Therapy for Moms
Pregnancy and Postpartum
Adjustment to pregnancy or bringing home a new baby can be physically and emotionally exhausting, even when everything goes as planned. Almost everyone feels some level of anxiety or emotional instability when bringing a newborn home.
You Might Have a Postpartum Mood or Anxiety Disorder If
Feeling sad, hopeless, or overwhelmed
Feeling guilty or shameful about being depressed
Crying a lot
Having little energy, motivation, or difficulty sleeping (even when baby is sleeping)
Irregular Appetite
Feeling alone or withdrawing from support system
Feeling like you cannot care for the baby, or that you are “not a good mom”
Having headaches, stomachaches, or chest pains/palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness
Chronic worry or racing thoughts about the wellbeing of the baby
Intrusive, unwanted thoughts
Overall - FEELING LIKE THIS IS NOT HOW IT SHOULD BE.
Pregnancy and early motherhood is a HUGE adjustment period. It is very common to have these feelings, and to have guilt about the thoughts and emotions you are experiencing (especially if you struggled with infertility). However, please don’t wait to address these concerns.
Treatment is available, and effective. I can help support you by:
Providing a judgment-free space that helps you sort through your feelings, and dispel the “myths of motherhood” that may contribute to your feelings
Develop a treatment plan that includes coping skills, self care actions, and ways to increase support
Provide resources to support your motherhood struggles, as well as overall well-being
Building confidence in your parenting skills
Currently Certified in Perinatal Mental Health by Postpartum Support International
Beyond the Baby Stage
You’ve made it through the baby stage, and you’ve “settled into motherhood.” This is a uniquely complicated time for many women. Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom, a working mom, or an empty-nester (or some combination of the three!), balancing parenting, relationships, and fulfillment is a complicated struggle.
If you’re a stay at home mom, you may find yourself channeling your inner Ariel, wanting to be “where the people are” and experience life as an adult again. Without work or sufficient social time, it’s easy to lose your sense of self, purpose, identity. You crave adult connection, but you’re completely over stimulated with touch and neediness. You’re grateful to spend this time with your children, yet resentful of being responsible for the bulk of parenting and household responsibilities. Even though you’re overwhelmed with the “mental load of motherhood,” your brain wants to be used in the intellectual way it was before.
If you’re a working mom, you’re likely frustrated that “peak career” time correlates with “peak parenting” time. Maybe you feel like neither work nor the kids are getting 100% of you. Even though you and your partner are working, it might feel like you’re still solely responsible for “the mental load of motherhood.”
Either way, this season of life is CHALLENGING. Relationships suffer, self esteem and identity can suffer, and overall feelings of “blah” can ensue. Maybe significant feelings of anxiety and depression are beginning to creep in (or have been around for a while…). I can help you feel grounded and prioritize yourself so that your cup is full enough to care for the others in your life, while feeling fulfilled and less apathetic or overwhelmed.