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Baby Wellness Counselling & TherapyAre you worried about your baby?Have you struggled through a difficult pregnancy and/or delivery?Are you overwhelmed with the demands of being a new parent?Expecting a new baby is exciting and you hope that the pregnancy, delivery and your family’s adjustment will go without a hitch. However, there may have been difficulties or traumatic experiences during your pregnancy, the birth, or in baby’s first few months that have caused problems for your baby, yourself as a parent, and the rest of your family. You and your baby may have experienced some of the following problems during your pregnancy and delivery
Any of these problems can impact you, your baby and your family in ways that may make it difficult to welcome the new baby with the confidence you would like.It may be that
Early traumatic experiences can affect your baby through out life unless the trauma is resolved.Early experiences, including those in the womb and through the birthing process, not only impact the bonding between you and your baby but also your baby’s continued physical and psychological development throughout life. Consequently it is important to resolve problems as early as possible and nurture a close and supportive family experience. Counselling for your baby provides reassurance that the world is a safe place.In our counselling sessions I take the time to welcome baby into the world, reassuring them that this is a safe place even though they may have struggled to arrive - helping them ‘land’ in their body, despite it not feeling very comfortable. I strongly believe that as you, the family, ease your anxiety, resolve any guilt you may be feeling and gain confidence through education and understanding, you will create the nurturing space you all need to grow. I have counselled many families and helped them resolve their concerns and move toward wellness.Some benefits you and your baby may experience as a result of counselling include:
My unique combination of training as a Registered Physical Therapist and Registered Clinical Counsellor brings me a variety of skills that will help you resolve your fears and anxieties about the problems you are having with your baby. I also have specialized training and experience working with infants and their families who have experienced a difficult birth. My post-graduate education includes certification in the Bodynamic System (a developmental, body-focused psychotherapy), training in Paediatric Cranial Sacral Therapy (a gentle hands on approach used to sense patterns of tension and relaxation in the body), and Infant Body Psychotherapy. Many families have found these methods to be very beneficial for settling their babies. In a therapy session, I work closely with you and your baby to create a safe space and resolve both physical and emotional problems through these gentle methods of body work and talk therapy. For me the experience of working closely with a young infant is a true privilege. It is such a joy to sense we are working together for the common goal of helping them grow. These stories will give you an idea of how I work with babies:Jack: At Six Months of Age, Suffers a Car AccidentJack* was 6 months old and travelling with his parents when they were involved in an accident. Their car was hit on the rear passenger side – right where Jack was seated. Baby Jack’s parents were both physically injured and under additional stress as they had no personal support from their families who both lived overseas. They were naturally extremely concerned for their infant son whose sleep routine was severely disrupted since the accident. He would start to doze then startle himself awake and not slip into an expected restful sleep. The pediatrician had found nothing to be concerned about medically and said time would help but the parents were not convinced. Their stress, due to worry about Jack, loss of sleep and trying to manage their own injuries was becoming an unending cycle of frustration. Jack’s persistent startle response and his difficulty relaxing was a sign of unresolved shock trauma – in our adult experience we call it ‘flash-backs’. At such a tender age, Jack had not yet had the opportunity to learn coping skills for such an event; neither had his parents. I worked with him in the first session with his parents holding him to create a sense of safety. As I held his feet and followed the Cranial Sacral Rhythm (a slow movement pattern of tension and relaxation in the body) I continuously talked to him and explained what had happened in the accident and why his parents were worried. Initially he would repeatedly doze and startle himself awake but gradually through this repetition he did fall asleep for several minutes. Several more sessions resolved his difficulties completely and he was back to sleeping through the night. These sessions also provided his parents with the opportunity to understand what had been happening for them. I encouraged them to talk about their fears and their anger toward the other driver’s carelessness, and gain insight and tools to help their child and themselves move through the trauma. As they relaxed and learned new strategies to help them cope with both their own and their young son’s stress, they overcame their sense of helplessness and gained the confidence to be the good parents they wanted to be. Mary: Born One Month PrematureMary* was born one month premature. Her mother had a brief labour of 3 hours for this, her first delivery. Mary was 5 months old when I first met her and thriving. She was referred by her doctor due to her ‘floppy head’ when being held in a sitting position. There was nothing wrong with Mary’s muscles and joints but she did not have a strong birth or extensor reflex. This reflex is used by babies at birth to work with mum to push themselves out through the birth canal. It forms the foundation of the ability to stand and have muscle tone through the back muscles – including the neck. Through my work with Mary I was able to activate this reflex which also enables the infant to sense the powerful energy that arises during birth and the direction, effort and participation required to arrive in this world. Over the course of a few treatment sessions Mary’s ability to control her head movement improved and the parents were given understanding, reassurance and exercises they could incorporate into playtime to assist their baby’s development. Mary’s parents were relieved to see her progress and happy to be able to play their part in her continued healthy development. (* the babies’ names have been changed to protect their privacy.) These cases show just two examples of how I work with babies and their parents. I have helped solve a variety of problems with many babies (the youngest being 9 days old) and can likely help you with the concerns you may have with your own baby. Find out more about counselling for problems following a difficult birth and enhancing baby wellness at my How I Work page. Please give me a call on my voice mail - 604.838.6048- to schedule a no-charge 15 minute telephone consultation. Let me know the best times to call you back to see how I might help you and your baby.
Barbara Picton B.S.R., M.Ed., RCC. 671 F Market Hill (False Creek) Vancouver BC
V5Z 4B5 (Tuesday and Wednesday) Voice mail: 604.838.6048 |
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I look forward to hearing from you.
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