New Moms.

Did you plan, research, and educate yourself on every detail to be a mother to a new infant? Did you buy all the baby books, prep the nursery, and make sure your baby 101 course was done prior to their sweet arrival? But here you are finding yourself asking, now what? What are these sad thoughts of loneliness, isolation, and worry that impact my ability to sleep, rest, and feel at ease? Where is my support system and why aren’t they helping me!? Why am I crying so much, feeling so anxious, and have no motivation?

Maybe bonding or breastfeeding hasn’t been the magical moment you were expecting and instead you feel disconnected, like a failure, and not a good enough mom. Maybe you are scared and shameful of thoughts that pop up out of no where and you aren’t sure what to do with them. Or maybe you are feeling inadequate as you stumble half-awake through each day. All of that and we haven’t even talked about the impact of this sweet baby on your relationship with your partner.

You. Are. Not. Alone. 

Motherhood is hard. We are learning to take care of a tiny human that is reliant on us 24/7. Talk about pressure. Meanwhile, our hormones are going wild, our body continues to shift and change, everyone seems to have an opinion of what the baby needs, and our body and identity isn’t really our own at the moment. 

You are not alone in this new chaos. 

Therapy gives you a safe space without judgement to process the impact of this new season and remind you that you are a good enough mother. If you are experiencing postpartum depression or anxiety, therapy helps you to unpack underlying issues/triggers contributing to it, how to manage it, and skills to decrease it as you continue to walk through this new season of motherhood. 

Moms who have been in it for awhile.

Have you been able to survive the first 12 months and beyond, but you still find yourself working through inner conflict, intense negative self-talk, ongoing worry, overwhelm with how to manage it all, and you haven’t quite figured out how to show up as the mom, partner, AND individual you want to be?

As you’ve returned to work outside the home, has overwhelm, guilt, or uncertainty increased for you? Maybe it’s the opposite for you and you are a full-time work in the home mom that feels like you have lost your identity, have low motivation, and have noticed an increase in irritation, anger, and loneliness. Maybe resentment has built-up towards your partner and you wonder how to reconnect and have a healthy marriage, family, and personal identity? Is this too much to ask for? I THINK NOT. 

It is possible to sort through the build-up of stuff that has impacted your anxious and depressed thoughts, inner critic, and relational conflict. 

Moms with past trauma.

Working with moms who have past trauma might be one of my biggest passions. Helping momma’s change an entire family tree by stopping generational dysfunction that might have been in place for several generations is exciting to me. It is possible! You have so much power and resiliency momma. You can find healing for past trauma that causes flashbacks, anxiety, disconnection, and worry. You can learn to find healing, identify what a healthy family dynamic looks like, and learn to use tools to achieve it. You CAN model what a healthy relationship looks like; you can model how to manage intense emotions, how to set boundaries, communicate, and deal with hard things in a healthy way. It can be a lot of pressure to know their little eyes are watching you, but you can also learn to have them watch you with confidence as you model for them how to be a strong and healthy individual. It is possible. I’ve seen it, I promise. 

You are not alone in this. Let me help you silence that inner critic, challenge the shame, and learn to feel free and confident with the mom and parent you are. 

Moms who have experienced loss.

Are you a mom that has been trying to get pregnant and experiencing infertility issues? Are you mapping out ovulation time, talking with doctors, feeling sadness, stress, and worry that is impacting your mood, thoughts, and relationship with your partner? Does this have you wondering if a baby you so desperately want is a part of your future? 

Or maybe you’ve already endured a heart wrenching loss of your baby, whether born or unborn. No Mom should ever have to experience the loss of their child. Therapy can help to create a safe space for you to grieve. 

Grief never fully goes away, but I believe it can change, hurt less, and you can find ways to move through the pain and unknown. You are not alone. 

Moms who are professionals.

Maybe your concern is more of wondering how to be the mom you feel you should be and be the professional woman you love to be. You feel an internal struggle between the two. You feel a heavy amount of mom-guilt for leaving your child to go work and you wonder if you are doing the right thing? How will this impact them? So you beat yourself up mentally, feel shame, try to avoid the topic, and you never seem to feel fully connected and be in the present while at work or with your child.

Let’s unpack where this is coming from! Where did you internalize that you have to be one specific type of mom!? Lets lower the expectations of yourself, take a deep breath, step back, and assess what truly gives you joy, meaning, and purpose, and how do you get that? Does working outside the home help ignite a part in you that helps you be the woman and individual you want to be? Or maybe you have no choice and limited options due to financial strains/demands. Then how can we shift your perspective, let go of perfectionism, and a present mom when you are with your kids and show up ready to work (or at least most days).

However, maybe it’s readjusting your lifestyle to this specific season and finding a compromise to show up as the mom you want to be, which is working less. This might include learning to let go of a specific identity you have been holding onto, learning how to set boundaries, be intentional, and learning how to get your personal needs met elsewhere that allow you to be an individual. This doesn’t have to be forever Momma! You can still make this season feel true and authentic to you as a person, individual, and mom.

In therapy, we will identify underlying thoughts, beliefs, and messages that you hold onto that impact your ability to figure out what type of mom you want to be. There is no 100 percent perfect solution for every day/time/situation, but you can find clarity as to what is most important for you to be the mom and individual you want to be during this season. I’d love to help you with this, as I personally know this struggle is real, difficult, and complicated. It can get better though, I promise!