Kaitlyn Dove, Oregon Professional Counselor Associate. I offer online individual therapy for parents throughout Oregon, with support for anxiety, burnout, parenting stress, and changes in your relationships and sense of self.
Therapy For Moms
For the anxiety, resentment, exhaustion, and identity changes that can come with motherhood.
By the time everyone is settled, you have very little left for yourself.
You spend the day answering questions, remembering what needs to happen next, and trying to finish something without being interrupted. When you finally get a quiet moment, you might scroll for an hour because deciding what you actually want to do feels like more work.
Maybe you have been shorter with your kids lately. You hear yourself snapping and feel guilty afterward, but the next afternoon you find yourself in the same place.
You might be frustrated with your partner, missing your work, questioning whether to go back, or realizing how long it has been since you felt interested in something of your own. When someone asks how you are, it can be hard to explain any of this without feeling like you need to defend yourself.
In therapy, we can spend time understanding what has been happening and what would help you feel better in your day-to-day life.
We may focus on…
Anxiety that follows you through the day
Replaying conversations, anticipating problems, researching every decision, or struggling to relax when someone else is caring for your children.
Feeling overwhelmed by constant needs
Being touched, interrupted, and needed all day can leave you feeling agitated before you even know what you need. We can look at when that happens and what makes those moments harder.
Anger and the guilt afterward
We can talk honestly about losing your patience, what happens before you reach that point, and how you want to handle those moments with your children.
Carrying the mental load
Remembering appointments, noticing what is running out, planning childcare, and keeping track of everyone’s needs can become a source of ongoing resentment. We can get specific about what you are carrying and the conversations you need to have.
Changes in your identity
Your priorities, friendships, career, body, and relationship may feel different now. Therapy gives you time to consider what you miss, what you want to keep, and what you are still figuring out.
Pressure to get motherhood right
We can explore the expectations you hold yourself to, where they came from, and how they affect the choices you make for your family.
Boundaries with people close to you
Sometimes you know what you need but worry about disappointing your partner, parents, in-laws, or friends. We can work through what makes those conversations difficult.
You may already know what you need. Getting there is where you feel stuck.
You know you need a break, but arranging one takes so much coordination that you give up. You want your partner to take more initiative, but another conversation about chores sounds exhausting. You miss your friends, yet when you have time to reach out, you would rather be alone.
We can talk through those situations in detail. What happens when you ask for help? What makes it difficult to let someone else take over? Is the support available actually enough for what your life requires right now?
Understanding those details helps us decide what to work on. That might involve a conversation at home, a change in expectations, or spending time with feelings you have been putting off because there was always something more urgent.
Motherhood can bring up parts of your own childhood.
You might hear your parent’s voice come out of your mouth during an argument. Or you may work so hard to give your children a different experience that setting a limit leaves you questioning yourself for the rest of the evening.
We can explore how your family experiences influence your reactions, your expectations, and the responsibility you feel for your children’s emotions.
There is room to understand your history while also talking about what happened at bedtime last night.
How I Work With Moms
I’m Kaitlyn Dove, an Oregon Professional Counselor Associate and a mom of two. My background includes school counseling and working with children, parents, and families. I also bring personal experience with postpartum depression and birth trauma.
In our sessions, I ask questions, help you notice patterns, and make room for things you may feel uncomfortable saying elsewhere. We can talk about resentment toward your partner, missing life before children, feeling overwhelmed by your child’s behavior, or wanting time when nobody needs anything from you.
I draw from approaches including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and attachment-based and internal family-systems perspectives. We choose what is useful for the concerns you bring.
We will also check in about how therapy is helping. I want to understand what feels different at home, what remains difficult, and where we need to spend more time.
Questions You May Be Asking
No, I work with moms navigating different stages of parenting. Your children may be getting older while you are still working through anxiety, identity changes, relationship strain, or patterns that began years ago.
Is this only for moms with babies or young children?
1
You do not need to have just given brith to seek therapy for concerns connected to motherhood. We can focus on what is happening in your life now, including work, relationships, parenting stress, and how you have been feeling.
What if I’m not freshly postpartum?
2
Yes, we can talk through specific situations with your children, consider their age and development, and explore how you respond when things become difficult. My background in school counseling helps inform that work.
These appointments focus on you as the client. If your child needs their own support, we can discuss that as well.
Will you help me with parenting?
3
What if I want to talk about something unrelated to being a mom?
4
Please bring anything and everything! Your sessions can include your career, friendships, marriage, grief, family history, or anything else you want help understanding. Although we focus on motherhood, everything is related.
Where do sessions take place? What does therapy cost? Do you accept insurance?
4
I provide virtual therapy for clients physically located in Oregon during their appointments. Visit my Rates & FAQs page for current fees, insurance options, and information about how services are provided through The Nurtured Theory and Oak Hills Counseling Center.
Ready to Feel Confident in Motherhood?
You don’t have to keep surviving motherhood on autopilot.
Let’s help you slow down, reconnect with your values, and start feeling like you again.
I’m currently accepting new clients in Oregon.
The Nurtured Theory 5 Principle Approach
No matter why you are here, these five principles will guide our work together. It will help you tune out the noise, trust yourself again, and discover the mother you want to be.
Know your
own story
Stay grounded to stay connected
Your values lead your actions
Let go of ideal parenting
See the child in front of you