Many people struggle with the transition to parenthood, even if you’ve been working for years to create the family you desire. Not only can the transition be isolating and overwhelming regardless of our identities, the experience of pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood is often deeply coded in a binary, heteronormative perspective, leaving many feeling excluded from what supports do exist for the postpartum period. Becoming a parent can also bring up difficult memories of how we were parented in our families of origin, as well as the ways our identities, peer relationships, and community landscapes may change in early parenthood.

If you are navigating the new terrain of parenthood and struggling with grief, worry, loneliness, or overwhelm, you are not alone. You deserve the space to process your emotions, make meaning of your experience, and find pathways to experience presence and joy as an individual and in your role as a parent.

While we may have put a profound amount of time, energy, and resources into the creation of our families, and even imagined and prepared for what our lives might be like once a baby or child arrives, one sentiment shared by many new parents is “this is not what I expected.”

Becoming a parent is not just about the new addition to our family, it is an unfolding process of meeting ourselves and our partners in new and sometimes uncomfortable ways. I work with parents (who may encompass a variety of relationship structures) to understand and articulate their needs; address areas of disappointment, hurt, or trauma; and find stronger connections and improved communication in the process of creating strong, resilient, joyful relationships & families.

This support can also be useful for couples or people in relationship who are contemplating parenthood, or navigating the often stressful and isolating terrain of conception or family creation.

Building and sustaining loving, equitable, and satisfying relationships isn’t a linear process. Therapy can be a powerful tool to engage in moments of difficulty, disconnection, or decision-making, as well as a space to proactively build greater understanding and skills to deepen connection.

As a Level 3 Certified Gottman Method Couples Therapist, my approach to work with couples and relationships is informed by the evidence-based Gottman Method. The goals of this approach are to “to disarm conflicting verbal communication; increase intimacy, respect, and affection; remove barriers that create a feeling of stagnancy; and create a heightened sense of empathy and understanding within the context of the relationship.”

In addition to my training as a Gottman Therapist, my extensive experience working with survivors of intimate violence informs my approach to working with couples and relationships - we are all shaped by the impacts of interpersonal and systemic trauma, and these impacts show up in both conscious and unconscious ways in relationship. By building a stronger understanding of ourselves and the systems and experiences that shape us, as well as deepening our awareness of our habits, behaviors, and emotions, we are better equipped to create and sustain the relationships we want.