What has been your experience with grief? Have you gone through the process yourself? Do you feel overwhelmed when others experience loss? Working in the perinatal field, I am surrounded by parents who have survived loss. These experiences vary vastly from the endless cycles of hope and loss during IVF treatment, to processing a miscarriage,Continue reading “How to help someone who is grieving”
Category Archives: Mental Health
Support for the avoidant parent
Sure, you and your partner have talked about having a child. In theory, it seemed fine. But now that your baby has arrived, it feels harder than you ever expected. It is exhausting trying to connect with this unresponsive baby. It feels like everytime you pick up your child, he or she knows to screamContinue reading “Support for the avoidant parent”
Will I have postpartum depression again?
For anyone who has survived postpartum depression, you know how painful and unsettling life felt after your baby arrived. During that first year, you are overwhelmed with feelings of irritability, helplessness, anger, rage, sadness, and anxiety (just to name a few). The fear of ever facing this experience again causes many parents to hesitate aboutContinue reading “Will I have postpartum depression again?”
“They’d be better off without me”: Suicide and Postpartum Mental Health
“They’d be better off without me.” “I can’t do this. What am I doing here?” “How am I supposed to do this everyday for the rest of my life?” I hear sentences like these frequently in my work with postpartum parents. It is heartbreaking and I know that when someone gets to this place ofContinue reading ““They’d be better off without me”: Suicide and Postpartum Mental Health”
A Note for all “Mothers”
On Mother’s Day, we are bombarded with social media posts doting on all the maternal figures in our lives. While there is no denying that there are some fantastic mothers out there, not all of us feel lucky to have this type of positive influence. Many mothers do not feel confident enough to call themselvesContinue reading “A Note for all “Mothers””
Postpartum Rage: I am going to lose it!
I feel like society normalizes feeling overwhelmed, insecure, and stressed as a new parent. While our society is more compassionate towards these vulnerabilities, there is much less acceptance when it comes to our anger. Postpartum rage is a common occurrence during the first year with a baby. It can show up as a symptom ofContinue reading “Postpartum Rage: I am going to lose it!”
Working with unwanted feelings
When I am feeling anxious, unhappy or generally lousy, I hate the idea of mindfully noticing these unwanted feelings. There is intense resistance to “sitting with” or accepting my emotions. During these low moments, I have zero understanding or time for my feelings. My only goal is to get rid of them. I imagine manyContinue reading “Working with unwanted feelings”
Why am I feeling stuck in my trauma?
Even years after a traumatic experience, we can feel stuck in a place of emotional distress. In therapy, I noticed that many trauma survivors would struggle to find self-compassion. They would get caught in an endless loop of self-blame and resentment. Other clients were keen to begin therapy; however, they were easily overwhelmed once theyContinue reading “Why am I feeling stuck in my trauma?”
What causes mental health struggles?
When new clients come in for counselling, many present with resentment and anger for experiencing mental health struggles. Following any emotional upheaval, we search for clarity. We want to understand what causes mental health difficulties, and we want the fastest solution to make it all feel better. Since mental health impacts the whole family, caregiversContinue reading “What causes mental health struggles?”
5 Tips to help keep your New Year’s resolutions
As we welcome a new year, some of us may be considering the endless battle with New Year’s resolutions. About 80% of people abandon their resolutions within the first few months of starting. We know this is not due to will power, but because it is hard to create new habits and change old patterns.Continue reading “5 Tips to help keep your New Year’s resolutions”