postpartum depression

When to Seek A Therapist as a Stay-At-Home-Mom (SAHM) in Hoboken + Jersey City

When to Seek A Therapist as a Stay-At-Home-Mom (SAHM) in Hoboken + Jersey City

Raising children is no easy task. As the age-old saying goes, “It takes a village to raise a child”, but what happens if you do not have that village to rely on? What if child care is always on you? Raising a child is a privilege, but it does not mean that it is an easy task by any means. It is a continuous labor of love and, even when you feel like you have nothing else to give, you have to keep going.

Due to a variety of reasons, you may have opted to become a Stay-At-Home Mom (SAHM). Perhaps you have always wanted to be an extra hands-on mother or, due to the cost of child care, you have decided to stay at home, handle the kids, and other daily responsibilities. Fathers can also take on the role of a stay-at-home parent, but the position is primarily occupied by mothers. According to the Pew Research Center, 26% of mothers stay at home while only 7% of fathers stay at home.

As a SAHM, it is normal to feel down from time to time. Just like any other job, the days can feel mundane and you may feel isolated from adult interactions. However, if you are experiencing constant thoughts of despair or feel purposeless, you may be dealing with SAHM burnout or SAHM depression.

4 Ways to Cope with Postpartum Depression (PPD)

4 Ways to Cope with Postpartum Depression (PPD)

When you experience the miracle and joy of childbirth, you can expect a lot of powerful emotions. You may feel excited, overwhelmed, fearful, or even anxious, but one emotion you do not expect to feel is depressed. Having a baby is a life-changing life transition. It is normal to experience worry or doubt, especially as a first-time parent; however, more extreme symptoms, such as severe mood swings and frequent crying spells, may signal that you are struggling with Postpartum Depression, often referred to as PPD.

PPD is a type of depression that occurs after someone gives birth. It is important to note that postpartum depression does not just impact the birthing person- it can also impact the other parent, surrogates, and adoptive parents. After having a baby, adults can experience hormonal, physical, emotional, financial, and social changes. These changes can trigger symptoms of PPD.

If you have PPD, please know that you are not alone. It is not your fault, and there are PPD therapists out there who can assist you, making you feel like your best self again. When you work with a therapist for PPD, you can learn how to effectively manage your symptoms.

How Therapy Can Alleviate Mom Guilt

How Therapy Can Alleviate Mom Guilt

When you think of your children, do automatic thoughts of guilt come to mind? Maybe you blame yourself for your child getting their cold. Maybe you are filled with a sense of wrongdoing after having to work extra shifts to pay the bills.

You may have a little voice in your head that keeps telling you that you are not enough. No matter what you do or how much you sacrifice, you could always be doing more and doing things in a more efficient manner. When you feel this way, it is important to remember that you are not alone, and you do not need to feed into your mom guilt.

Overcoming mom guilt is a unique journey since it looks different to everyone. For example, you may find that unfollowing “supermoms” on Instagram does wonders for your mental health. On the other hand, you may take a different approach. For instance, you may need to reframe your thoughts on what it takes to be a good mom in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

The Difference Between Baby Blues and Postpartum Depression

The Difference Between Baby Blues and Postpartum Depression

From depictions in movies and television shows to social media posts, motherhood is portrayed as a wholly joyful and even effortless experience. While becoming a parent is undeniably a cheerful time in your life, it can also bring new challenging experiences. While many mothers brace themselves for sleepless nights and limitless love, you may not have adequately expected or prepared for the emotional rollercoaster of postpartum depression and anxiety.

Many new moms may experience “baby blues''. Baby blues refers to a period of sadness that mothers feel after giving birth. This typically occurs the first few days after having a baby. You may begin to feel this unhappiness two to three days after your baby’s birth and these feelings can persist for up to two weeks.

How CBT Can Treat Anxiety and Panic

How CBT Can Treat Anxiety and Panic

As a psychotherapist located in Hoboken, NJ I specialize in helping clients with their anxiety and panic/anxiety attacks. There are different treatment modalities that therapists use to treat anxiety and panic. One old school way in which therapists were trained to treat anxiety was through Freudian thinking in which you use psychodynamic therapy to analyze and treat what happened in your past. However there is a lot of research that shows CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) is the most effective form of treatment for anxiety. I specialize in using CBT as I have seen the firsthand effects of this treatment. While it may be helpful for you to examine past patterns, relationships, trauma, and so on, you are usually looking to decrease your current anxious symptoms. If your anxiety and/or panic attacks are preventing you from living your best life NOW then you have to work on the present and future in therapy. CBT is a forward way of thinking in which we examine your recent and current thoughts so that in turn you will be able to lift your mood and your behaviors will get better.

Does Coming Out As LGBTQ Ever End?

Does Coming Out As LGBTQ Ever End?

As a psychotherapist in Hoboken, NJ who specializes in seeing lgbtq identified clients, I find that the coming out process never ends- no matter what age or how long ago you first came out. In hoboken and jersey city, there are a lot of accepting groups and people that welcome the lgbtq community. We are also so close to NYC that it makes sense for hudson county to be pretty liberal and accepting of all people- no matter how they identify. While I say I specialize in the LGBTQ community, I really mean that I am accepting of all people and I have experience working with people who identify as something they feel is different than the population “norm”. There are definitely unique hardships that accompany identifying as lgbtq, such as the coming out process. And that process never ends.

What You Need To Know About Your Teen's Senioritis

What You Need To Know About Your Teen's Senioritis

Senioritis is real. Most seniors, in high school and college, will feel it at some point of their senior year. Usually it is the second half of the year as they are approaching graduation. As a parent, it is good to be aware of senioritis as it can be confused as laziness, lack of motivation, or even depression symptoms (such as sadness, agitation, lack of energy, etc.). As the weather gets warmer, teens and students start to get the summer itch. This itch will be stronger for a senior as they feel the end of school is near. As a parent of a senior student, it is important to be aware of the signs of senioritis so that you know how to help your child.

How To Cope With Mommy Guilt

How To Cope With Mommy Guilt

What is mommy guilt? It is when a mom has a feeling of shame while away from her children. There is a feeling of FOMO (fear of missing out) while spending time away from your family. It could be that you’re at work, spending time with friends, traveling without your children, going on errands around town, a date with your partner, etc. Mommy guilt is a common feeling that most moms get, especially with a newborn. Mommy guilt can also be seen as a kind of anxious/nervous feeling that you cannot shake and always remains under the surface. Mommy guilt can stand in your way of the self-care that you need.

Postpartum Depression: How Netflix's 'Workin' Moms' Got It Right

Postpartum Depression: How Netflix's 'Workin' Moms' Got It Right

If you are a mom, or soon-to-be mom, then you have to watch Netflix’s new show, “Workin’ Moms”. As a warning The show has a lot of dry humor, but most moms find at least one character or incident extremely relatable. The show follows a few moms who are all working and balancing their family life, raising a newborn, and returning to work after maternity leave. As a psychotherapist who helps a lot of moms in Hoboken, NJ, there is one character that intrigued me the most. In the show she recently had a baby and is experiencing postpartum depression. This may be one of the most realistic portrayals of postpartum depression that I have seen on a TV show.