Motherhood and Mental Health
When a woman becomes a mother, she enters the most transformative experience of her life. Her life is no longer the same. For many mothers, her experience consists of a myriad of feelings, from joy, excitement, and boundless love to bereavement, fear, and complete exhaustion.
However, if there is one thing that is consistent in the experience of motherhood, it is hard.
Whether you just discovered you’re pregnant or if you are a mom of five, every mother will have unique experiences that will challenge and demand something of her. It will raise questions of identity and purpose. It will alter responsibilities and choices. It will reawaken old experiences and passions. It will even shift relationships.
For those who have experienced trauma as a child or adolescent, the process of becoming a mother can add an additional layer of complexity. Wounds from your youth that were not processed can come back to haunt and even steal the joy of motherhood. It is important to work through unprocessed trauma in order to fully experience your role as a mother and to make choices that don’t unconsciously recreate dynamics that are harmful to you. With the help of a therapist, that can be achievable.
There are also other traumas that can impact motherhood such as miscarriage, traumatic childbirth, unplanned pregnancy, loss of a partner, and the experience of postpartum depression. These traumas, especially need to be examined in a safe and supportive environment. There are no words for tragedies such as these when they occur. However, you certainly will have many words, feelings, and beliefs that are valid and should be expressed.
Although motherhood may be hard, it doesn’t mean you have to suffer in silence or suffer alone. In fact, with the right care and support, no matter how intense your experiences are, I believe there is always grace, joy, and deep fulfillment waiting for you on the other side.
The first step is just to see yourself as worthy of self-care.
One of the greatest gifts you can give yourself is time to process and nurture yourself, including the little girl inside of you who desires to be well-loved and cared for. Therapy provides a safe space for this process and nurturing to naturally occur.
If you are a mother and are interested in learning more about how my therapeutic services can support you, please sign up for a consultation so I can learn more about you. I would be honored to journey with you as you embrace your role as mother and care for your whole self.