Parenting can be one of life’s most rewarding and gratifying experiences. It can also be one of life’s most difficult and challenging ones. Parenting is complex and encompassing. The adage is true; it is one tough job.
I have many years of experience working with new parents, and not so new parents; new mothers, fathers and parents coping with a myriad of parenting-related stressors.
Stress, time management, change in identity and feelings of loss are some of the emotions that can and do arise in parenting. Life is busy and many parents are managing a multitude of competing demands which can be overwhelming. One’s idea/vision/fantasy of what parenthood was going to be like may feel way out of reach from the reality.
Marriage and relationship change with the addition of children, and parenting itself changes as children grow. There is no one size fits all approach and the culture of competitive child-rearing can feel overwhelming to some. Work-family-life balance can be elusive, and dreams and plans can be sidetracked or buried.
We will find the strength in parenting and I will help guide you through the sometimes hard-to-admit feelings that you may have about motherhood or fatherhood. We will work together to support your individual situation and challenges.
Additionally, I worked for many years in the field of Early Intervention, helping parents cope with birth trauma, parent a child at-risk of developmental delay, and navigate the complex system of accessing services. I understand the strain of uncertainty and the importance of creating safe space to access the difficult feelings involved.
Recommended Reading:
Parenting From The Inside Out, Seigel & Hartzell
I’d Listen To My Parents If They’s Just Shut Up, Anthony Wolf
Parenting The Strong-Willed Child, Forehand & Long
Beyond Time Out, Grosshans & Burton
Raising Boys, Biddulph
Raising Cain; Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys, Dan Kindlon
How To Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk, Faber