Parent / Caregiver Support
Counselling for mothers, dads/partners, caregivers in South Surrey and BC
Helping you to meet your care needs so you can meet theirs
FIND JOY IN PARENTHOOD
DEVELOP CONFIDENCE
"I came to parenting the way most of us do - knowing nothing and trying to learn everything."
- Mayim Bialik-
At times, the gravity of raising and taking care of little humans (or larger ones too!) can become quite heavy. We may question if we are doing the "right thing," wonder if we are messing up our kids or simply get lost in the uncertainty of parenting. There is a ton of parenting information and various parenting approaches out there.
This space is less about finding another strategy and more about supporting your growth in your parenting role and your relationship with your child. The more you get to know yourself and get to know your unique child, the greater "knowing" you have about what will work for your unique relationship.
And from this relationship, you can "parent."
THE WINDING ROAD
OF PARENTING AND CAREGIVING
There are plenty of reasons why a parent or caregiver might choose to see a therapist for concerns related to the parenting/caregiving role, such as:
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Caregiver fatigue and/or burnout: Perhaps sitting on a chair in a room across from a therapist is just not your thing. We all have different needs and that's ok.
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Overwhelming thoughts and feelings: Research studies are continuing to suggest the benefits of green space and/or exposure to nature on both our physical and mental health (i.e. stress reduction, prevention of depression and anxiety, increased capacity for attention, etc.)
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A need for more support: Similarly, physical activity is being touted for not only physical health benefits, but for its positive impacts on stress and symptoms of anxiety and depression.
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Understanding difficult behaviours: At times, connecting with animals and nature may come more easily. Some people additionally experience therapeutic benefits from connecting with a sense of something "larger" than ourselves.
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Processing experiences related to YOUR parents and childhood:
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Specific acute stressors
How Therapy Can Help
Here are just a few of the ways therapy might help you navigate women's health concerns:
01
an outside perspective
With our minds and bodies being so interconnected, sometimes navigating body or health concerns can set us on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. It can feel uncomfortable for many to talk about health concerns they would prefer to keep private. However, privacy and isolation do not have to go hand-in-hand. Therapy can provide a place to speak openly about your health or body concerns so you can get the emotional support your need.
02
Unpack and transform shame
Societal, cultural and familial narratives around body, health and womanhood can be quite pervasive and strong. We may have grown up to internalize certain beliefs or stories without even being aware of them and their impact. Often when people's experiences don't follow the dominant narrative, it is experienced as different or "bad" in some way, bringing a sense of shame. Therapy can help you to identify narratives that may not be serving you and develop ones that are shame-busting rather than shame-perpetuating.
03
Help identify your needs and ways to meet them
Sometimes we just don't know where to start dealing with an issue and end up feeling overwhelmed. When coping with health or medical issues, there can be a lot of needs that pop at once. We may need support to understand or get more information, practical help to ease daily challenges, second opinions, someone to call on a hard day, help to navigate complex systems, or skills to self-advocate in overwhelmed medical care practices.
Therapy can help you identify your needs and break down the situation into doable, actional steps.
05
Find supportive others
Sometimes we just want to be around people who "get it" and to know we are not the only one. Therapy can help to provide ideas about how to connect with supportive others in similar situations, where to look for resources, or the confidence reach out to find community.
04
Develop healthy coping and boundaries
Learning about what helps us feel good and effectively cope with difficult situations, along with setting up healthy boundaries (within ourselves and with others), are some of the most important and valuable life-long skills. Therapy can help you honor and trade in "survival skills" you've picked up along the way to cope (i.e. people-pleasing, self-blame) and transform them into healthy mechanisms that are respectful to both you AND others. Similarly, therapy can help you set internal and interpersonal boundaries that allow you to do the same.
06
Deepen self-compassion and self-love
Many people shy away from the idea of self-love and self-compassion, having come to see these as "buzz words." Unfortunately, many of the methods they have seen offered by popular culture to achieve this (i.e. reciting positive affirmations in a mirror) simply don't fit for them or come off as "hoaky." This does not mean self-love is unattainable for you. Therapy can help you discover a much more personal and deep sense of understanding or appreciation of yourself, allowing for these pieces to grow organically, on their own.
