During pregnancy and after delivery the focus is often on things such as preparing a room for the baby’s arrival, and the mother’s and baby’s physical health.

The inner life of the mother ~ how she is doing emotionally ~ is not paid attention to. 

And yet 8 out of  10 mothers {and fathers} experience some form of perinatal depression and/or anxiety. This has a very real impact on the mum, the baby, the family and even the community.

If you {or your partner, or someone you care for} are

• struggling emotionally during pregnancy or beyond {possibly even up to 2 years after delivery}
• feeling okay at the moment, but want to be better prepared emotionally for parenthood
• facing a diagnosis of gestational diabetes
• wanting to lose weight before conception and/or after breastfeeding, or
• going through the unbearable grief of losing a baby,

then I hope that within these pages you will find resources to help.

{They may be sparse for a while, my apologies; please let me know if you need information that is not here yet}.

For now, if this is you, know that

• You WILL heal with the right support.
• Struggling emotionally is not your fault.
• It does not mean that you are a bad parent.
• Your wellbeing is equally as important as your baby’s: it DOES matter. Reach out, even if you don’t yet have words for what you’re feeling, or are reluctant, exhausted or unsure as to whether you need help.

Counselling will help you to anchor yourself so that you can meet the changes confidently, with psychological skill and wisdom ~ while staying attuned to your baby’s needs. With a flexible mindset, an open heart and open eyes, you will begin to feel like yourself again, and to reconnect with what matters most deeply to you and your family. 

And as Martha Beck writes, the waves will leave treasure ~ deep peace, joy, wellbeing, love ~ in their wake.

I’m Catharina

I am mum to three gorgeous children, and blessed to be married to a most wonderful man. I have a masters degree in Counselling Psychology, and completed life coach training with Dr Martha Beck.  

I have a private practice in Brisbane, where I counsel new mums {and dads}, individually and in group settings.

All was not mango juice and star jasmine 12 years ago, when I went through overwhelming postpartum struggles and grief. 

This experience and its deep healing have helped shape the way that I work, which is with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, mindfulness-based cogntive therapy and life-coaching.  Providing my clients with a safe and supportive environment is important to me, and my approach to therapy is action-oriented and results-focused. 

If you would like to book a counselling session, please call 040 343 5335 or e-mail me.  Alternatively, send a message via the Contact page. If you are a professional person wishing to make a referral, please see the For clinicians page, or give me a ring.

Thank you for visiting.

Catharina