While I understand that roles are always changing within families, and today's parents wear many hats, my experience has continued to show me that many stressful situations are within traditional family structures. Below I have, for the ease of explaining, stayed within traditional roles in the family. If your situation and experience/needs fall outside of what I've written, please know that I have included you too! Feel free to swap gender roles if need be, to suit your situation.
Pre-conception and Pregnancy
As you embark on the road to parenthood, you are most likely facing a lot of uncertainty. From everything from job changes, income changes, physical changes to the multitude of parenting choices out there, it can be easy to lose your focus. "Doing it Right" takes the place of being gentle with yourself, arguing with your spouse might replace the understanding the two of you have for each other, and fears about the huge responsibility and whether or not you're up to it overshadow everything.
It can be even more challenging if there are other circumstances causing even more stress. Conflict with close relationships, financial stress, ambivalence about the pregnancy, or whether to have one at all can take all your energy. If you are pregnant, you have decisions and tests, birth plans and preparations, and maybe in-laws all swimming through your life.
It can be a stressful time, at a time when you want to be at your most centered and calm.
I can work with you alone or you as a couple to help ease your stresses, fears and bring clarity and peace to the process of becoming parents. Without telling you how to do it, I instead help you find your own clarity, get in touch with your own instincts, and make choices that feel right to you.
Infants and Mothers
Maybe you are noticing that you and your baby are just somehow "missing" each other, as if something is "off," but you don't know what. Or perhaps you feel you just haven't gotten into the rhythm of mothering, and you are overwhelmed with sleep issues, crying, caring for more than one child, and not knowing how to handle anger - in yourself or your infant/child. In any case, you feel stuck and disconnected in this stressful place with your baby.
You can get the assistance you need. By looking beyond basic needs, and engaging in an in-depth process that surpasses the "quick fix," you can get to a deeper level of understanding yourself, your baby, and your relationship together.
Fathers
Trying to understand what your infant and wife might be going though in this early time can be challenging. If you are soon to be a dad, or are one, you may want to know what your role is now, how to best balance the financial needs of the family, parenting and your marriage. You may have a strong connection with your baby, but it is different than your wife's and wonder if it's important…are you as important? You want to be the best dad and husband you possibly can be, and need to know more about how to do that. I work individually and in a support group/class setting to help you gain confidence and awareness of your role as a dad, and help you learn about your baby's development in a way that supports your understanding of your connection with your baby, and your partner.
Individuals
You might be in a time of transition, or been experiencing pain, fear, or unexplained limits in your life. Perhaps you are wanting to explore your own birth and how it's affected you. But you haven't been aware of how to do that. You are looking for a safe place, someone who's been there and that you can trust to hold your hand while you venture to see what's there and how to resolve, or grow past it. Traditional counseling hasn't gone deep enough, or, it seems no matter how many feelings you identify and release, not a whole lot changes in your life. What you are looking for is lasting change as well as more awareness, confidence and connection to yourself. You want to free up what's blocking you from your truest self. I work with individuals over the phone and in person, and lead therapeutic healing/support groups to work through family of origin and birth/prenatal issues.
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Childcare Professionals
Individually and in a class setting or in-service/workshop, I help nannies, daycare providers and teachers understand how to look at children's behavior in a new way - as well as how we react to it. Deeper understanding, and a clear way to address early upsets that have become beliefs and patterns helps those in service to families understand the children in their care more, helping dissolve frustrating control issues, negative behavior and provide a new template for how to address emotional upset. Contact me to find out more.
Dylan has assisted me in my work as a nanny on numerous occasions and in numerous ways. Occasionally when I encountered behavior in a child that I hadn't seen before , Dylan helped to de-mystify the situation and bring me into a grounded, clear knowing and understanding, which enabled me to deal with the behavior in a much more effective way! She is great - she is clear, compassionate, effective, and also very efficient. Thank you Dylan! LUCY DICKINSON - Seattle, Washington
For more information on any of the above, or to schedule your 20 minute free consultation, email me or call 509-293-9530 in the U.S. I'll get back to you usually within one business day.