There is no such thing as a baby.
There is a baby
AND
someone.
Donald Winnicott
Want to know a little more about AND....
AND
AND
AND
AND
To understand a caregiver & child relationship we must understand the AND...
because attachment is something that occurs between two people.
Through relationship, caregivers support their child to understand themselves, others, and the world around them.
When a child feels emotionally and physically safe they are free to explore the world, connect with others, and learn.
AND
AND
AND
AND
AND
Taking an attachment focus helps us to step back and reflect on what is occurring
between you and your child... or partner, or parent! After all, attachment is about being in relationship.
This lens helps us see the other person's needs, and helps us reflect compassionately on important (and normal) questions like.....
Parenthood brings with it enormous change, and a suprisingly vast mix of emotions.
It can be more challenging than we expected, and sometimes this can be hard to talk about.
We often feel a pressure to hide any negative thoughts or emotions we may be experiencing.
At times we may feel overwhelmed, incompetent, bored, angry, tired (so so tired), and lonely.
It can feel like endless groundhog days of tasks, and yet it can simultaneously feel like you achieve nothing.
Reaching out to others or making an appointment with a psychologist
could be really helpful as you adjust to this life transition. What you are feeling is a shared experience -
it's just that no-one really talks about it!
Elizabeth loves working collaboratively with parents and carers to work through these challenges.
For some people, becoming a parent motivates us to address our past so it doesn't cast a shadow over our present. Elizabeth can support you to parent the way you want to, rather than the way you were.
One of the most helpful frameworks for thinking about parenting is called the Circle of Security. This theory resonates deeply with Elizabeth. It is based on attachment theory and provides a clear way to think about all of your relationships, and particularly the parent-child relationship.
If you are interested in reading more about the parenting program Circle of Security have a look here
why is it sometimes so hard to manage my inner world as i connect with my child?
What do I do with all this guilt? All I remember at the end of the day are the bits that went "wrong"
Sometimes I have no idea what my child needs from me... How do I connect to their emotional experience, beneath these challenging behaviours?
I'm totally clear about what I don't want to do as a parent. What's less clear is how I trust my inner wisdom and parent in a way that lines up with my values.
I feel like I've lost me in this big change.... My identity seems to be 100% parent now. How do I look after myself when there's no time to even think about what that would look like?
I'm feeling so anxious and I don't know why.....
I feel really flat, tired, numb, irritable, withdrawn... My mind is constantly comparing me to other parents... This isn't what I had imagined it would be like....