Counselling for Parents and Parents to Be
Because Parenthood Might be The Most Meaningful, and Difficult, Thing You’ll Ever Do
While we are getting more real about it, ur society often depicts parenthood as natural, joyful, and fulfilling. The reality is that parents are juggling more responsibilities and expectations than ever, and many feel the pressure to be “perfect”. Parenthood is rife with uncertainty, challenges, and self-sacrifice.
Know you want support but not sure where to start?
Come take your shoes off, curl up with some tea and let’s make a plan. You’re not broken, you’re just wonderfully human, which can be complicated (and sometimes frustrating) to navigate.
Our Find a Counsellor form can guide you in connecting with a counsellor who is the best fit for you.
As a parent, it’s not uncommon to feel disappointed, frustrated, exhausted, or stuck.
You likely know the experience of your exhausted mind spinning with questions such as “Am I doing enough?”, “Is there something wrong with me/my child/my partner?”, “Why am I not enjoying it as much as I thought I would?”, or “Could I be ruining my child(ren)’s future?”…You are not alone.
Parents and caregivers often experience:
Anxiety
Depression
Burnout
Pent up anger or resentment
Relationship difficulties
Loss of identity
Self-doubt and self-criticism
Shame & guilt
Social isolation
The journey of becoming a parent and raising children challenges us in many ways and has a huge impact on our identity, physical and mental health. We provide a safe, non-judgemental space where your unique experience is truly seen, heard and understood. Our counsellors each work uniquely using trauma and attachment centred counselling techniques to support you in learning to navigating the ups and downs of parenthood, and your identity as a parent, moving from a place of despair to empowerment.
Together, we may:
Explore the experience, beliefs and values that shape your way of parenting and relationship with your child(ren)
The massive identity shifts that inherently come with being a parent, and support grieving, moving through and integrating who you are now and discovering who you would like to become
Identify unmet needs that contribute to emotional distress and resentment
Develop practical knowledge, strategies and skills to form a healthier relationship with yourself and your childr(ren).
We can also explore what its like to experience any of the lesser discussed or expected experiences such as having a neurodivergent child, a disabled child, being a single parent or co-parenting.
Connect With One of Our Counsellors who Love Enjoy Supporting all Aspects of Parenthood:
Finding the right counsellor matters.
The following counsellors on our team have availability for new clients and bring different personalities, experiences and approaches to therapy.
We offer free 15-minute consultations so you can connect and ask questions first.
You can browse our counsellors yourself or have our intake team help you find a potential fit.
Our counsellors provide support for the following areas:
New parenthood
Perinatal mental health
Post partum challenges
Changes in relationship and family dynamics
Parenting challenges at various stages (e.g., Parent-child/teen conflict)
Cultural differences in parenting
Parenting neurodivergent children and children with special needs
Establishing/negotiating boundaries
Psychoeducation on children’s social emotional needs at different developmental stages and positive communication
Re-surfacing of parent’s own childhood trauma (physical, sexual, emotional)
Self-compassion and self-care
Family planning, e.g. decisions to/not to have children
Issues around fertility
Pregnancy (including abortion, miscarriage, etc.)
Birthing experience
Trans-parents challenges
Frequently Asked Questions About Counselling for Parents & Caregivers of Children & Youth
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Absolutely. You might not guess, but this question is a super common dilemma that many clients ask for support exploring. We can hold unbiased space for you to explore your feelings fears and values around relationships, pregnancy, birth, being a parent, identity shifts and all the normal questions that come up. Not everyone decides to be a parent, and that’s okay and celebrated, but some also just need a place to work through things first.
RCC, She/Her
Esther supports clients with self-worth, relationships, attachment, childhood experiences, neurodivergence, family dynamics and burnout, creating space for clients to better understand themselves and the patterns shaping their lives. Esther also has a background as teacher and school counsellor and loves supporting teens, other educators, caregivers and those with BIPOC experiences or who have lived outside of Canada
Main Approaches:Somatic · Mindfulness · Attachment-Focused · IFS · Narrative · DBT · Emotion-Focused · AEDP