Maybe you're really struggling right now, and not coping as well as you were expecting to.

 

Maybe you want to be proactive by attending counselling to maintain and prioritize your mental health as you move through this major transition.

 

So many big emotions come up when we become parents! So much of the experience is positive and fulfilling. Then there's the part that is less talked about. As we grapple with shifting priorities, relationships, and routines, we're also working on integrating a whole new part of ourselves that ultimately impacts every other part of us. We start feeling the weight of what it means to have such intense love and to be responsible for a new life. We mourn the parts of ourselves that don't get to show up as often right now, which skews our self-concept. (That feeling of "I don't know who I am anymore.") And who could forget about the sleep deprivation?!

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It's all just A LOT. 

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​Here are just a few ways that I can support you and/or your partner:
 

• Providing education so that you feel more prepared and informed about what's happening and what's to come.

• Supporting you in developing a plan for your mental health throughout the process of pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. 

• Prepare your relationship for new baby's arrival:

  • Opening up communication between you and your partner around important topics related to new parenthood.

  • Improving relationship dynamics through learning new skills and tools and practicing healthy communication.

• Emotional support through difficulties related to conception, pregnancy, childbirth, child loss, and new parenthood.

• Emotional support in coming to terms and coping with birth trauma, birth injury, feeding difficulties, sleep issues, other unforeseen issues. 

• Working through past unresolved trauma and the emotions that may arise as we adapt to new changes in pregnancy and parenthood.

• Monitoring mental health, catching early signs of postpartum depression and/or anxiety and implementing strategies to manage.

• Support with integrating the "new parent" part into your existing identity.

• Support with early parenting, learning how to connect with your baby/toddler, managing difficult early childhood behaviours, nervous system regulation and co-regulation with your baby/toddler. 

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