You do a lot of work nobody notices.
You might feel a flicker of resentment when you’re asked to do yet another thing, or feel guilty when you don’t parent how you want to because you’re so overloaded. Even in the rare moment alone, you find it hard to relax because there’s just always so much that needs to be done.
You might find yourself trying to avoid recreating difficult dynamics from your own upbringing and be completely frazzled trying to do all the right things all the time and when you don’t? Oof. The words you say to yourself are harsh and unforgiving.
I love working with moms (by the way, I’m talking anybody who identifies as a mother, trans moms and non-binary folks enthusiastically included) because one day you’re not a mom and the next day you are, and this time of rapid transformation opens up uparalleled time for growth and self-discovery (but it’s not always comfortable).
The issues that most often come up in my sessions with moms are navigating complicated family relationships, managing overwhelm, exploring expectations for self/partner/children, exploring complicated feelings about childhood experiences (which we often think we’ve “dealt with” but then come roaring back to the surface when we have our own children), childhood trauma, anxiety about parenting, parent skills coaching (I’m a big fan of Dr. Dan Siegel and Dr. Becky Kennedy), marriage dynamics, how to maintain sense of self amidst a demanding season of life, and more. Trust me: you’re not alone in how you’re feeling. Having a therapist who is in the trenches with you means you won’t get any judgment for me. Just support, empathy, and help figuring out how to get your ship pointed in the direction you want.
You may know exactly where you want to start, or you may just know something doesn’t feel right and you want to feel better. Just show up. We’ll figure the rest out together.