Parenthood & Matrescence
Becoming a mother can change your relationship with almost every part of yourself.
Parenthood can hold enormous love alongside exhaustion, resentment, guilt, joy, grief, overwhelm and a profound shift in identity.
You can adore your children and still miss parts of who you were before them.
You can be grateful for your life and still find motherhood incredibly hard.
And you can be coping reasonably well while quietly wondering, where did I go in all of this?
Counselling can offer a space where you don't have to minimise either side of that experience.
Who am I now that I'm a mother?
Matrescence describes the psychological, emotional, social and identity transition involved in becoming a mother.
And it doesn't necessarily end once the newborn stage is over.
Motherhood can change your relationship with your body, partner, friendships, career, family, independence and sense of self.
You might find yourself:
struggling with the loss of freedom or parts of your previous identity
feeling guilty for wanting time away from your children
overwhelmed by the mental and emotional load of parenting
questioning your career, priorities or direction
feeling disconnected from your partner or friendships
noticing old family dynamics resurfacing
putting everybody else's needs ahead of your own
feeling pressure to enjoy a stage you're actually finding difficult
wondering how to remain yourself while being responsible for someone else
None of these experiences mean you don't love your children.
They mean that becoming a parent is a significant psychological transition as well as a practical one.
Making room for you within motherhood
Counselling isn't about helping you become a more perfect, regulated or endlessly patient parent.
It can be somewhere to think about you.
Who you're becoming. What you've lost. What you've gained. What motherhood has brought to the surface and what parts of yourself you want to preserve or rediscover.
The goal isn't necessarily to get back to the person you were before children.
It may be about making space for the person you're becoming now.
Parenthood & matrescence counselling at Kyma
My approach is grounded, non-judgemental and interested in the whole person behind the role of parent.
We can explore identity, relationships, overwhelm, guilt, changing priorities and the deeper patterns that parenthood can sometimes bring to the surface.
Kyma offers individual counselling for adults in Sydney and online.
If you'd like to see whether working together feels right, you can book a free 15-minute introductory call.