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Perinatal Mental Health Clinic

Expert mental health care for mothers and expecting mothers​.

Who we are

Depression and anxiety are the most common health complications during pregnancy. Our Perinatal Mental Health Clinic is a specialized service that helps mothers and expecting mothers manage these illnesses.

We treat women:

  • Who are pregnant or who wish to conceive and suffer from a psychiatric illness
  • With postpartum psychiatric illness, including postpartum depression and anxiety
  • Who may benefit from the use of medication and wish to breastfeed their child

Access to a team of experts

We have a team of professionals with expertise in several areas. Our team of social workers, physicians and our nurse will work with your primary care physician or obstetrician to best understand your needs and consider treatment options that are safe for you, your pregnancy and your baby. 

Patient-centered, with flexible scheduling

Appointments with our Perinatal Mental Health Clinic can be coordinated with other appointments you may have on the same day with your obstetrician or primary care provider. Patients’ partners also are welcome to attend appointments. 

Meet our director

Dr. Alpa Shah is the director of our Perinatal Mental Health Clinic. She is a psychiatrist who specializes in women’s mental health and reproductive psychiatry. 

She earned her medical degree and completed an OB/GYN residency in India. Additionally, Dr. Shah completed a residency in psychiatry at Cleveland Clinic and a fellowship in women’s mental health at the University of Illinois, Chicago. 

She is passionate about women’s health and mental health, and her training and experience make her uniquely qualified to direct this specialized program.

Meet Dr. Kommisetti

Dr. Veera Kommisetti is an adult psychiatrist who works in women’s mental health. He graduated from Katuri Medical College in India in 2009. He completed his psychiatry residency at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in 2018. 

He has a strong interest in treating women with mental illness, including illnesses related to menstrual cycles, pregnancy and menopause.

How to access our care

Generally, talking first with your primary care provider or obstetrician about any concerns you have is best. He or she can then refer you to the Perinatal Mental Health Clinic, if necessary. If you are not established with a primary care doctor or obstetrician, you can call the Perinatal Mental Health Clinic directly at 715-387-9077. 

 depression: not just sadness Depression: Not just sadness

Sadness, negative feelings, body aches and sleep problems can start after an event like the loss of a loved one or an illness, or can creep up over time with no known cause. “If the symptoms are ongoing or starting to interfere with relationships, work or school, it’s time to consider they may signal depression and not be part of a passing event,” said Patricia Ellis, Ph.D., a Marshfield Clinic psychologist. Read more