Parent/Child Counseling
Whether you are facing the physical and emotional challenges of being a new parent, or navigating the sometimes stormy seas of adolescence, all parents need a community to support them. Wellspring Counseling is here to help your family thrive.
Our skilled therapists are trained to provide therapy for:
- Pregnancy & Postpartum
- New Parents
- Parent-Infant Bonding Issues: 0-3 years
- Parenting Support: 3-5 years
- Children 4-12 years
- Adolescents
- Parenting Consultation
We also offer: Parenting Classes & Workshops for New Parents
New Parents Services
Counseling, Support & Education
The joy of parenting is matched by the challenges it brings. New Parents face changes, difficult decisions and a rollercoaster of emotions. At Wellspring's New Parents Services we offer a education and support to help you and your family navigate the challenges of parenthood and delight in the joys that children bring.
From the moment you decide to create a family to the first day to the first steps of your new baby, we can help. We are a team of therapists trained to address issues new parenthood brings.
Pregnancy & Postpartum
Expecting a new baby is usually seen as a positive event. A new mother is supposed to be happy and instinctively know how to care for her baby. However, sometimes the emotions of being a new parent can seem overwhelming, ranging from difficulty adjusting to anxiety, panic, depression, feelings inadequate or even thinking your baby would be better without you. Talking to an objective, knowledgeable parenting specialist who can listen and offer feedback and support can help you make sense out of your experience and become the parent you want to be.
One in five pregnant or postpartum women experience depression, anxiety, panic, post traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder or bipolar disorder. However, this medical condition often goes unrecognized and untreated, and can have long-lasting effects on you, your baby and your relationship.
Ask yourself these questions. If you answer yes to any of these questions you may have a postpartum mood disorder that can be treated.
- Do you have trouble sleeping even when your baby is asleep?
- Do you get anxious over the littlest things that concern your baby?
- Are you irritable with everyone?
- Do you feel like your emotions are on a roller coaster - crying, feelings of hopelessness or guilt?
- Do you feel like you are losing your mind?
- Are you often confused and feel like you can't concentrate or make decisions?
- Do you feel like you're not the mother you want to be? Or fear being alone with your baby?
- Do you feel like your baby would be better off without you or have other frightening thoughts?
Counseling for New Parents
Individual therapy
We can help. Our therapists are trained to identify the symptoms of postpartum depression, and can help you find your way to feeling like your self again. You can also meet for individual therapy with one of our therapists if you struggle with infertility issues, adoption or pregnancy loss, loss of a baby or any other issue related to the adjustment to parenthood. Meet our therapists.
Couples
As a couple you are likely to experience some dramatic changes and restructuring after a baby is born. Couples therapy offers a safe place to take the time to reconnect, identify negative cycles, adjust to the new needs of the family and share each other's experience with this new stage of life.
Two out of three couples experience a dramatic increase in conflict and hostility after the birth of a child. Communication and conversation tend to decline, while miscommunication and arguments increase. This often leads to both partners feeling lonely and isolated. Not only can this lead to postpartum depression and marital discord, it can also have a negative effect on children and a lasting impact on their development. Our therapists will work with you and your partner to help break the unsatisfying negative communication cycles and develop more empathy for each other. Meet our therapists.
Postpartum Depression Therapy Group
We offer an ongoing therapy group for mothers experiencing postpartum depression, anxiety and mood disorders. This is lead by a licensed therapist who specializes in treatment and support for new parents. Meet our therapists.
In this group you will learn:
- How to deal with the increased stress of having a new baby
- How to recognize and manager your emotions
- How to take care of yourself
- What is contributing to your distress
Parent-Infant Bonding Issues: Ages 0-3
Adjusting and bonding to a new baby takes time. In meeting with both of you we can help you and your baby find ways to build a strong bond early in your child's life.
In some cases it might feel like the relationship had a rocky start; perhaps your baby was overly fussy, you had feeding struggles, your baby had difficulty sleeping, you were depressed and overwhelmed, or something just didn't feel right when you were together. Our licensed therapists work with you and your child in individual sessions to help you connect with your child, identify your parenting style and support the development of healthy relationship skills. Our goal is to help you and your baby develop an attachment that will lead to feelings of security and trust that will ultimately form the basis for satisfying relationships. Meet our therapists.
Classes & Workshops
Just as you prepare to give birth by taking childbirth education classes, you want to be ready for the emotional changes and challenges that come with parenthood. Join us to learn and grow together as a community of new parents. Many of our classes are at both our Seattle and Bellevue locations. For more information or to register for any of our classes, call 425.450.0332 or email us at nps@wellspringfs.org.
Parenting Support: Ages 3-5
Wellspring Counseling offers parent/child therapy for children 3-5 years of age and their parents or caregivers. We can help you:
- Understand and manage your child's behavior
- Learn about and promote your child's development
- Communicate effectively with your child
- Learn how to deal with temper tantrums and strong emotions
- Create an effective discipline strategy
- Resolve early childhood traumas from separation or loss
- Encourage learning skills
While participating in parent-child interactions, we will help you find strategies for guiding your child towards healthy emotional development. We offer parent/child therapy, individual child treatment, and caregiver support to families who want to create a nurturing and stable home in which their children will thrive. We also offer classroom consults for children facing behavior challenges in preschool. Meet our therapists.
Children 4-12 years
Children can be quite sensitive to changes in their family or environment, and can also feel tremendous pressure to perform and excel in school and activities. At the same time, children do not have a fully developed emotional language to express their distress. We can help with issues such as:
- Behavioral problems at home or at school
- The impact of divorce or family separation
- Attention problems that interfere with achievement
- Social skills development
- Loneliness, sadness, or feelings of isolation
- Low self esteem
- Difficulties in family relationships
The pressures of modern family life can often leave parents feeling anxious, guilty and out of control in relation to their children. Our therapists also work closely with the child's parents to assist with optimal family relationships and functioning. Meet our therapists.
Adolescents
Adolescents face significant life transitions, peer pressures and significant shifts in emotional and physical development. These pressures can also affect family relationships. In addition to the issues noted above, our therapists can assist with issues unique to adolescence such as:
- Reliance on activities that lead to isolation from peers
- Healthy individuation as preparation for adult life
- Rebellion or disengagement as attempts to separate
- Peer relationships
- Substance misuse
- Anxiety related to meeting expectations
We can help to provide the individual and family support you need in order to help you and your child have a stronger relationship. Meet our therapists.
Parenting Consultation
Our therapists can provide consultation to assist you in helping your children through special circumstances, developmental stages, or family disruptions. We can help you identify the challenges in your family system and ways to be more responsive to your child's needs and personality. You may also wish to explore your own parenting style to better understand your experiences as well as your child's. Meet our therapists.