All I ever really wanted was to be a mum one day. I feel incredibly lucky and I’ll be forever grateful that my dream came true and not just once but three times over. I don’t deny however that it can be a tough gig and I see many mums in my therapy room.
Solution Focussed Hypnotherapy can be helpful in preparing for motherhood, pregnancy and birth and dealing with post-natal depression. Some mums bring their child(ren) for my help in developing healthy coping strategies. There are those who hope to improve the relationship with or are grieving the loss of their own mum. Often my clients are mums who recognise the need to make positive changes and look after themselves better because they’re overwhelmed and running on empty.
Personally, I’m incredibly thankful to have discovered hypnotherapy prior to having my first child who was safely delivered at home as planned and I can honestly say it was invaluable each time - even when I had to have a c-section. Using the connection between the mind and body to your advantage makes all the difference!
They say you’re only as happy as your unhappiest child and it can be heart breaking to witness your child struggling and suffering. I welcome parents that want to sit in on the session so long as your child is comfortable with this too. There are many advantages because you’ll be learning the tools and therefore also benefiting. And you’ll be on hand to reassure and remind your child to practice their techniques between appointments. The more you repeat the new positive template the stronger the connection between the neurons becomes which means it gets easier to feel better sooner.
Remember children aren’t just mirrors - they’re sponges, so if you can take control of your own anxiety and release any trauma you may be carrying - there’ll be a positive ripple effect. Did you know that most of our emotional responses are imprinted on our brains between the age of 0 and 7? And our brains aren’t fully formed until our early 20s. We can therefore develop negative patterns of behaviour during these early years which play on repeat into our adult life. Releasing them can be life changing.
For some misguided reason many of us mums are under the impression that our needs are the least important. But the simple truth is that the better you feel = the greater your resources, which you can then more easily access to help those who you care for. Take time to invest in yourself and prioritise help to get back on track.
Thinking of you all this Mother’s Day; those desperate to be mums, new mums, mums with broken hearts, single mums, mums that adopted the role, those that have unsupportive mums, mums of fur babies and those that have chosen not to be mums,
Katherine.
BA (Hons), DipSFH. Reg AfSFH, CNHC, NCP