Reclaiming your identity in motherhood
Sometimes suffering comes not from what happens, but from how you talk to yourself while you go through it.
Often distress is born not only from what happens, but from the way you treat yourself while you go through it.
Self-demand, perfectionism, and a harsh inner dialogue may have been with you long before motherhood and intensify with it. You may find it hard to set boundaries, to regulate what you feel, or to hold a kind image of yourself.
Learning to relate to yourself in a different way isn't a luxury: it's the ground from which you face everything else.
Together we can work on aspects such as:
- Self-demand and perfectionism
- Low self-esteem and a critical inner dialogue
- Difficulty regulating emotions
- A need for control
- Difficulty setting boundaries
How we work on your relationship with yourself
We identify the patterns of demand, guilt, and inner criticism that make you suffer and we work to soften them with evidence-based tools. The aim isn't to "force you to be more positive", but to treat yourself with more respect and understanding.
We also work on emotional regulation and boundaries, so you can care for yourself with less guilt and make decisions more aligned with what truly matters to you.
This might sound like you if...
In how you treat yourself
- You speak to yourself more harshly than you would to a friend
- Nothing ever feels like enough, no matter what you do
- You struggle to rest without feeling you're "wasting time"
- You need to control every detail to feel calm
In your relationships
- Difficulty saying no without feeling guilty
- Consistently putting others' needs before your own
- Fear of disappointing others or not being enough
- Difficulty asking for help
How we work together
Naming the pattern
We put a name to the critical inner voice and the demands you've placed on yourself, often without realising where they came from.
Softening it with concrete tools
We use evidence-based tools to help you treat yourself with more compassion, without that meaning you "let your guard down" or stop trying.
Practising boundaries and self-care
We work through real situations from your day-to-day to set boundaries and care for yourself without the guilt that usually comes with it.
This work usually benefits from an ongoing process, typically several months, since it involves changing deeply rooted patterns.
Frequently asked questions about your relationship with yourself
Is this therapy or coaching?
It's psychological therapy using evidence-based tools (CBT, ACT), not coaching. We work on both the emotional distress and the patterns that keep it going.
Do I need to be pregnant or a mother to do this work?
Not necessarily, though motherhood often intensifies these patterns, which is why they're addressed together in this context.
How long does it take to notice changes?
It depends on the person, but many already notice some relief within the first few weeks, though changing more deeply rooted patterns usually takes longer.
Can I combine this with therapy for another reason (pregnancy, postpartum...)?
Yes, in fact it's often worked on in parallel, since your relationship with yourself runs through every other area.
Do I need to know "what's wrong" before I start?
No, you don't need to arrive with a diagnosis or a clear explanation. We can figure it out together as we go.
Caring for how you talk to yourself is also a way of caring for yourself.