Frances Bilbao

Updated March 2024

New moms with depression and anxiety face high costs and a therapist shortage

About 20 percent of new mothers worldwide experience mental health disorders like depression and anxiety, with far-reaching implications for families and at a staggering cost to society.

Unfortunately, a shortage of perinatal mental health therapists in Australia means treatment can be expensive and hard to find. Women who are pregnant or already have young children face logistical challenges that make it hard for them to access therapy.

Clinical psychologist Frances Bilbao noticed this problem in her work and as a mother to three children “Becoming a new parent is hard for everyone,” she says. “I could imagine how extraordinary the struggle would be when you don’t have the same resources.”

Free and low-cost therapy closes the funding gap

Frances couldn’t shake her frustration with the healthcare system’s lack of support for new mothers. “Women either had to be ill enough to access public mental health services, which had limited capacity, or have the financial resources to afford private therapy,” she points out.

To bridge that gap, she founded Mums Matter Psychology in 2015 with the goal of helping women become more fulfilled mothers and develop positive relationships with their children. The practice’s clinicians have specialized training in perinatal mental health and provide women in Australia both in-person and telehealth support during pregnancy and early motherhood—whether they have the means to pay or not.

“People can access the service anywhere, anytime, as long as they have a phone or an Internet connection,” Frances says. “This helps people in remote regional locations as well as new mothers who may have a hard time getting out of the house.”

Mums Matter Psychology can provide free or low-cost services thanks to government subsidies, and keeps overhead low with efficient administration.

Talk therapy, delivered online, reaches remote parts of Australia

Over the past eight years, the practice’s 65 clinicians have provided free and low-cost therapy to more than 5,600 clients across Australia. “The beauty of telehealth is that it allows us to serve clients with a team that’s located all over Australia,” Frances says.

She estimates that since its founding, the practice has reduced the national costs of perinatal depression and anxiety—estimated at US$585 million annually—by $30.7 million. Equally powerful for Frances is the personal feedback that her team receives from clients. “One mother of four wrote to us that she’s sure she wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her Mums Matter psychologist.”

Frances envisions expanding Mums Matter Psychology’s services nationally across Australia. “The research shows that when we support the mental health of new mothers, we also support the mental health of the entire family and future generations.”