Perinatal, Postpartum & Parenting Transitions
When pregnancy, parenthood, or caregiving reshape your nervous system, relationships, and sense of self.
These transitions involve real biological change, shifts in identity, and evolving relational demands. Therapy during perinatal, postpartum, and parenting phases offers steady, thoughtful support as individuals and families adapt to what is changing, rather than treating these experiences as problems to be solved.
Sleep is a Distant Memory
Perinatal, postpartum, and parenting transitions place sustained demands on the body and nervous system. Sleep disruption, hormonal shifts, and constant responsiveness can narrow emotional bandwidth, even when you’re trying your best.
During these phases, many people notice increased anxiety, emotional reactivity, intrusive thoughts, or a sense of disconnection from themselves or others. These experiences are not signs of weakness or mismanagement. They reflect a nervous system adapting under real, ongoing conditions of change and fatigue.
This is often less about something “going wrong”, and more about the need for support that matches the reality of the moment.
“There’s no way to be a perfect mother, and a million ways to be a good one.”
Jill Churchill
No One Can Really Be Prepared For This
Many people are surprised by how unfamiliar their inner experience becomes during perinatal, postpartum, and parenting transitions. Thoughts may feel darker, more intrusive, or more distressing than expected. Emotions can feel muted or overwhelming, or even numb. Some people worry about what these experiences mean, or whether they say something troubling about who they are or will be as a parent.
These experiences are far more common than most people realize, particularly during periods of sleep disruption, hormonal change, and sustained responsibility. Fears about the type of parent you may be are not indications of intent or character. They are not self-fulfilling. They are signals of a nervous system under strain.
Therapy during these phases focuses on helping these experiences settle, rather than escalate. By providing steady, non-reactive support, the work helps reduce fear around internal experiences, restore a sense of safety, and gradually rebuild confidence in your ability to respond, rather than react.
You are not defined by the thoughts that pass through your mind during a period of intense strain. Having them does not diminish your care, your judgment, or your ability to be a good parent.
Next Steps
If you’re seeking thoughtful, depth-oriented therapy and feel aligned with my approach, I invite you to reach out to explore working together.
Let’s begin with a free 15-minute consultation to see if it feels like a good fit.
You don’t get to choose what shaped you, but you do get to choose how it shapes what comes next.