Specialties
Transition to Parenthood
Nurturing new & expectant parents through a mental health lens.
Integrating a new human into your family is no small thing!
Whether your infant is already in your arms or you’re still anticipating their arrival, you are in the midst of a profound developmental transformation. You may be feeling pretty good right now but also wondering if some extra support would be wise.
Your primary motivation might be to try to prevent the development of a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder (PMAD) or you might simply wish to have an extra support person by your side as you work to integrate a new baby into the folds of your life. Whatever your reasons for seeking support, we’ll work to bolster your mental health and create a comprehensive postpartum plan to carry you through. And if things do get tough, I’m already right here with you.
Accessing early support, whether it’s pre or post-birth (or both), is a gift to yourself and your family.
Even if you are not experiencing symptoms of a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder, the anticipation of, and transition to, parenthood can be quite challenging for any number of reasons…
Your expectations for what early parenting would be like are different from the reality of it all.
Your infant has not yet arrived and you want to do all you can to try to prevent the development of clinical symptoms in the postpartum period.
You are experiencing heightened stress due to your fertility/pregnancy/surrogacy/adoption journey and you need some additional support while you weather the storm.
I bring humor, passion, and an honest humanity to supporting the tender journey of becoming a family.
No matter how your child has (or will) come into your family, I am here to offer gentle scaffolding, normalize the realities of early parenting, and offer psychoeducation and practical tools for how to maintain your well-being during pregnancy, the first year, and beyond. I have a special interest in attachment-focused parenting and in honoring the biological needs of infants and young children.
My “Transition to Parenthood” offering in the context of my clinical practice was born out of my 20 year career as a postpartum doula and lactation educator. Not only will we focus on empirical ways to boost your mental health during this sacred time but we can discuss a wide range of topics surrounding infant and parental care & well-being. My hope is that by offering quality preventive care and support that fewer families will end up with acute symptoms of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.
So what kinds of topics can these sessions include?
Here are just a few…
- Sleep, sleep, and more sleep (Is this normal? Will it ever get better?)
- Postpartum planning (Internal and external resourcing.)
- Infant feeding (Worries about what is “right” or expected; family/cultural pressures; navigating a return to paid work.)
- Creating healthy boundaries with friends, family & caregivers
- Developing a personalized proactive and reactive wellness plan
- Navigating role adjustment while promoting bonding & attachment
Your well-being matters.
Together, let’s uncover the resources within and around you to ensure you are well equipped for the early stages of parenting.