Postpartum Therapy
Do you feel like you lost yourself after the birth of your child?
Is your parenting experience not exactly the image you had in mind?
Do you love your baby with all of your heart but you still can’t seem to find your joy?
Have the changes in your mood impacted your relationship with your partner or other loved ones?
Do you find yourself consulting Google way too frequently for answers to your parenting questions?
Are you wondering how postpartum therapy could help you?
The birth of a child changes your world in ways you could never imagine. On the outside, you might look put together, but on the inside you’re in complete turmoil. You wanted your child more than anything in the world and you feel guilty that you aren’t enjoying every minute. The public image of postpartum depression is often a mother who wants to harm her child, but that isn’t you. You love your baby and you want to experience the bliss of motherhood that you’ve heard about. But you find yourself trudging through the day, numb and unmotivated. Or you find yourself anxiously overthinking every moment, relying on Dr. Google for answers. Postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety are far more common than ever discussed in mom-circles. Many new parents struggle to figure out their new identity after the birth of a child. What started out as the baby blues has gone on too long. You find yourself snapping at your partner or lacking the motivation to do things you once enjoyed.
Postpartum Depression is Incredibly Common
The newborn days are tough for everybody! We are lucky that we often get a bit of amnesia for this experience. For some, the postpartum adjustment period lasts longer than we expected. Maybe you had a parent who wasn’t very attuned to your needs and you didn’t have a great model for parenting. Maybe you were an accomplished professional who felt confident and now you’ve been thrown this new “job” that feels foreign and fraught with potential mistakes. Maybe you can’t seem to make sense of this new body that you find yourself in. Perhaps your past anxiety or depression seems to have resurfaced after years of stability. You might have had a more difficult birth experience that made the postpartum emotional healing more challenging.
These experiences are part of the postpartum period for about one in five women, and one in ten men. You read that right. If you’re sitting in the waiting room of your pediatrician’s office with 9 other parents, at least two of you have had postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, or another postpartum mood disorder.
Here’s your dose of hope: with postpartum therapy, you can get back to feeling like yourself again. Postpartum therapy is effective in resolving postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety and other postpartum mood changes.
You can Feel LIke Yourself Again
You want to be the mother you pictured you would be: put together, enjoying the simple moments, and confident in your new role. With postpartum therapy, you can gain the support you need. We realize that the postpartum period is unique and you want a therapist with specialized training in postpartum depression or postpartum anxiety. The therapists at Skylands Wellness, LLC engage in ongoing training and consultation in postpartum therapy. The owner of Skylands Wellness is certified in Perinatal Mental Health and has advanced training in trauma treatment, EMDR therapy, parent-child attachment, and family therapy.
Your therapy will start with a thorough history of your personal symptoms and your family of origin. We will explore how your own upbringing and early childhood relationships impact how you view yourself and your relationships with others today. But we won’t spend all of your time digging into the past; we make sure you walk out of your first session with practical tools you can use today to feel better. We combine insight oriented, psychodynamic exploration with solution-focused, cognitive behavioral interventions so that you can get immediate relief while working toward greater insight and long term change. Been in therapy before and know what works best for you? Please share your experiences so we can make sure your treatment meets your needs.
If you’ve specifically experienced pregnancy trauma, birth trauma, or breastfeeding trauma, we are equipped to help you move past the intrusive thoughts and negative beliefs about yourself. Utilizing trauma focused interventions such as EMDR or narrative therapy, we will help you find a story of healing and hope in your difficult experience.
If you’re numb, anxious, irritable, or full of unexplained rage and you want to make a change, you’ve come to the right place. When you start to talk about these feelings in a safe space, you will find that they are far less powerful over your life. Even if you believe that this is just how parenting is for you, we want to encourage you to consider the possibility that you can learn to love the life you’re living. You can feel confident, guilt free, and sure of yourself as a parent. You can move past this difficult phase in your life, looking back one day to see it as just a small dip in your joyful and fulfilled life.
But you might still be unsure about postpartum therapy…
I know I’m not myself, but how will I ever find the time to go to therapy?
In just one hour a week, you can take a step that will change your relationship with yourself and your child forever. In all of our years providing therapy to families, we have learned that emotionally healthy parents provide the safe and nurturing environment that children need to thrive. This time investment isn’t just for you, it’s for your family.
I’m already anxious, I don’t want to leave my baby.
We know that finding childcare and taking time away from your baby can add to your stress and anxiety. That’s why we offer convenient online postpartum therapy so you can participate right from your home in New Jersey or Pennsylvania. We also have a baby friendly office convenient to Succasunna, Roxbury, Randolph, Morristown, Stanhope, Netcong, Byram, Hackettstown, Mt. Olive, Flanders, Morris Plains, and other Morris County, Sussex County, and Warren County locations.
I haven’t exactly figured out this new mom thing. I’m not ready to take this show on the road…
When we say Baby Friendly, we really mean it. Because Baby Friendly means Mom Friendly. Feed your baby however you feel most comfortable, without judgment. Sit on our couch or feel free to use our nursery rocker during sessions. Bring your own baby entertainment or let your baby explore something new from our stash of baby toys. We love babies as much as we love new parents and we want to do whatever we can to make postpartum therapy doable for you!
Need somebody to hold the baby while you run to the bathroom? We’ve got you covered. Baby crying because he’s sleepy? We’ll share our “get the baby to sleep” tips before we talk through your feelings that day. Haven’t figured out how to breastfeed without feeling overexposed? We’ve been there. We’re happy to look away, or do whatever makes you feel comfortable.
Finally, if you need somebody to help you let go of the guilt of doing something for yourself, please let us help you with that too. There’s a reason the airline tells you to put your own oxygen mask on first. You need to be well to be there for your child.
You really can feel better…
The number one treatment for postpartum depression is therapy. That’s because it works. We offer a free 15 minute phone consultation to discuss your specific needs and how we can help. If you’re looking for a postpartum therapist that really can understand where you’re coming from, please reach out today.
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