Your Champions of Ease, Connection, and Postpartum Joy!
About Catherine O'Brien, MA, LMFT (MFC#40741)
When you are looking for help, it is so important that you find someone with experience, right?
As a mom myself, I know the challenges bringing home a baby can cause in your relationship. I understand what it takes to be on the same page with your partner, the work it takes to nurture your marriage, and the effort needed on a daily basis. I also understand what it’s like to go from being independent and doing what I want when I want, to now having to negotiate and pre-plan schedules to make sure our children's needs are met. All of which is to say, I know the struggles of balancing being a mother, partner, friend, daughter, and business owner/employee.
I can help you find ways to to be less exhausted, I can help you find tools to improve your communication with your partner, and I can help you enjoy this time as a family.
I have worked in the field of psychology for over 15 years. Over that time, I have found great joy in working with new parents and new moms. I have facilitated different classes, including Mine, Yours, Ours: Relationship Survival Guide to Baby’s 1st Year, which I developed after my first child was born. I am a Certified Gottman Educator, qualified to facilitate their Bringing Home Baby program, and have Postpartum Support International’s (PSI) Perinatal Mood Disorders Certification. Along with that I volunteer as the California State co-coordinator for PSI in the Greater Sacramento Area.
I also have a background as a credentialed school psychologist working with children and adolescents with learning disorders. This helps me understand the developmental milestones that children need to meet.
I really enjoy working with new parents and new moms, so that they can be Happy With Baby. I love helping them with this transition to parenthood because so many new parents are struggling to manage their relationships now that baby is here. New moms are often struggling with anxiety and depression and feel it is taboo to talk about. I give them the tools and resources they need to help them feel better as their family changes.
Together, we explore how they can get along better and not argue. I support them in continuing an intimate relationship despite the decrease in their time alone, while I also encourage them to find time for themselves (play golf, go shopping, spend time with friends, etc.).
With the transition to parenthood, there are also a myriad of emotions that new parents face. I have been trained to work with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. 15 to 20% of mothers experience significant depression or anxiety while pregnant and/or after the birth of their baby. Approximately 10% of new fathers do as well.
The clients I have worked with currently and in the past have faced many issues including, but not limited to: depression, anxiety, bereavement, self-injurious behavior, bipolar disorder, trauma, abuse, addiction, anger, self-esteem, parenting issues, and relationship struggles.
In my practice, I offer personal, family, and relationship psychotherapy, as well as group therapy and professional development for MFT interns.
If you feel I may be able to help you, please call me or email today for a free 20-minute phone consultation to see if I may be a good fit for you.
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