged, babies are introduced, and plans are made to meet again.
Every time I watch that unfold, I'm reminded that one of the greatest gifts we can offer a new mother isn't another parenting tip. It's belonging and knowing that someone else gets it, and sees you.
It's realizing you don't have to navigate this season alone.
That realization is what inspired me to create The Fourth Trimester.
Introducing The Fourth Trimester
I'm so excited to officially announce that the interest list is now open for The Fourth Trimester, a 12-week virtual postpartum therapy group beginning this September.
Designed for moms in the first 12 months postpartum, this therapist-led group combines evidence-based psychotherapy with the power of genuine connection. Together, we'll create a supportive space where you can process the emotional transition into motherhood, learn practical tools for navigating this season, and build meaningful relationships with other women who truly understand what you're experiencing.
Over the course of twelve weeks, we'll explore topics such as:
Adjusting to life after baby
Identity shifts in motherhood
Postpartum anxiety, perfectionism, and overwhelm
Relationships and communication
Self-compassion and emotional wellness
Building your village and asking for support
Finding confidence in your own version of motherhood
My hope is that you'll leave not only with new insights and practical strategies, but with a community of women who continue cheering one another on long after our final session ends.
Because every mother deserves someone in her corner.
Program Details
The Fourth Trimester: Virtual Postpartum Therapy Group
Start Date: Late September 2026 (Tentatively September 25th)
Length: 12 weeks
Meeting Time: TBD
Format: Virtual
Who it's for: Moms in the first 0–12 months postpartum
Location: Open to residents of New York, New Jersey, and all PSYPACT participating states
Facilitator: Dr. Vanessa Vitiello, Licensed Clinical Psychologist specializing in perinatal mental health
Join the Interest List
If you've been longing for a place where you can show up exactly as you are, be understood without having to explain yourself, and receive both professional support and genuine connection, I'd love to welcome you to The Fourth Trimester.
Whether you're feeling overwhelmed, adjusting to your new identity, struggling with anxiety, or simply wishing you had more moms in your corner, you don't have to navigate this season alone.
Registration is now open, and I'd love to have you join us. You can get started and learn more by joining the Interest List and fill out this form.
If you've been looking for a place where you can show up exactly as you are, be understood without having to explain yourself, and receive both professional support and genuine connection, I'd love to welcome you to The Fourth Trimester.
Because if motherhood has taught me anything, it's this: the people we walk alongside can shape our experience of this season just as much as the challenges we face. My hope is that this group becomes a place where you feel supported, understood, and more confident as you navigate your own journey through motherhood.