Perinatal Mental Health, Attachment Therapy, and Support for Women from a Therapist who's been there!
You AND all of your parts are welcome!
Perinatal Mental Health
Discover a safe space where understanding and compassion pave the way for personal growth. As a therapist with lived experience with PPD + PPA, I offer a unique perspective and support.
Preparing for pregnancy, pregnant, post natal, new moms, and wise mom’s, virtual therapy can be especially helpful during these stages as I know first hand, how challenging getting out of the house can be!
Here’s where I can support:
Post Partum Depression (low mood, scary thoughts, suicidal ideation, difficulty bonding with baby, hopelessness, withdrawn)
Post Partum Anxiety (anxious thoughts such “what if’s”, excessive worry, difficulty relaxing, feeling on edge, panic attacks, obsessive thoughts/behaviours)
Mood Disorders (anxiety, depression, post partum trauma, birth trauma, pyschosis)
Grief and Loss ( grieving past life before baby, experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, birth trauma).
Transitions within motherhood ( feeling lost in motherhood, identity loss, becoming a parent, empty nest and those in between transitions)
Body image concerns (not feeling comfortable in your body, feeling self-conscious, changes in hormones and body)
Expectations of motherhood ( gender roles, default parent, societial expectations of mom’s, trying to be a “perfect” mom, struggling to find balance with work and being a parent).
Services
Are you looking to understand your attachment style? We can explore childhood experiences, identify attachment styles, work on regulating your emotions, and re-build, repair relationships with self, and loved ones to support you in all your relationships.
Here’s where I can support:
Explore childhood experiences (how does your childhood experiences impact your adult development and relationships)
Identify and explore attachment styles
Support with parenting and building secure attachment with your children ( identify and explore how becoming a parent can be triggering, identify and work on how you want to parent your child/ren)
Exploring the self and leading from self compassion and curiosity instead of judgment within yourself and your relationships.
Attachment Therapy
Women’s Mental Health
As women we go through many challenges throughout life which could be related to stress, societal expectations, grief and loss, relationship challenges, life transitions and so much more.
Here’s where I can support:
Life Transitions ( empty nest, job changes/loss, becoming a parent, caring for a loved one, adjusting to retirement)
Relationship Challenges ( break down in relationship, communication challenges, betrayal trauma, attachment)
Health Challenges ( health anxiety, substance use concerns)
Societal Expectations ( gender roles, care giving)
Mental Health Challenges ( depression, anixety, mood disorders)
Building Self Esteem ( negative self talk, people pleasing, difficulty setting boundaries)
Hi! I’m Christine and I’m so glad you’re here
Human first, mom and neurodivergent therapist. I am registered with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers as a Registered Social Service Worker. As a therapist who has experienced their own challenges with mental health as well as PPD and PPA after having my daughter, I wanted to specialize in supporting woman in all walks of life and the perinatal period.
Prior to going into private practice, I spent time working as a Children’s Counsellor, a Concurrent Disorders Clinician providing counselling to folks with substance use and mental health concerns, and have worked in intimate partner violence in various roles.
I have additional training in Perinatal Mental Health, Internal Family Systems, Acceptance and Committment Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
When I’m not supporting folks, or emersed in learning, you can find me spending time with family and enjoying the outdoors.
How I work
I am open, curious, and compassionate. As a therapist with my own PPD and PPA after having my child, a mom, and woman, I not only bring my training and education to sessions but my experiences as a human too. I primarily work from an Acceptance and Committment Therapy and Internal Family Systems lens and my work is strongly rooted in attachment theory and person centered.
I will strive to meet you where you are at in your journey and in our initial appointment, I like to hear your story, explore your goals and come up with a treatment plan collaboratively.
We will also focus on nervous system regulation, grounding skills, and decreasing distressing symptoms prior to diving into deeper work.
Acceptance and Committment Therapy
Acceptance and Committment Therapy acknowledges that painful thoughts and feelings are a normal part of life. Instead of trying to suppress or avoid these, you’ll learn to observe them without judgment, like watching clouds drift by.
ACT aims to increase psychological flexibility, which helps with becoming present with diffcult thoughts, feelings, and to choose actions that align with your core values even when those thoughts are unpleasant.
Internal Family Systems
You will learn to identify, understand, and relate to your different parts. The focus is on accessing the Self and its inherent qualities of compassion, wisdom, and clarity to promote healing, openness, and compassion.
IFS believes that we all have an internal family, where different “parts” represent different aspects of our self. Each part has its own unique thoughts, feelings, and intentions, and understanding and connecting with these parts can help to find harmony within our internal system.