New Parenting Therapy, Postpartum Disorders, Infertility, Loss
Are You Currently Struggling?
The journey of family planning and expanding can be a very tough and complicated time in many people’s lives. There can be various stressors and difficulties (sometimes unexpected) that take place throughout these years. Unfortunately, these major issues and events often go unspoken, despite how common they actually are.
Are you struggling with an issue such as:
Infertility
Loss (such as miscarriage or stillborn)
A Perinatal Mood or Anxiety Disorder (PMAD):
Such as Postpartum Depression (PPD), Postpartum Anxiety (PPA), or,
Depression/Anxiety experienced during the prenatal or pregnancy stages
Feeling overwhelmed with the life transition into new motherhood/fatherhood
Relationship issues triggered by the major transition into new parenthood
Find Healing and Support Through Therapy
Whichever of these issues or events you may be experiencing, it can certainly feel like an exceptionally challenging time in your life. My hope is that you will engage in therapy and begin to recognize that there is nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about. The stigma associated with such issues, often acts as a barrier to people seeking treatment. Yet all of these experiences can be an extremely isolating time for both women and men. Please know that you do not need to go through this alone, that there is no shame in seeking treatment and that help is here.
Infertility and Loss Are Very Common
Are you feeling sad, confused or overwhelmed due to infertility issues, pregnancy complications or the trauma of a miscarriage or stillborn? Challenges and traumas such as infertility and loss are unfortunately very common.
According to The Seleni Institute:
Infertility: Ten to fifteen percent of couples experience infertility each year. Women who are dealing with infertility, can actually feel as anxious or depressed as those diagnosed with cancer
Loss: One in four pregnancies end in miscarriage
“I have suffered a loss and feel like many of the comments that people make just cause me to feel worse”
Unfortunately, while people may not actually intend to speak in an insensitive or dismissive manner, this is exactly what they may end up doing. Many people do not fully understand the trauma and significant depth of pain that is associated with a loss such as a miscarriage or stillborn. Receiving such insensitive responses from others may cause a person who is already suffering to further isolate and keep their feelings within. This is an especially important time for one to engage in counseling in order to cope with this loss in a safe and supportive setting.
Are you Suffering with Postpartum Depression or Anxiety?
“I thought that Being a New Parent was supposed to be the happiest time of my life. I feel anxious and depressed the Majority of the time and have been too ashamed to admit it. What’s happening to me?”
It is possible that you are suffering from Postpartum Depression and/or Anxiety. If this is the case, please recognize that you are not at all alone in feeling this way. It is so much more common than most people realize and is also highly treatable.
Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs, which include Postpartum Depression) are the most common complications of pregnancy and childbirth. Twenty percent of pregnant and postpartum women experience clinically significant mood and anxiety disorders.
Fathers experience hormonal and emotional transitions into parenthood and may suffer from such disorders as well.
Engaging in therapy can help to treat your symptoms as well as provide you with a safe space to process any shame that you may be experiencing. It is unfortunate that stigma still appears to play a role with such disorders but I can assure you that with an effective and empathic therapist, this will not be the case.
Are You Overwhelmed By New Parenthood?
Are you overwhelmed with the stress associated with becoming a new parent? It is completely normal to experience anxiety, confusion, stress and other unpleasant emotions related to new parenthood. Or maybe, you have started caring for your new child, but you and your partner spend much of your time worrying about whether you are making the best decisions as new parents. Have you felt like you lost your identity other than your role as a new mom or dad? Do you wish you could find a space to explore your concerns and learn effective solutions to your parenting struggles?
These thoughts and feelings are all too common amongst new parents, and yet, it often seems that all anyone ever talks about is how “magical” and “wonderful” new parenthood is! Meanwhile, parenthood is one of (if not the) most challenging life transition that one will ever experience. Up until this point, you may have felt very accomplished in your areas of expertise, which usually comes with years of training and experience. And now, here you are, expected to jump directly into this new and not to mention, very difficult role, with no training or experience and a huge smile on your face. When you say it aloud, this does not actually sound very realistic, does it?
The good news is that having a non-judgmental therapist to process these thoughts and feelings with can be very effective in better coping with this major life transition.
“I don’t feel especially anxious or depressed however, I don’t love every moment or day of parenting. Does this make me a bad parent?”
This certainly does not make you a bad parent. You are human and are entitled to have mixed emotions over the hardest job in the world. Some days are stressful, tiring and very difficult. It is a huge transition to live much of your life focused on yourself and your own wants/needs and then suddenly put yourself on the back-burner each and every day. Cutting yourself some slack as a parent is very important. In addition to processing your feelings in therapy, it can be helpful to have another parent friend in your life who can relate to the challenges of parenting, especially one that can share a sense of humor in it all. Having such an outlet can be very refreshing.
Self-care is also extremely important. Setting aside some time for yourself, as difficult as this may seem, is very helpful in better managing and coping with the challenges of parenthood. Self-care is an area that we would focus on in therapy as people often tend to avoid prioritizing such time for themselves when they are actually most in need of it.
Are You Experiencing Relationship Issues?
“It seems like we’re suddenly Arguing all of time. is our relationship doomed?”
Not at all! Most couple’s struggle to some extent upon expanding their family. You are likely both feeling pretty exhausted, stressed out and as though you have little or no time for yourself, let alone for your relationship. Prioritizing your relationship again (even in very small doses) can be extremely helpful. It is important to remember that you are on the same team as you parent together. Although your relationship may not feel exactly as it once had, it can still be filled with love, happiness and intimacy.
Engaging in relationship therapy, or couple’s counseling, can be very useful during this major life adjustment. It can help you to communicate effectively, to learn how to prioritize your relationship in a realistic and effective way and to maintain a healthy and happy connection with one another.
Find Understanding, Build Confidence And Hope
If you are ready to learn effective techniques to help you through the challenges associated with infertility, loss, postpartum depression/anxiety or the transition into new parenting, please contact me. I’m happy to answer your questions and discuss how therapy can offer you guidance and hope. I offer an environment where you can feel supported and no longer feel isolated, on your path to wellness. Having an empathic and non-judgmental therapist to process these thoughts, feelings and stressors with, can be very effective for treating and better coping with such life traumas, struggles and transitions.
You can heal and feel like yourself again…we can work together to help you get there.
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