Mental Health Counselor / Therapist in Sebastopol, CA

Paula Wright, MFTI

Post Partum Coach Sonoma County

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Location

Sebastopol, CA 95472

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Practice Information

I work with parents seeking guidance in making the transition to parenthood or a larger family. Often new parents find themselves lacking support or feeling unsure of themselves, sometimes finding themselves turning to books alone to help them navigate their new role. Parents are often expected to express only happiness about having a new baby, or are expected to quickly move past the baby blues, the need for extra help, or any sign of uncertainty about their new role. Partner relationships are often challenged greatly by the changes brought with growing a family. It's a great blessing to be an advocate for people going through this amazing time in their life. Being a doula has given me a great and deep understanding and appreciation of the pregnancy and birth process, I'm well versed in complications, breast-feeding and other physical issues that mothers face. I draw on my counseling skills to direct other issues related to new parenthood- relationship shifts, identity crisis, self-care, and forming a new positive self-narrative, for instance.

Licenses/Certifications

Marriage and Family Therapist Registered Intern (MFTI)

Bio:

Seven years ago I began working with mothers as a birth assistant, a calling I was drawn to after my own powerful birth experiences. I later went on to Graduate School to receive my Masters in Counseling Psychology, my Masters thesis was done on the causes of Post-partum depression. In my own personal experience and in my experience with assisting mothers during pregnancy, birth, and the post-partum period, I came to fully appreciate that giving birth and becoming a parent are really the beginning of the formation of a new identity. The shift into parenthood is full of so many gifts and losses all messily tied together, and often this transition takes more time than realized, with more questions and concerns arising than ever imagined. It's a great blessing to be an advocate for people going through this amazing time in their life. Being a doula has given me a great and deep understanding and appreciation of the pregnancy and birth process, I'm well versed in complications, breast-feeding and other physical issues that mothers face. I draw on my counseling skills to direct other issues related to new parenthood- relationship shifts, identity crisis, self-care, and forming a new positive self-narrative, for instance. While my therapy skills inform my coaching, they also help me clearly define the difference between coaching and therapy. With therapy the issues and the work are deeper and often more complex, with an element of crisis or general dissatisfaction, sometimes with causes that may be unknown. Parents who are appropriate for coaching are those that are functioning well in most areas of life but feel they'd benefit from getting help to deal with issues related to the transition to parenting. If you are in need of treatment for depression or other mental health diagnosis, coaching would not be the right fit. If in my coaching practice I feel that the issues may be in need of deeper work or the attention of a therapist, I will refer you out. (Please see the links on my blog for further clarification on the differences between therapy and coaching). My coaching approach focuses on developing attainable goals and then helping you find your way to those goals using focused, short-term strategies. Generally great progress is made in a minimal amount of sessions, and my approach is to empower choices and thought processes that will continue to support my clients beyond the time they are receiving services.

Practice Areas/Issues Treated

Therapy  Anger Management  Anxiety and Panic  Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)  Body Image Issues  Caregiver Issues  Chronic Illness  Couples  Depression  Divorce  Eating Disorders  Grief and Loss  Life Transitions  Loneliness  Marriage & Family Therapy  Marriage Counseling  Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder  Online / Teletherapy  Pre and Postpartum Mental Health  Relationship Issues  Self-Esteem Issues  Seniors and Elder Care Issues  Stress Management  Trauma and PTSD  Work and Career Issues

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