This is its own field of psychiatry, and it's often missed
Hormonal transitions shape mental health in ways general psychiatry frequently gets wrong. PMDD gets waved off as bad PMS. Perinatal OCD — the intrusive, terrifying thoughts about harm coming to the baby that many new mothers are too ashamed to mention — looks nothing like textbook OCD and is misdiagnosed constantly. Postpartum depression is not ordinary depression with a baby in the room, and postpartum anxiety is even more common and even less discussed. Perimenopause can destabilize mood in women who have never had a psychiatric problem in their lives.
Dr. Rai trained at the Women and Infants' Mental Health Clinic at the University of Michigan, one of the country's leading reproductive psychiatry programs. That training shows up in the details: which medications have the strongest safety data in pregnancy and lactation, how to weigh the real risks of treating against the very real risks of not treating, and how to recognize the conditions that only appear in these windows.
What care looks like
It starts with a thorough 90-to-120-minute evaluation, unhurried enough to take a full history and actually understand what's happening. Treatment may involve medication, psychotherapy, or both together — Dr. Rai provides both himself, so nothing falls between two clinicians. He coordinates closely with your OB, midwife, or primary care physician when you want him to, and writes them a clear summary so everyone is working from the same plan.
Medication decisions, made carefully
Whether to start, continue, change, or stop a psychiatric medication during pregnancy or breastfeeding is one of the most consequential decisions in this field, and it deserves more than a hallway answer. Dr. Rai walks through the actual evidence for your specific medication and situation, including the option of preconception planning visits for women who want the decision settled before trying to conceive. Untreated illness carries its own risks for both mother and baby; the goal is the safest overall path, not reflexive discontinuation.
Designed around new parents' reality
Video visits mean you can be seen from home during naps, feeds, and the weeks when leaving the house feels impossible. Evening and Saturday appointments work around childcare and work schedules. The office in downtown Ann Arbor is private and quiet, and babies are welcome at in-person visits. New-patient evaluations are typically available within days rather than the months-long waits common at hospital-based clinics.
This is a private-pay practice with transparent fees, listed on the fees page. Detailed superbills are provided, and many PPO plans reimburse a substantial portion of out-of-network psychiatric care.
You don't have to white-knuckle this
A free 15-minute call to talk about what you're experiencing and whether this practice is the right fit. Partners are welcome to reach out first.
Prefer to talk first? Call (734) 203-0117