When everything feels like too much
Ever feel like covering your ears, closing your eyes, and just screaming at the top of your lungs? Ever actually done it and then felt guilty afterwards? Or perhaps you’ve sobbed uncontrollably, and sure, it helps a bit, but then you are right back to changing that diaper, asking your partner to take out the garbage for what feels like the hundredth time, or just desperately needing a twenty-minute nap… but instead, you have to comfort your toddler, who just fell and scraped their knee on the sidewalk… again.
Sometimes it can feel as though you have been going, going, going for so long that your mind and body simply cannot keep up anymore.
Understanding what is happening
Stress is a normal part of life.
Stress activates your brain's “fight-or-flight” response, triggering the release of hormones like adrenaline and cortisol from your nervous and endocrine systems.
However, when stress continues for long periods of time, chronic stress causes wear and tear that it shouldn’t.
For example, when our nervous system experiences long-term high adrenaline and cortisol exposure it can shrink parts of the brain like the hippocampus, impairing memory, focus, and emotional regulation.
How therapy can help
When we work together, I can help you better understand the patterns contributing to your stress and overwhelm.
My approach is collaborative and practical. Together, we can explore what aspects of your pregancy or parenting are placing the most pressure on you, what may be keeping you stuck, and how to create more space for yourself amongst life's demands.
Along the way, I can also help you build strategies and tools to support your nervous system when stress begins to take over.
Finding more balance
“Stress may always be part of life, but it does not have to run your life.”
Many people come to therapy because they want things to feel more manageable.
Over time, it is possible to feel calmer, more grounded and less consumed by everything (and everyone) that needs your attention. You may find yourself responding to difficult moments with greater clarity, feeling more present in your day-to-day life, and having more energy available for yourself and your family and friends.
