Why Gentle Parenting Feels So Hard
Gentle parenting is about connection. It’s about honoring your child’s feelings, regulating your own emotions, and moving away from fear-based discipline. For many moms—especially those who grew up with yelling, punishments, and the "because I said so" approach—it’s a radical, healing shift.
But it’s also incredibly hard. Especially if you never saw it modeled. Especially if you were NOT raised that way.
Why Am I So Irritated All the Time? The Quiet Rise of Resentment in Motherhood
If you’ve ever found yourself sighing a little too hard while folding laundry, fantasizing about a hotel room alone, or silently stewing over the fact that no one else knows where the sunscreen is—you’re not alone.
You might be carrying something that many moms feel, but few talk about out loud: resentment.
And here’s the truth—resentment doesn’t make you a bad mom. It makes you human.
Let’s talk about what it is, where it comes from, and how therapy for mothers, especially through therapy intensives in Ohio, can help you move from simmering to supported.
“I’m Not Fine, But I’m Functioning”: When Burnout Becomes Your Baseline (And What You Can Do About It)
For many mothers—especially those navigating postpartum overwhelm, emotional labor, and the unspoken pressure to keep it all together—this low-grade burnout has become the norm.
But just because it’s common doesn’t mean it’s sustainable. And you don’t have to wait until you fall apart to get support.
Let’s talk about the signs of chronic burnout, what makes it so sneaky for moms, and how therapy intensives can offer real, healing relief when you're too busy (and too tired) to stretch it out over months.
What Is a Type-C Mom? (And Why She’s Tired, Self-Aware, and Still Snuggling at 9:45 PM)
You’ve probably heard of Type A personalities—high-achievers, organized, sharp-cornered calendar queens.
And Type B—more laid-back, go-with-the-flow, "we’ll figure it out" types.
But what if you’re somewhere in between?
You like structure—but also believe in spontaneous snuggles.
You plan birthday crafts—but half the time they stay in your head.
You were probably once a full-blown Type A, but now… you’re just trying to give your kids what you didn’t have growing up.
Enter: the Type-C Mom.
She’s the one who sets routines but allows wiggle room.
She tries hard not to yell—and when she does, she circles back to repair.
She rarely says no without guilt.
She’s the mom who’s doing the inner work, breaking cycles, and balancing on the wobbly edge of “I’ve got this” and “please send help.”
Let’s talk about what this type of mom looks like—and why so many are quietly overwhelmed, even while showing up with love.
Therapy Intensives for Stress Relief: How to Reset Before Summer Begins
One of the hardest parts of spring stress is how invisible it can feel.
On the outside, everything looks fine. The kids are fed, the meetings are attended, the lunches are packed. But inside, you’re unraveling.
You don’t have to wait until you’re in crisis to get help.
Imagine entering summer feeling grounded instead of gutted. Imagine having support that meets you where you are, helps you heal, and gives you actual tools to carry forward.
That’s what therapy can do.
That’s what therapy intensives can offer.
And that’s what you deserve—especially before summer sweeps in like a heatwave of expectations.
Why Am I the Only One Who Notices We’re Out of Toilet Paper? The Mental Load of Motherhood—and How Therapy Can Help
The mental load refers to the cognitive effort involved in managing a household and family life. It’s the constant thinking, planning, anticipating, remembering, and worrying. It’s the reason why your partner can relax on the couch and enjoy the movie, while your brain is mentally sorting tomorrow’s schedule and wondering whether that rash on your toddler’s leg means something.
It’s why you’re so tired all the time—even when you technically “haven’t done that much.” And it’s also why so many moms end up in therapy, not because they’re failing, but because they’ve been functioning too well for too long without support.
When You’re the “Strong One”: What Happens When Moms are Tired of Holding It All Together
When moms tell me they’re “just overwhelmed” or “fine, just tired,” I often hear what they’re not saying:
“I’m not okay, but I don’t know how to not be okay.”
“If I stop holding it all together, everything might fall apart.”
“Everyone’s used to me being capable. What happens if I can’t be?”
These aren’t dramatic thoughts. They’re protective ones. And they’re often learned from a lifetime of having to be more than okay to feel safe, loved, or useful.
Is It Just Me? When You Love Your Kids But Don’t Love Pretend Play
Here’s what no one tells you before you become a parent: playing can be really hard as an adult. Especially when your brain is juggling 300 open tabs like:
What’s for dinner?
Did I respond to that email?
Was that bump on her leg there yesterday?
Add in the mental load of motherhood, and it makes sense that pretend play feels like one more task to “perform.”
And let’s be real—most adult brains are wired for productivity, not pretending to be a baby dragon for 45 minutes.
If you have ADHD, anxiety, trauma, or CPTSD, play can feel especially taxing. Many moms in EMDR therapy report feeling overstimulated by the noise, unpredictability, or repetitiveness of certain play. It’s not laziness—it’s your nervous system trying to cope.
This is something I often explore in EMDR therapy for moms—how our own childhood experiences (or lack of play) impact how we show up now.
What If Something Happens? When Mom Anxiety Keeps You Up at Night (And What Can Help)
If you’re lying awake at night asking, What if something happens?
Let me gently ask: What if you’re safe right now?
What if your baby is okay?
What if your fear is a signal, not a sentence?
What if therapy could help you not just cope with the fear—but heal the root of it?
Because it can.
And you don’t have to stay stuck in survival mode to be a good mom.
You don’t have to carry it all in silence.
You don’t have to live in fear to prove how deeply you love your children.
Navigating Postpartum Emotions: When to Seek Help and How Therapy Can Help
After giving birth, your body, mind, and entire life shift dramatically. Forget about sleep—it's now more precious than gold. Coffee might become your new best friend, and your toddler might treat every household object like their newest favorite toy. It's no wonder new moms experience so many complex feelings:
Anxiety and Overwhelm: Ever feel like you're constantly behind, juggling tasks with one hand while calming a crying baby with the other? Yep, you're not alone.
Mood Swings: Laughing at something silly one moment and sobbing over spilled milk the next? That's motherhood in a nutshell.
Guilt and Self-Doubt: It's completely normal to question if you're doing enough—especially when Instagram moms seem to have it all together. Spoiler alert: they don't.
Isolation: Ironically, motherhood can feel lonely, even when you're surrounded by little humans all day.
Exhaustion and Burnout: Sleepless nights add up quickly. Feeling drained physically and emotionally is more common than you might think.
Balancing Technology in Parenting: Finding Harmony in a Digital World
Technology has woven itself into our daily lives in ways previous generations never had to navigate. It connects us, educates us, and entertains us—but it also adds a layer of stress and uncertainty, especially for parents. And in a world where we already carry so much mental and emotional weight, worrying about technology shouldn’t feel like another burden.
Surviving (and Maybe Even Enjoying) Spring Break Travel with Little Ones: Top Tips from a Mom Therapist
If you’re gearing up to travel with little ones, take a deep breath. You’ve got this. And by “this,” I mean a journey that will be messy, unpredictable, and at times, loud. But it will also be worth it. Here are some practical (and sanity-saving) tips to help you embrace the chaos, lower the stress, and maybe even enjoy the adventure.
If One More Person Tells Me to ‘Just Take a Bubble Bath’…
The truth is, for moms, self-care isn’t just about carving out an hour to soak in lavender-scented bliss. It’s about survival. It’s about figuring out how to get through the day without completely burning out. And sometimes, that means redefining what self-care actually looks like.
The Loneliness of Motherhood: Why It Happens and How to Find Connection
Motherhood is often portrayed as this beautiful, joy-filled experience (and don’t get me wrong, it is), but what people don’t always tell you is how lonely it can be. You can be surrounded by tiny humans all day and still feel completely isolated. You can love your kids more than anything and still miss the version of yourself that had uninterrupted thoughts and deep, meaningful conversations.
Finding Balance: How Moms Can Juggle Work and Family
“Balance” as a working mom can feel like a joke sometimes. One minute, you're in a Zoom meeting trying to sound like a professional adult, and the next, you're bribing your kid with snacks so they don’t interrupt (again). And let’s not even talk about the laundry pile that’s basically another member of the family at this point.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re being stretched so thin that you might snap, you are not the only one. The truth is, balance isn’t something that magically happens—it’s something we have to create. Otherwise, we wake up one day realizing we’re running on empty, snapping at the people we love most, and wondering when we last drank water that wasn’t just the backwash from our kid’s sippy cup.
It Ends With You: Breaking Generational Cycles
Generational cycles are patterns of behavior, beliefs, and emotional responses that get passed down—sometimes without us even realizing it. These can be big things, like how discipline is handled, or smaller things, like how your family responds to situations or emotions.
These patterns don’t just magically disappear when we become moms. Our brains default to what we know—especially in stressful moments. But the good news? You can change them.
EMDR Therapy for Moms: Breaking Free from Overwhelm and Anxiety
If you’ve ever found yourself lying awake at night, replaying every little thing you did that day, wondering if you messed up somehow, or battling intrusive thoughts that make you question your worth as a mom—you’re not alone. I promise.
And if you’re feeling stuck in cycles of stress, self-doubt, or past trauma that just won’t let go, I want you to know something: there is hope.
EMDR therapy might just be the missing piece you’ve been searching for.
Navigating Intrusive Thoughts as a Mom: You Are Not the Only One
If your brain is working overtime with all the worrying, you're not alone. We juggle so many things as moms: taking care of our families, working (in the home, outside the home, homeschooling, etc.), managing the house, squeezing in a moment for self-care (maybe), and wondering if we’ll ever get to the bottom of our to-do list. No wonder our brains sometimes decide to start running “what if” scenarios!
Intrusive thoughts thrive when we’re stressed or feeling overwhelmed. They latch onto our anxieties, telling us that we’re not doing enough or that we’re messing things up.
Surviving Motherhood: Real Talk from a Millennial Therapist
Navigating the ups and downs of motherhood in today’s fast-paced world can feel like a never-ending rollercoaster. If you’ve ever thought, “How am I supposed to do all this?”—you’re not alone.
As a millennial therapist and fellow human trying to keep it together, I want you to know: it's okay to feel overwhelmed. Motherhood is a wild ride, and there’s no one right way to do it. But with the right support and a few practical tips, you can find your balance and maybe even sneak in some precious ‘me time.’ Let’s talk about how.
Breaking the Cycle of Mom Guilt: Embracing Imperfection in Parenting
As a therapist for moms based in Ohio who specializes in EMDR therapy (I know, therapy can sound scary, but stick with me — it’s actually pretty transformative), I see this cycle of guilt all the time. The struggle to be the “perfect” mom can be overwhelming. But I’ve got some news for you: perfection doesn’t exist, and that’s actually a really good thing.
Today, I want to talk to you about how to break free from the cycle of mom guilt and embrace imperfection in your parenting. Trust me, you don’t have to do it all, and you don’t have to be perfect to be a great mom. So grab a cup of coffee (or wine, no judgment), and let’s dive into this!