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 »
Unfortunately, it’s very common for mothers and partners to be misdiagnosed with postnatal depression when the real reason behind the symptoms they’re experiencing is childhood trauma coming to the surface. What is Childhood Trauma? Childhood trauma can occur when a child witnesses or experiences overwhelming negative events. These can occur interpersonally {between people) or as
Is It Postnatal Depression or Childhood Trauma? Read More »
What Is Rest? Rest can be difficult to define because it can look different for everyone. Essentially, rest is any behaviour or activity aimed at increasing physical or mental wellbeing. When we think about resting, we tend to focus on physical rest. We picture ourselves doing nothing, being still or sleeping. But rest doesn’t have
7 Types of Rest and How to Incorporate Them into Your Life Read More »
Why Is Rest Important? Rest gives our bodies time to recover. It supports us physically, aiding muscle repair, reducing inflammation, and strengthening the immune system. Rest also helps us lower blood pressure, reduce stress and improve our overall mood. Rest has never been more vital, especially for mothers. We live incredibly fast paced, busy lives.
Trauma and the Need for Rest Explained Read More »