Therapy for New and Soon To Be Parents

Certified Perinatal Mental Health practitioner helping pregnant people, expectant adoptive families and new parents confidently step into their new roles.

Creating a small human isn't exactly what you expected it to be, and now you're scared. Most people who start Therapy for Expecting and New Parents feel overwhelmed, alone and unsure of how to find their way. Perhaps you can relate. You knew that having a baby was going to be challenging, but no one told you it was going to bring such intense emotional extremes.

Maybe your days have started to blur together or you feel like you want to escape your life. Maybe you’re scrolling through Instagram and beating yourself up for not having that picture perfect pregnant or newborn life. You’re feeling alone, as though it should be different than it is.

Stuck in negativity and feeling out of control, experiencing thoughts in your head that you find downright scary, you may feel like life is just too much. Something needs to change.

Do You Feel Unprepared, Guilty, Overwhelmed?

Do any of the following resonate with you?

  • You wake up in the morning with fear in your gut, believing you are not meant to be a parent.

  • When your baby cries, you want to run and hide.

  • Sometimes you long for your previous, child-free life.

  • When you scroll social media, you are certain that other moms are better at it than you are.

  • Routine medical visits bring up intense anxiety; you're sure the doctor is going to tell you you're failing.

If these sound true for you, I want you to know that what you are experiencing is normal. People don’t like to talk about it. Society doesn’t like to admit that parenthood isn’t a Hallmark commercial, but it’s true. It’s hard in so many ways, and you’re not the only one who feels the way you do.

Reaching out for help can provide you with the support and encouragement you need. Self-care is not an indulgence or a selfish act. In fact, it is especially important to take care of yourself when you have the responsibility of caring for others.

It’s possible to feel better, and therapy might be your path to your own version of ‘better.’ Imagine a life where you could...

  • stop worrying all the time

  • feel at ease when you're with your baby.

  • unabashedly access support from people around you.

  • overcome those mean, brutal thoughts that so often bully you.

While there are no guarantees about how therapy will work for you, I can promise that you’ll experience a safe, non-judgemental space in which we will take an honest look at your circumstances and work together to make meaningful changes.

Therapy for Expecting and New Parents Can Help You Feel Less Anxiety and Stress

Confidently Take on the Challenges of Parenthood

Therapy for New and Expecting Parents helps you rise above your challenges and start moving towards your ideal life with less stress and more calm.

You will get you the simple skills you need to start taking care of yourself and find your way through the difficult feelings and situations that are so common at this stage of life. You will also get the support and accountability in actually using those skills and tracking how they’re helping you move forward.

Even if you are not sure if your problem is serious enough, Therapy for Expecting and New Parents may be able to help. I've helped depressed parents start feeling interested in life again. I’ve helped birthing people define their new identities as they embark on new lives in tandem with their babies. With new motivation comes the new energy they desire to have for being an engaged mom, partner, and friend.

My name is Sonja Seglin and I am a counselor and mom who is here to help.

But…Will this work for me?

It’s natural to have some concerns about entering into therapy. Many clients are skeptical at first, and then find that the work they do in therapy changes their lives in ways they could never have predicted.

Particularly at this sensitive stage in your life and the life of your family, it is imperative to gather all the support available. Therapy is just one such support.

  • Maybe you’ve tried therapy in the past, and didn’t see results (or haven’t yet). I’ve had this experience in my own journey as a client in therapy, so I get it. The research consistently shows that the right fit between client and therapist is key to effective therapy. For that reason, I offer a free initial consultation, and I check in regularly so that we can be sure we are heading in a useful direction. Your feedback is always encouraged and taken seriously.

    For people struggling with perinatal distress, we will generally lean on strategies that are focused on the here and now. We will get you feeling more stable in your daily life so that you can move forward with more ease. The research on this approach is abundantly clear: it gets results.

  • Therapy is an investment in your future self. As you move into your new role as a parent, investing in yourself has immeasurable returns. You will be much more able to create a healthy relationship with your new baby. You will be able to model healthy self care.

    By taking an hour a week to focus on your own inner workings, you’ll not only feel better yourself, but you’ll also be in a much stronger position to help those around you. Your body will feel it. Your family will feel it. You are planting seeds that you get to watch develop for years to come.

    You may also find that your insurance will cover all or part of the cost of therapy. Click here for more information on that

  • No! It doesn’t have to! It’s true that some people find the process of therapy so helpful in maintaining their mental stability that they decide to continue sessions without setting an end point.

    That’s not everyone’s experience.

    Therapy for New and Expecting Parents is meant to see you through the sensitive early months of parenting. Once you are stabilized and back on your feet, you may find that you are ready to end the therapy relationship.

    You are not stuck.

    The duration of your therapy is up to you.

  • It's normal to feel hesitant or uncomfortable about opening up at first.

    That’s why I work so hard to create a space in which you feel safe. I am already on your side, and invested in your well-being. And, whenever you don’t want to talk about something, we won’t. Trust takes time to build, and that’s ok.

    As a mother myself, I can understand how raw you feel at this time. And as a therapist, I will give you the calm, caring, non-judgmental space to move forward.

  • Yes! You can, and you should. But they aren’t your therapist (or at least they shouldn’t be). Unlike informal relationships, your therapy hour is unquestionably dedicated just to you and your well-being.

    Your friends and family are an integral part of your mental and emotional well-being. For new parents, one of our goals is almost always to strengthen those relationships, perhaps reducing guilt for letting yourself be cared for by your network.

Let’s get started today.

Ready to start feeling better? If you feel lost in parenthood, unsure of how to find your way, Therapy for Expecting and New Parents could help.

Start now and confidently own your new role as a parent. During your free 10 minute phone consultation you can start getting a feel for how I can help and we can discuss next steps.

Email me to schedule your free phone consultation today at sonja@sonjaseglin.com.