MINDFUL PARENTING
In my psychotherapy practice, I see clients facing issues related to pregnancy, birth and parenting. Having a baby can be a stressful time evoking powerful and complex feelings. It is a time that can trigger challenging issues, and therapy can be very helpful in identifying and addressing them.
I am also a facilitator for Listening Mothers groups for new mothers and their babies, and offer 8-week groups periodically. For details, please see my Events/Workshops page.
LISTENING MOTHERS GROUPS for INFANTS and MOTHERS
Listening Mothers
Listening Mothers is a program run by professionals who are especially trained in infant social and emotional development. It provides a safe, supportive place to explore the various feelings and experiences that inevitably arise with having a new baby. By attending to the emotional needs of babies and their parents in these first months, you are supported in knowing each other better and building a lasting foundation for happy, healthy, caring families.
Listening Mothers- Background
The Listening Mothers program draws from attachment theory, neurological studies, and knowledge about emotional development. This creates a unique program that helps establish the foundation for a long lasting bond between children and their parents. The Listening Mothers program supports infants and their moms to strengthen their relationships. During the facilitated discussions, mothers learn how to be better attuned to themselves and their babies, and how to engage and emotionally stimulate their baby. Extensive research has shown that this process helps to further a baby's cognitive, emotional, and social intelligence.
Listening Mothers- 8-week Program
Listening Mothers groups are run by professionals in the greater Seattle area trained in infant social and emotional development. Usually there are no more than 8 moms and their babies in a group so moms can get to know each other, feel supported, and get a chance to participate and share their concerns. Group meets weekly for 1 ½ hours - fee for the 8-week session is $120.
Listening Mothers- Curriculum
1. Clarity - Develop your identity as a mother and discuss your feelings about this role.
2. Insight - Strengthen your emotional bond with your child as you explore your thoughts and feelings about your baby and motherhood.
3. Awareness - Look into your childhood experiences and how they impact your parenting.
4. Confidence - Learn how to tune into and respond to your baby's needs. Help your baby feel calm and interested in his/her world.
5. Knowledge - Talk about how your relationship with your partner affects the baby and how your baby impacts your relationship.
6. Understanding - Learn how baby's primary relationships and experience set the foundation for early learning.
At the Listening Mothers program, in the supportive environment of the group, the moms gain more confidence in their ability to mother, and are learning to trust their intuition in responding to their baby. As they grow to understand themselves and their babies better through our group discussions, they can offer a foundation for emotional security in which their baby can thrive.
Yaffa Maritz, Co-Founder, Listening Mothers
Information and Registration
To find out more about Listening Mothers Program, and to register for the next Listening Mothers group I will facilitate please see my Events/Workshops page or http://www.listeningmothers.org
Questions, appointments or more information
erica@mindful-therapy.net
Each baby is a person from the start and needs to be known by someone.
