Services – Unique You Therapy & Wellness

PRENATAL & POSTNATAL COUNSELLING

Maternal Mental Health Disorders (MMH) affect about 20% of women and about 10% of men. This number has doubled during the pandemic (updated stats from the Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Collaborative). Whether you are beginning to family plan, already have children at home, continuing to grow your family or are becoming a parent for the first time please reach out to if you feel you need extra support. MMH disorders can happen to anyone, even if you don’t have any risk factors. Your well-being & the well-being of your family are important. You are not alone and MMH disorders are treatable.

Some common reasons individuals reach out for prenatal & postnatal counselling:

Fertility Challenges
Anxiety & Depression in Pregnancy
Anxiety & Depression Postpartum
Perinatal Loss
Childbirth Trauma
Intense worrying
Intrusive Thoughts
Perinatal Rage
Struggling to connect with baby
Feeling disconnected from others
Overwhelm
Loss of Identity
Strengthen Boundaries with family

Having support through this experience can be helpful in moving toward greater connection with yourself, your child/children, and your partner.

You can also contact the Pacific Post Partum Support Society or Postpartum Support International for additional resources and support groups. See Resources page.

EMDR FOR PERINATAL MENTAL HEALTH

Trauma is an internal subjective experience that impacts how you view yourself, relationships, your world and how you operate in it. It is an experience that can shake your sense of safety and being, along with lasting symptoms that present emotionally, psychologically, somatically and behaviorally.

“Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a form of therapy that helps people heal from trauma or other distressing life experiences. It has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma” (The Touchstone Institute).

I am also currently training in EMDR Therapy for Perinatal Mental Health Practitioners through The Institute for Creative Mindfulness and aim to continue toward certification.

Some common reasons individuals reach out for EMDR in the Perinatal Period are:

Difficulty bonding with baby
Sleep disturbances/Nightmares
Experiencing perinatal loss
Feeling like ‘WHY can’t I just can’t get over this?’
Being triggered by others’ births or pregnancies
Struggling to enjoy parenting
Experiencing a traumatic birth
Perinatal anxiety and depression
Feeling disconnected from others
Intense shame, anger, or rage
Intense worrying
Fear of an upcoming birth
NICU experiences
Struggling with negative beliefs about yourself

*list generated from PSI & EMDRIA websites

COUPLE SESSIONS

Romantic relationships can be beautifully healing and can also be so hard! The transition to parenthood is one of the most challenging times for partners as they navigate a life of moving from two to three or more. Not only are you experiencing a shift in identity when you become a parent, but you are also experiencing a shift in your relationship dynamic with your partner. My heart is to support you as you explore these new identities and to coach you through some of the relational challenges that come along with them. If you are in the “transition to parenthood” stage, just past it, or have not yet entered the parenting stage and are needing some extra support, please reach out. You and your relationship are important and I would love to see you thrive.

Some common reasons individuals reach out for relationship and couples therapy in the perinatal period:

Fertility Challenges
One or both partners experiencing perinatal anxiety/depression OR postpartum anxiety/depression
Identity shifts with moving from a couple to a family unit
Struggles with communication
Emotional disconnect
Emotional dysregulation during conflict
Loss of intimacy & romance
Difficulty navigating parental and/or in-law relationships
Conflict with roles & division household tasks
Perinatal loss
NICU experiences
Navigating boundaries within the relationship & with extended family/friends
Seeking psychoeducation about the transition to parenthood
Parenting

PARENT SUPPORT (INCLUDING SPECIAL NEEDS & ASD)

Parenting can be simultaneously the most challenging job we will ever do and one of the most rewarding and beautiful roles we can experience. Parenting a neurodiverse child also has some extra layers and many of the standard parenting approaches and/or techniques do not work, at least not in the same way. Navigating parenthood for all parents can lead to parental burnout at times, with parents of neurodiverse children often experience this burnout at higher rates. From my previous work with neurodiverse children in roles as an Earlier Childhood Educator and Educational Assistant in an Inclusive Learning Program, I have learned some alternative approaches and have collected some great resources that can be implemented at home. I am here to support you as you navigate what approaches work for you and your child, and to hold space for you when you are feeling burnt out and need a little extra self-compassion and care.

Some common reasons individuals reach out for parent support:

Feeling overwhelmed in parenting/parental burnout
Feeling activated/triggered by their children
Support with emotional regulation so they can help their children regulate their emotions (coregulation)
Struggling to navigate parenting neurodiverse children
Struggling with parents/in-laws involvement in their parenting
Psychoeducation
Connection with community resources for early intervention/supports

I currently provide online services only.

Christina Harbridge, MAMFT RCC RCT

Phone: (902) 314-3477 (voicemail is confidential)

Email: christina@uniqueyoutherapy.net