Therapy for Postpartum Depression and Anxiety
It is important for your child(ren) to see a mom that takes care of herself, that is present for the important moments and that shows them that life does not have to look perfect to be perfect.
You might be feeling overwhelmed and pulled in so many different directions at the same time. Your evenings are filled with dread because you don’t know if you’ll get sleep tonight and the lonely nights feel long. Or you are expecting and the worry of what may go wrong keeps creeping in. It might look like everything is ok because you are managing to keep everyone happy but on the inside you wonder when will you get a break and what will people think if they heard this thought out loud. What would they think if they heard some of the other thoughts?
On top of all of this, you hear the suggestions from well-meaning family members about how they raised their babies. You ask yourself and your partner what will work for your family but depression and anxiety makes you worry about the worst that can happen. It’s hard to decide what is best for you and your family.
My goal for you is that you step into your power and define what works for you. I would like for you to be able to define your values and boundaries with confidence. For you to set the foundation for the life you want to live and the home you want to raise your child(ren) in.
What therapy for new moms looks like:
We can look at family patterns and traditions and how they fit for you. What do you value and want to pass down to your family? What boundaries might you have to set and how do you communicate them in a way that works for you?
You will be able to put your guard down and say the scary thing out loud. We will talk about how common it is to feel this way and what you can do to feel like yourself again. It is important for your child(ren) to see a mom that takes care of herself, that is present for the important moments and that shows them that life does not have to look perfect to be perfect.
Therapy may help if you:
Feel so worried something bad will happen that it is hard to sleep, eat or step away when someone else is holding your baby or you know your baby is in a safe place
Are struggling to communicate with the people around you. This can look like withdrawal or arguments
Feel like you’re continuously replaying a memory in your mind and you’re feeling guilt, resentment, anger or disappointment
Can’t leave your house because what if something bad happens and you won’t be able to handle it
Have scary thoughts that you can’t let go of
Feel that it will never get better or the thought of the situation getting better hasn’t even crossed your mind
Are ready to feel a better sense of control and make small but consistent changes to help improve your mood
Therapy won’t be:
Me telling you what you should do or that what you did was wrong
A quick fix. Some of these feelings run deep and are showing up at this time for a reason
Laying on the couch hashing out your childhood (unless you want to or find that helpful)
The First Session
We will spend our first session going over what is important to you, what significant events in your life have made you who you are today and establishing a goal or roadmap for your treatment. I enjoy working with parents who are looking to establish and foster healthy relationships with their children by taking care of themselves and breaking maladaptive patterns. It may feel uncomfortable at first, as it does when we meet any new person in a season of growth, but I approach our work as a partnership where we are both invested in helping you feel better and face challenges with confidence.