Tokens of Affection ─ Reclaiming Your Marriage After Postpartum Depression

Postpartum depression is hard on a marriage. In their private practices, authors Karen Kleiman and Amy Wenzel often find themselves face-to-face with marriages that are suffocating, as if the depression has sucked the life out of a relationship that was only prepared for the anticipated joy of pending childbirth. What happens to marriage? Why do couples become angry, isolated, and disconnected? Tokens of Affection looks closely at marriages that have withstood the passing storm of depression and are now seeking, or in need of, direction back to their previous levels of functioning and connectedness. The reader is introduced to a model of collaboration that refers to 8 specific features, which guide postpartum couples back from depression. These features, framed as “Tokens,” are based on marital therapy literature and serve as a reminder that these are not just communication skill-building techniques; they are gift-giving gestures on behalf of their relationship. A reparative resource, Tokens of Affection helps couples find renewed harmony, a solid relational ground, and reconnection.

Karen Kleiman, MSW, LCSW, is a well-known international expert on postpartum depression. She is founder of The Postpartum Stress Center, a premier treatment and professional training center for prenatal and postpartum depression and anxiety.

Amy Wenzel, PhD, ABPP, lectures internationally on issues relevant to mental health and psychotherapy, and provides ongoing supervision to clinical psychologists, social workers, and psychiatric nurses.