Parenting is hard. This probably comes as a shock to no one, but therapy is a challenge. You’re tasked with keeping this little thing alive, all while not getting sleep, putting a strain on your marriage, dealing with the physical health issues, and on and on.
It is a challenge for everyone.
You may be familiar with postpartum depression – depression that occurs after having a child due to a combination of hormonal changes, stress, and more. Some people seek out therapists when they have this type of depression, hoping to get extra help coping.
But here’s the thing:
You don’t need postpartum depression to find therapy beneficial. You do not even need a diagnosable mental health condition at all.
What if, instead of waiting to see if you develop a mental health issue, you simply start seeing a therapist. What if you take a more proactive approach?
Seeking Therapy Proactively
You already know that parenting is challenging, even before having a baby. Psychotherapy is about helping someone through their challenges, no matter what they may be.
By seeking out a therapist to help you with parenting, you put yourself in a position to:
- Address stress as early as possible, before it becomes something that can create problems in your mental health or marriage.
- Teach you how to be more present, so that you can take in as much of parenting as possible.
- Potentially help you sleep more. Sleep is limited with all kids, but if the anxiety of parenting keeps you awake, or you’re struggling to prioritize sleep, therapy can help.
- Answer questions and worries you may have, and help you find the best parent you can be in yourself.
- Respond to past childhood traumas and issues with upbringing to learn how to parent authentically, lovingly, and in today’s world.
If a parent does have postpartum depression, it can also be addressed at the time of therapy. But, regardless of mental health status, many parents would benefit from psychotherapy that helps them manage the challenges of parenthood early and often.
Since your own mental health outside of parenting can also affect how you build relationships, manage frustration, and so on, psychotherapy can also transform you back into your best self.
Reach Out Today to Learn More
Flourish Psychology is a boutique private practice that is happy to help parents adapt to this new part of their lives. We also occasionally run group therapy sessions for new parents, and we have options for those that need ongoing care.
If you would like to get started, please reach out to our team, today.