Therapy for 2SLGBTQIA+ Parents

Gone are the days when virtual therapy was seen as inferior to in-person therapy – extensive research conducted on virtual therapy throughout the pandemic showed us how valid an approach this is. Over the past several years, virtual therapy clients have also shared their positive experiences with us; particularly the impact of having therapy be so much more flexible and accessible when our time is so valuable and hard to come by.

Benefits of virtual therapy:

• Allows you to be in your environment, where you are most comfortable.
• Removes the need for child care – babies and young children can be cared for or sleeping at home while a parent receives the support they need.
• Removes the travel time, making appointments easier to schedule for busy parents.
  Allows couples/family members to join a session from multiple locations.

If you feel deeply drawn to in-person therapy, we see you – and we do offer limited in person services in Waterloo and Markham Ontario for those who aren’t open to trying virtual – but we always encourage folks to at least TRY working virtually – you might be surprised at how much you enjoy it!

There are a few important considerations:

• Does the therapist have the training and expertise to treat my particular difficulties?
• Do I feel a good connection with them?
• Do I feel heard, understood, and comfortable?

All of our therapists have advanced certification training in perinatal mental health and are parents themselves. We have found this to be critical because the nuances of providing care in the perinatal period are not covered in most Graduate programs. This can help you feel confident that we can help! Some of our therapists also identify as queer, and if this common ground feels important to you, please follow the bio links below. While all of our therapists offer an inclusive and welcoming space for 2SLGBTQIA+ families, if your preference is to work with a therapist with lived experience as a queer parent, please feel free to ask our admin team for a recommendation, or follow the link above under “Therapists offering support for 2SLGBTQIA+ parents”.

Finally, in order to get the right fit, we offer complimentary 20-minute virtual consultations, which allow you to get a feel for the therapist – if you find yourself overwhelmed reviewing our therapist’s bios and not sure whom to try a free consult with, feel free to reach out to us at hello@wholefamilypsychotherapy.com and we would be happy to help match you with a therapist based on your preferences.

It can be really difficult for folks to tease this out without help from a professional, because anxiety lives on a continuum, from what is normal and expected given the intensity of the life stage, and the problematic, you-need-treatment, kind of anxiety. With that said, you don’t need a clinical diagnosis of anxiety to get support – if your worries are impacting you negatively, if they are starting to occupy more and more of your mental space, and especially if you find that your worries are impacting your day-to-day functioning, or preventing you from doing certain activities, it’s time to reach out for support. We all have anxiety to some degree or other; we’ll never be fully anxiety-free – but we can learn to cope, to tolerate how it feels, and develop skills to reduce the intensity and frequency over time.

Generally speaking, when we hear a parent wondering if they need support, the answer is yes. Not only that, it’s important to understand that therapy is not only for those of us who feel like we’re at our breaking point—you don’t have to be in crisis to need and deserve support, and, the earlier we reach out, the better the outcome. If you’re still not sure, some signs that it’s time to seek support from a perinatal therapist include:

• Not feeling like yourself
  Often feeling edgy, irritable or ragey
• Withdrawing from family and friends
• Feeling flat, disconnected, hopeless
• Difficulty shaking scary or intrusive thoughts
• Experiencing big worries about baby that take over your day
• Feeling consumed by getting things just right (feeding, sleep, bonding)
• Noticing resentment building in your relationship
• Insomnia or excessive sleeping
• Difficulty bonding with baby
• Thoughts of self-harm or harming the baby
• Flashbacks, nightmares, or intense feelings about your birth
• Difficulty moving forward after a traumatic experience

The range for treatment varies based on each individual’s unique circumstances. Research suggests that the majority of individuals will remain in therapy for approximately 12-20 sessions to achieve their goals. Some may need fewer sessions, especially if the therapy is for a specific shorter-term problem. In comparison, others may need more sessions if they have complex and ongoing challenges and are looking to understand and make changes to life-long patterns or have regular support.

It is ultimately up to you, but to get the most from therapy, we suggest that at first, you book weekly or bi-weekly if possible, to build momentum and support you in starting to feel better sooner. As you see improvements, you could begin stretching out the time between sessions to see how it feels to gradually have less support. Monthly sessions are more “maintenance” oriented, and then from there can taper off as you maintain a sense of stability and well-being between sessions.

Whole Family Psychotherapy requires 24 business hours notice for appointment cancellations or changes. (The clinic admin business hours are Monday 8am through Saturday 4pm). This cancellation policy is out of respect for your therapist’s time, and out of consideration for other clients waiting to be booked. If you cancel with less than 24 business hours notice, the full session fee will be charged to the credit card on file.