You are tired, stressed and your self-care has gone out the window. You are relieved to get on the train to go to work so you can have a break from the chaos of parenting. But it doesn’t end. You are constantly on call and at your wits end. You miss your old life and your old self, and you are angry at yourself for not getting it. You are petrified that because of your mistakes your children will be screwed up and you joke around about their therapy fund.
Parenting is hard. Sure, you can buy a book to help you with everything from newborn sleep training to applying to college, but in those dark moments the information is useless. Every night you vow to do it differently and be the parent you know you can be, and every day you lose it before, after and during your coffee. The day hasn’t started, and you already feel lost. Social media paints a picture of put together moms doing it all and you can’t even last an hour without snapping at your kids or your spouse.
We will identify what exactly you would like to work on in therapy and start to explore the obstacles keeping you from doing so. This might include a walk back in time to see if anything unresolved from your childhood is showing up now. Through conversations and a variety of tools you will get unstuck and freed up enough to begin to think creatively and objectively about your life and your parenting:
Through support and understanding you will find your footing to do what you need to do for yourself and your family with a little more ease. As a result, you will find that your kids feel more connected to you, and you will see their behavior change.
It’s understandable why you may think your child needs therapy. They might be struggling at home or at school and it breaks your heart. In my experience working with parents has a positive ripple effect on their children. Studies have shown that children’s anxiety reduces and their behavior improves when their parents attend therapy even when they don’t.
I meet weekly with my clients for a 50-minute session. The timing will depend on your needs and what comes up in the work we decide to do together.
Teletherapy is as effective as in person therapy. It also has the benefit of being flexible for people who are from all over NJ who might not want to drive hours to an office.
Sometimes a parent/child or family meeting is called for and can accelerate the work. We will decide together whether or not this is beneficial.
