How to Support Women Transitioning Into Motherhood – HPP 14

Ellen Boeder, MA, LPC

In many parts of western civilization, there’s so much emphasis placed on career, and, increasingly, mother’s are often troubled by balancing the roles of being a parent and a mother. And there’s also so many cultural myths and stigmas that mothers face today.

Last week we explored the attachment and bonding process between parents and infants and how critical that time period is for healthy childhood development. Today is all about what mom’s go through in those first few years of having a new child.

We have a guest today who’s going to break down the modern myths of motherhood, what needs to happen with mom’s in a therapy setting, the challenges and triumphs that mom’s are facing everyday, and how to recognize a mom that’s well resourced in all the ways that count.

Our guest, Ellen Boeder, discusses her personal story of motherhood, how she overcame the challenges of conflicting roles in society, how therapists can support moms, the signs and signals when a mom is healthy and well-resourced, and, most importantly, what to look out for when a mom needs extra support in her life.

Although this episode is really geared toward supporting women who are transitioning into motherhood or in the early years of parenting, this episode also applies to any parent or anyone who is thinking of having a child. And this episode isn’t only about moms. Ellen has a message for fathers who want to learn how to support moms, as well as some thoughts for anyone considering becoming a parent.

Show Notes:

Ellen’s perspective as both a therapist and mom on parenting [4:30]

The adjustment as a new mother and balancing other roles [9:30]

Cultural myths and stigmas mother’s face everyday [14:45]

Relevant support systems for mothers that clinicians need to know about [21:45]

Signs and signals that a mother is well resourced and healthy [30:30]

How mothering can be an experience of gratitude rather than constant overwhelm [34:45]

A message for the fathers in the relationship [40:00]

Ellen Boeder, MA, LPC

Ellen Boeder has been a practicing psychotherapist since 2003. She has worked with women in a range of healing contexts, and since becoming a wife and mother to two children, she has shifted her practice to working with couples. Her experience includes working with teenage girls in residential treatment, helping women recover from eating disorders, and facilitating women moving through trauma, addiction, mood, and relationship crises. Ellen is a Level 3 Candidate in PACT, the Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy. She has a strong background in yoga and meditation, and her graduate training in Transpersonal Psychology also informs her work. With warmth and eloquence, Ellen brings her lived experience as a woman, wife, and mother into her understanding as a clinician.