Therapy for caregivers, moms, and empty-nesters

I help women heading toward an empty nest who spent decades caring for partners and kids they feel disconnected from and who are busy with their own lives.

My clients struggle like you do. The people-pleasers, the over-givers, the moms with mom guilt. You wanted and worked hard for a happy family. It's not that things are dysfunctional, but your kids are interested in hanging out with friends. You know this is normal but it still hurts. Your partner seems relatively unphased by the shift as your kids leave. Your partner continues their usual routines of work, hobbies, and friends. You feel alone. 

You realize without your very active role of mother, you made it to middle age and you don't know who you are, what you find fun in, what you're interested in.

When my clients first come to therapy, they are discouraged. They want to find fulfillment. They want to be appreciated too. Maybe they know they want a life outside of being a mother or maybe they have yet to figure that out. But, either way, considering what could be outside of care-giving feels daunting and guilt-ridden.

In the moments they are really struggling, they feel resentful. And it feels like bad timing too with perimenopause and body changes on the horizon or already in full force. These changes can leave them confused and isolated. “I don’t know why I’m responding this way!” is a common phrase I hear. It can feel unfair, suffocating, and distressing. But maybe what no one has told you yet is that you aren’t crazy. This is grief and grief can feel like you’re standing in a sand storm with no protection.