How many times did you imagine yourself glowing, being grateful every second of your pregnancy, cradling your bump lovingly or holding your precious baby, being able to accomplish everything on your to-do list, clean your house, do your hair and makeup with baby in tow? Breastfeeding easily, lovingly connecting with your partner, your body "bouncing back" to pre-baby shape? Flawlessly and seamlessly going back to work, resuming your social life, and exhibiting a motherly sense of peacefulness 24/7?

It feels painful when we realize that reality doesn't match our expectations. We might feel angry, let down, and disappointed. Sometimes this can feel like grief and loss. 

Motherhood: it's the transition of all transitions. Our society tends to minimize the magnitude of the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual shifts that take place for women during pregnancy and the postpartum period. The expectation tends to look like this: have your baby, and look like nothing happened. Go back to work, and perform like nothing happened - actually, everything has happened and life is different now. You're different now. On top of that, you're feeling the heavy weight of responsibility on your shoulders. The worst part? No one really talks about this stuff.

During times of major transition, its normal to struggle when you're trying to adjust to all of the changes taking place. Pregnancy and postpartum are times of rapid change. Sometimes, old wounds resurface, or anxiety and depression rear their ugly heads. Trying to balance and cope with the emotional complexity and responsibilities of motherhood can feel lonely. You're longing for a sense of stability, peace, and confidence as you're taking on your new role. No matter how you are feeling in this moment, I want you to know that you are not alone. You can read more about common concerns that pop up during pregnancy and postpartum on my services page.
Now, on to the customary stuff you were probably expecting in this section: I'm a licensed marriage & family therapist with advanced training in perinatal mental health, I have a B.S. in Psychology from Wofford College, and a Master's degree in Marriage & Family Therapy from Converse College. I'm a wife and a mother too - and you can always bring your baby to our sessions.

hi, I'm Susannah

welcome.

You're here because you've finally decided that something needs to change. You've been riding the emotional rollercoaster of motherhood. Maybe it's been weeks or months since you found out about your pregnancy. Maybe you're 6 months or more postpartum and you're experiencing emotional changes so forcefully and rapidly that it scares you. Maybe you just brought your baby home from the hospital and you're finding that life is unfolding faster than you can handle. You're feeling depths of emotion that you've never experienced before. You don't feel like yourself. In fact, you feel so distant from the person you know yourself to be - asking yourself, "who am I? How did I get here?" It's hard to recognize yourself in the mirror.
I love helping pregnant and postpartum women during this unique time in their lives.

I want you to know that it will get better.