Being a parent is hard. When I became a mother I was quickly overwhelmed by the sudden and intense change in my life. Being responsible for a tiny helpless human is a big responsibility. Adjusting to the many changes in my life was challenging. I found myself working to discover my new identity as a mother. Since the beginning there have been plenty of ups and downs. Some of them more joyous and special than anything I could have imagined, and some of them more overwhelming and frustrating than anything I could have imagined.

The thing with parenting is that it isn’t supposed to be so isolated. We’re supposed to have a community around us helping. We’re not supposed to feel like we need to raise our kids, and work a full-time job, and cook healthy meals, and keep the house clean, and more. But so often we do. There’s so much pressure coming from every direction, and often the internal pressure is huge. But here’s the thing: We can’t do it all, at least not well. And if we try to do it all we’ll probably burn out. And then we can’t be our best selves which means we can’t be our best version of ourselves as a parent.

So here’s what I think. We need to slow down and take care of ourselves. I know that when I feel okay I can be the kind of mother I strive to be with my kids. When I don’t feel okay, it doesn’t go as well. And you know what? It’s okay if it doesn’t go well sometimes. No one is perfect. Our kids don’t need us to be perfect. Our kids need us to be okay.

Whether you’re a new parent experiencing post-partum depression or anxiety, a parent to a young child who struggles to self-regulate, a parent to a quiet, isolated teen, or anything in between, I’m here to help. We can explore how you feel, what you need, and plan together how to help you feel better so that you can be the person and the parent you want to be. If you think counselling may be a fit for you, feel free to reach out and book a free 15-minute consultation.