You’re struggling. Being a mom is difficult.
Being a good mom means taking care of your child’s physical and emotional needs. You are great at meeting their physical needs like taking them to doctor visits and preparing meals. You love them but meeting their emotional needs is challenging.
Your own mother might have been great at organizing all your activities and making sure you had clean clothes but she wasn’t very nurturing, emotionally attuned or interested in hearing about your feelings.
Being raised like that is hard and makes it hard for you to display tenderness and and empathy towards your own children.
If this sounds familiar, I can help you.
I’m Michelle Halle, a licensed clinical social worker and therapist in Lakewood, NJ. I help women become happier moms.
It’s hard for you to tolerate feelings that get triggered when your kids are needy and act like children. If you grew up with a mother who didn’t teach you how to understand your feelings then it’s only natural that you feel walled off from them now.
Take a look at this list and see how many of these symptoms describe how you feel:
There is something inherently wrong with you
Numb or empty inside
Have a harsh inner critic
Have a hard time knowing what you feel
Believe that feelings are bad
Often feel shame
Question whether your feelings are valid
Difficulty relying on others, thinking you have to do everything yourself
Disconnected from people you should be feeling close to
You can become more emotionally attached to your children,
even if you were emotionally neglected as a child.
Individual Therapy Can Improve Your Life
It’s hard to be present when your kids talk to you about trivial things. You don’t mind doing mom-like stuff such as driving them around or taking them shopping but you don’t know how to handle their vulnerable side, or your own, for that matter.
You worry that you’ll pass down this trait to your children - that they will have the same anxiety and struggles you have. You feel lost and don’t know where to turn. You believe that knowing how to be a good mother should come to you naturally.
You are being too hard on yourself (another habit of yours). You can’t be expected to know how to be loving and nurturing if your own mother didn’t nurture you enough. Talking to me will help you become the mother you want to be. Individual can help you:
Identify your feelings and accept them
Figure out why you have the feeling
Feel free to share your feelings and your opinions with others
Feel connected to your kids
Feel joy in the everyday small things in life
Replace your harsh inner critic with a voice that speaks compassionately
How to Schedule a Session
I welcome you to contact me by phone or email. Online therapy sessions are available.
“For a highly skilled professional, there is no one like Michelle. She provides a warm and relaxing environment where you will be infused with confidence and feel that Michelle is 100% invested in your growth and development. ”