If you’ve landed here because you’re a mum struggling with intrusive thoughts, I want to start by reassuring you. These thoughts, even if they include hurting your baby, do not say anything negative about you as a mother. There is a big difference between intrusive thoughts and having an active intention or desire to harm […]
Intrusive Thoughts – What Kind of Mum Do They Make You? Read More »
How would you describe the way you talk to yourself? Specifically, what does the voice inside your head sound like as you go about your day as a mum? Does it tell you you’re doing a good job? Or is it more likely to berate and criticise you? For example, what would it say if
The Way You Talk to Yourself is a Parenting Gamechanger, Here’s Why… Read More »
What is Self-Compassion? In simple terms, self-compassion is the process of turning compassion inward. It’s about being kind and understanding rather than harshly self-critical. When we’re going through something difficult, it’s offering ourselves the same gentle, nurturing support we would give others when they are struggling. It’s acknowledging our own suffering and turning towards it,
How Therapy Can Help Mums Develop More Self-Compassion Read More »
Navigating motherhood without a mother of your own can be a painful, challenging experience. Being a mum is hard enough. We weren’t designed to have babies alone. We need to be supported practically and emotionally by our communities. If, for whatever reason, your community doesn’t include your own mum, it can have a profound effect
Navigating Motherhood Without a Mother – A Therapist’s Perspective Read More »
I think most of us are familiar with the term ‘mum guilt’, the name given to the feelings of guilt women experience in relation to their children. I’m yet to meet a mother who hasn’t experienced it to some degree. I believe new mums are particularly susceptible to guilt. To counteract this, I’d like to
3 Things You Shouldn’t Feel Guilty About as a New Mum Read More »
Struggling with the pressure to enjoy every minute of motherhood can make you feel like a bad mum. But where does that pressure come from and why do some of us find it so challenging? More importantly, what can we do about it? Comparison and The Pressure to Enjoy Every Minute of Motherhood Perhaps you’ve
How to Cope with the Pressure to Enjoy Every Minute of Motherhood Read More »
If you’ve experienced trauma in any format prior to becoming a mother, you are more likely to experience part {or parts} of your motherhood journey as traumatic too. This could include your journey to conceive, your pregnancy, birth or the postpartum period. Trauma and The Window of Tolerance Trauma is not what happens to us
Trauma and Its Impact On Your Journey into Motherhood Read More »
What is Family Estrangement? Family estrangement is a term used to describe what happens when a relationship between family members breaks down. Often, this happens due to some kind of mistreatment on one or both sides. Estrangement can look like a reduction in communication or a complete end to the interaction between family members. Family
How to Cope with Family Estrangement Read More »
Picture this: an adult comes to me for therapy, and we talk about things that have happened in their life, as a child and/or as an adult. As the conversation progresses, I quickly realise that unbeknown to them, what they are describing constitutes abuse. It might be hard to believe, but I’ve experienced this many
Abuse – It’s Not Just What You Think It Is Read More »
Am I Going to Screw Up My Kids? In my clinical work, I meet many parents who fear ‘screwing up’ their kids. If you had a particularly difficult or traumatic early life yourself, you’re more likely to worry about repeating the same negative cycles with your own children. This can stem from a desire to
Am I Going to Screw Up My Kids? – A Therapist’s Perspective Read More »