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Therapy for Perinatal Mental Health
Online in California and Washington
In person in Lacey, WA
Mothers-to-be, Mothers, Partners, Parents:
You Have Found a Place of Support
Don't let the highlight reels fool you. Pregnancy, postpartum, fertility struggles, and loss all come with a wide mix of emotions. You deserve a place where all of it is welcomed.
Is this really what I signed up for?
It's 3am and you've been pacing your living room with a screaming baby in your arms for the past two hours. You're so tired you barely trust your feet to hold you, and piercing cries have unlocked a whole new level of jaw tension. And if this isn't enough in itself, the familiar fears start flooding your brain: "what if I'm not cut out for this?" or "what if my baby hates me?"
Does anyone hear me?
When you eventually hit a wall, you nudge your partner awake and ask if they will take the baby so you can get a an hour or so of sleep before the alarms go off. They slowly get up, making it clear they aren't happy at the disturbance, grumbling something under their breath about needing to be up for work soon. You feel a surge of relief, guilt, and anger. It's a mix so confusing that your exhausted brain is suddenly wired. You feel the tears drip down your cheeks as you continue to hear the baby cry in the other room.
Mama bear shows up, but so does shame
The following night, you head to your mother-in-law's for dinner. She notices how tired you and your partner look, and starts in on a lecture about how she handled her baby's sleep issues, not subtly implying that you should just do what she did if you are really so tired. You nod and smile, despite the ball of rage burning in your stomach. You're tired of the unsolicited advice, but you'd rather swollow your feelings than risk upsetting your mother-in-law. She means well, you think to yourself.
Motherhood Can Feel Lonely
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You feel anxious and lost, and you're not sure if you're really bonding with your baby.
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You work up the nerve to tell your doctor that you're struggling, only to hear a dismissive "oh, yeah, babies sure do give you a run for your money, don't they?"
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You scroll social media hoping for a portrayal of motherhood that matches yours, only to find a sea of miraculously unstained beige and pastel.
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You show up at your weekly moms group hoping to get real and actually connect, but it seems like everyone else is all smiles and is content to compare diaper cream brands.
How Therapy Can Help
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You gain an understanding of what is happening during the transition to motherhood and start to feel less judgment towards your thoughts and emotions.
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You finally have a place to feel consistently seen and heard.
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You have resources and information that portrays motherhood and early parenthood with nuance and depth, instead of the picture-perfect facade.
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You receive support in cultivating a genuine and aligned community where you can drop the mask and be yourself.
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You begin to see that your needs and feelings were valid all along.
Together, We Take Care of You
Whether we meet during your postpartum phase, or at another juncture in the perinatal experience, you will be given space to make sense of your evolving parenthood story. You can expect to be met with curiosity and non-judgment.
You Know You're Not Failing, It's Just That Hard
What once felt like a personal indictment of your parenting abilities (the crying, the messiness, the chaos), you now see as a normal part of new parenthood. When the baby is screaming at 3am, you still groan as you climb out of bed, but you know that crying is just what babies do. You know your efforts at soothing your baby is enough, even when the crying doesn't stop.
It's No Longer All on You
You and your partner sit down one evening and list out all the tasks that are needed for caring for your family. You deliver the clear requests that you've practiced in therapy to make your needs known. Instead of feeling like your partner is a reluctant "helper," you become more like equal partners. When the baby cries at night, you check the clock to see who's shift it is instead of automatically springing to action.
Boundaries For the Win
You head to your mother-in-law's for dinner, but this time you aren't dreading it. You greet her with a hug, but as soon as the unsolicited advice starts to flow, you put an immediate stop to it: "Thanks for sharing what worked for you, but we aren't looking for suggestions about sleep training right now." You don't shrink. You don't overapologize. You know that your role as a mother/parent is like that of a CEO. You can appreciate ideas, while letting it be known that you call the shots.