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Perinatal Counselling
Pregnancy Anxiety and Worries
You're pregnant. This is supposed to be the happiest time of your life. So why do you feel anxious, terrified, or completely overwhelmed?
Maybe you're constantly checking for bleeding, convinced something will go wrong. Maybe you can't sleep because you're worried about the birth, about being a good mum, about everything changing. Maybe this pregnancy came after loss, and you can't let yourself feel joy because you're too scared it won't last.
Or maybe you're pregnant and you're not sure how you feel about it - and the guilt of that is eating you alive.
What You Might Be Struggling With
Fear that something will go wrong Especially if you've had miscarriages before, or a difficult pregnancy, or you've heard too many scary stories. Every twinge feels like a warning sign.
Pregnancy after loss You're pregnant again, but instead of excitement, you feel numb or terrified. You can't bond with this baby because you're protecting yourself from more heartbreak.
Overwhelming anxiety Racing thoughts, trouble sleeping, constant worry about the baby's health, your health, whether you'll be a good parent, how you'll cope.
Feeling disconnected You don't feel the way you expected to feel. You're going through the motions but you don't feel connected to your pregnancy or your baby.
Relationship stress You and your partner might be on different pages about the pregnancy, parenting decisions, or how you're both coping.
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How pregnancy Counselling Can Help
Counselling for pregnancy anxiety isn't about telling you to calm down or that everything will be fine. It's about helping you manage the fear and uncertainty so you can actually get through each day.
In our sessions, we'll work together to:
Understand your anxiety Where it's coming from, what's triggering it, and why your brain keeps going to worst-case scenarios.
Learn practical coping strategies CBT techniques to manage racing thoughts, reduce physical anxiety symptoms, and help you sleep.
Reconnect with this pregnancy If you feel numb or disconnected, we can explore what's happening and find small ways to feel more present.
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Postpartum Depression and New Motherhood Struggles
You've had the baby. Everyone's congratulating you. And you feel nothing. Or you feel everything - rage, terror, crushing sadness - but not the joy you expected.
Maybe you're crying constantly. Maybe you can't sleep even when the baby sleeps. Maybe you're convinced you're a terrible mother and your baby would be better off without you.
This isn't your fault. And you don't have to suffer through it alone.
What You Might Be Experiencing
Postpartum depression Overwhelming sadness, hopelessness, feeling empty or numb. Everything feels impossibly hard.
Postnatal anxiety Constant worry about your baby, intrusive scary thoughts, panic attacks, unable to relax or sleep.
Struggling to bond You're doing everything for your baby, but you don't feel the connection you expected. You might feel guilty, ashamed, or scared.
Rage and resentment You're angry at your baby, your partner, yourself, everyone. The anger feels out of control and then you feel guilty for feeling it.
Intrusive thoughts Horrible, scary thoughts about something bad happening to your baby. These thoughts terrify you.
Exhaustion and overwhelm You're barely functioning. Everything takes all your energy. You can't remember the last time you felt okay.
Feeling like you've made a terrible mistake Regretting becoming a parent and feeling horrific guilt for even thinking it.
Loneliness and isolation Everyone else seems to be coping. You feel completely alone.
How Postnatal Counselling Can Help
Counselling for postnatal depression and anxiety gives you a space to be honest about how you're really feeling, without judgment or pressure to "snap out of it."
In our sessions, we'll work together to:
Validate what you're going through You're not broken, you're not a bad mother, and you're not alone. This is real and it's hard.
Challenge unhelpful thoughts - Your brain is telling you lies right now. We'll work on recognising and questioning those thoughts.
Find practical coping strategies Small, doable things that actually help when everything feels overwhelming.
Process the birth experience If your birth was traumatic or different from what you expected, that might be contributing to how you feel now.
Improve sleep and self-care Not just the bubble bath kind of self-care, but actual strategies to help you function better.
Work through guilt and shame You're allowed to struggle. You're allowed to not love every minute. You're allowed to need help.
Decide what you need - Whether that's more support, changes at home, help from family, or just permission to feel what you're feeling.
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Counselling for Postnatal Anxiety
If you're constantly worried about your baby - checking they're breathing, terrified of SIDS, scared of dropping them, anxious about every little thing - postnatal anxiety might be what you're dealing with.
CBT can help you manage the intrusive thoughts, reduce the physical anxiety symptoms, and find ways to feel safer and more confident.
Support for Mums Who Regret Having a Baby
This is one of the hardest things to admit, but you're not the only one feeling it. If you're struggling with regret, ambivalence, or feeling like you've made a terrible mistake, that doesn't make you a monster.
These feelings can be part of postnatal depression, birth trauma, or just the reality that motherhood is nothing like you expected. You deserve support to work through this without shame.
How We'll Work Together
Sessions are 50 minutes, available in person in Wishaw or Motherwell, or online anywhere in the UK.
I use Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which focuses on understanding how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are connected, and finding practical ways to cope with what you're going through.
I've lived through my own postnatal struggles, so I know how isolating and overwhelming this can be. You won't have to pretend everything's fine. You won't be judged. You can say the things you've been too scared to say out loud.
This isn't about being perfect or bouncing back or loving every minute of motherhood. It's about getting you through this so you can start to feel like yourself again.
If you're ready to talk, I'm here to listen.
