Category Archives: New Parents

Posts for new parents

Links for New Parents

Families, New Parents, Parents, Stressors

The adjustment to becoming a parent can be challenging and the experience of a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder can make things even more complicated.  Over the last few months, I have been focused on writing blog posts specifically focused on addressing the concerns that new parents have shared with me along with posts sharing information about perinatal mental health.

This post is a recap of everything that I have written for new parents and those who are supporting new parents.  I hope you find it helpful to have all of the information in one easily, accessible place. Continue reading Links for New Parents →

Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders

Are there other Perinatal Mood and Anxiety  Disorders? (Part Two)

New Parents, Parents

Most people have heard about perinatal depression or anxiety, but there are additional mood and anxiety disorders that women can experience during pregnancy or in the postpartum period which you may not be as familiar with.   This two part series is aimed at introducing you to some of the additional perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.

In part one of this series, I highlighted Perinatal Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Perinatal Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  This post (part t two of the series) focuses on Bipolar Mood Disorders and Postpartum Psychosis. Continue reading Are there other Perinatal Mood and Anxiety  Disorders? (Part Two) →

Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders

Are there other Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders? (Part One)

Counseling, New Parents, Parents

You’ve probably heard about depression and anxiety that occur during pregnancy or the postpartum period.  You may have even read about them in my previous posts on perinatal mental health.    But you may be less familiar with the remaining perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADS).  If you or a loved one are experiencing mental health symptoms during pregnancy or in the postpartum period, but they don’t seem to fit your understanding of perinatal depression or anxiety you may want to look into some of the other perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.

What are the other perinatal mood and anxiety disorders?

  • Perinatal Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  • Perinatal Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Bipoloar Mood Disorders
  • Postpartum Psychosis

Continue reading Are there other Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders? (Part One) →

10 Mantras for Moms

10 Mantras for Moms

New Parents, Parents, Self Care
A mantra is a word or a phrase that is repeated often.  Some of you may be familiar with the use of mantras in prayer or meditation, but the use of repeated phrases can also be used in more of a general way when coping with intense emotions.    Some people may consider a mantra to be an affirmation.

Many moms that I work with have found the use of mantras to be effective in helping them cope with feelings of anxiety, frustration, overwhelm, inadequacy, uncertainty, loneliness and more.  I have compiled a list of 10 mantras which may be especially helpful for moms.   As with anything, you can adapt my suggestions to fit you and your needs.

Continue reading 10 Mantras for Moms →

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Where am I? What happened to me? Re-Discovering Your Identity After Becoming a Parent

Counseling, New Parents, Parents, Self Care

The dictionary defines identity as “the condition of being oneself or itself, and not another”

Often times, people describe feeling like they have lost a bit (or a lot) of their identity as they become parents.    Some people may feel fine with this shift and others find it distressing.

I’ve heard this loss of identity presented as a concern from many women that I have encountered inside and outside of the therapy office. After their children are born, some women report that they don’t feel like themselves and struggle to find a sense of who they are outside of being a mother. Some mothers also report that they struggle in figuring out how to make time for the things that they love outside of their families because they are focused on their children and feel guilty if they shift their focus elsewhere for even brief periods of time.   These types of concerns have been shared from parents across the board including; expectant parents,  parents of infants, parents of school age children and parents of teens. Continue reading Where am I? What happened to me? Re-Discovering Your Identity After Becoming a Parent →

Counseling

What should I expect during my first counseling session?

Children, Counseling, Families, New Parents, Parents
One of the most common questions that I receive from potential clients is about what to expect from the first session.   I often describe the first meeting as a chance for me to get to know my clients and my clients to get to know me in order to make sure we are a good fit for working together.   Clients often get a sense quickly about whether or not they feel comfortable with a counselor.   The counselor will likely use the information provided in the first meeting to evaluate whether he/she the best therapist for a client based on the counselor’s level of expertise with the presenting concerns and the level of service that is needed.

Continue reading What should I expect during my first counseling session? →

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Your Growing Family-Preparing to Welcome a New Sibling from the Parent’s Perspective

Counseling, Families, New Parents, Parents

In a recent post,  I addressed helping children prepare for the birth of a new sibling, but this time around I want to focus on you, the parents.   Adding another child to your family is a significant transition for you, too.

This post includes two types of tips for parents of growing families; parenting tips and self care tips. I suggest paying attention to both  types of tips.   They are both important areas of focus during this time of transition. Continue reading Your Growing Family-Preparing to Welcome a New Sibling from the Parent’s Perspective →

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What Should I know about PMADs? Tips for New and Expecting Parents from Mental Health Professionals

Counseling, New Parents, Parents, Self Care

Through the magic of social media and the internet, I have been able to connect with many professionals around the country (and world) who specialize in in maternal mental health.

I asked some of my colleagues to share their thoughts on the following question:

As a mental health professional, what information do you think new or expecting parents should know about perinatal mood and anxiety disorders? 

I noticed 5 themes in the answers my colleagues shared. Continue reading What Should I know about PMADs? Tips for New and Expecting Parents from Mental Health Professionals →

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Stressors & Children: Preparing for a New Sibling

Children, Families, New Parents, Parents, Stressors

Preparing for the birth of a new sibling can bring about mixed feelings for parents as they consider how to help their older children with this transition.   Parents often feel excited to welcome a new child into the family, but also nervous about how older siblings will respond and adjust.     The adjustment of my oldest child was definitely one of my concerns as my family prepared for the birth our second child.     It’s normal to have some anxiety about this transition and I hope this post will help address some of your concerns and lessen your anxiety.

There are many factors that affect how a child adjusts to a new sibling, but after reading this post you will have some great ideas to ensure that this transition goes as smoothly as possible for your family.   Continue reading Stressors & Children: Preparing for a New Sibling →

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10 Self Care Tips for New Parents

Counseling, Families, New Parents, Parents, Self Care

What is self care?  How does becoming a parent impact our self care?

Self care is purposeful action we take to ensure our wellbeing.   Wellbeing includes our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health.

As we take on the new role of being a parent and learning how to balance our new responsibilities, it can be easy to put self care on the back burner.   We focus on taking good care of our babies and can forget to take care of ourselves, too.  In order to be the best parents that we can be, we need to make sure we are tending to our self care needs, too.

10 Tips Self Care Tips for New Parents Continue reading 10 Self Care Tips for New Parents →