In Person and Online Counselling Services

01.

Trying to Conceive

Difficulties with conceiving or maintaining a pregnancy can be deeply painful and distressing. This period often brings a range of complex feelings that can be hard to understand or manage.

For those undergoing IVF, the experience can be both physically and emotionally demanding, impacting many aspects of life, including relationships, work, and your sense of self.

You may feel isolated or alone, particularly if you have chosen not to share your experience with others or feel that those around you don’t fully understand what you’re going through.

Counselling offers a compassionate, confidential space where you can explore your feelings with a trusted professional, away from family and friends. It can provide support through the mix of hope, disappointment, and uncertainty that often accompanies the journey of trying to conceive. By helping you understand and process your emotions, counselling can also empower you to prioritise your own well-being and feel held as you navigate this deeply personal and sometimes overwhelming time.

02.

Miscarriage and Baby Loss

The loss of pregnancy or baby brings about a deeply personal and unique grief. You may experience a wide range of emotions, including sadness, anger, confusion, numbness, or moments of helplessness and despair.

The physical experience of a miscarriage and stillbirth can also be especially traumatic, with emotional impacts that may continue to be felt long after your loss.

Many people feel isolated during this period, particularly when the depth of their grief feels unseen or misunderstood. You may be carrying your grief quietly while trying to continue with daily life.

If you are considering pregnancy again, or are pregnant after a previous loss, it’s common to feel a mix of emotions. Alongside hope, there may be fear, guilt, anxiety, or uncertainty — all of which are natural and understandable.

Counselling offers a safe and compassionate space to explore your grief, process your trauma, and have your experience understood. With support, you can feel less alone and better able to process your feelings as you navigate this deeply painful and personal loss.

03.

Pregnancy

Pregnancy brings many physical and emotional changes, and it’s natural to feel anxious or uncertain during this time.

Societal expectations often portray pregnancy as a time of joy and “glow,” but not everyone experiences it this way. It’s common to feel grief, guilt, or disappointment when your experience doesn’t match what you expected. You may be coping with morning sickness, hyperemesis, or other complications, which can be physically and emotionally exhausting. You may have concerns about your baby's health, your own wellbeing or the upcoming birth.

It is also a time of profound psychological change. During which it is normal to have mixed emotions about changes to your body, your sense of identity, and what kind of parent you will be, as well as to wonder how a new baby may affect your family.

Counselling offers a compassionate and confidential space to explore and understand these experiences. With support, you can feel less alone in your anxiety, better prepared for birth and the postnatal period, and more able to connect with and enjoy your baby.

04.

Birth Trauma

If you have experienced a difficult or traumatic birth, it can leave a lasting emotional impact on you and your relationship with your baby. You may notice heightened anxiety, find yourself tearful or experiencing intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, or distressing dreams.

You may feel uncertain about whether your birth experience “counts” as difficult, or feel that your experience has not been fully recognised or validated.

With the arrival of a baby, there is often little space to process what you have been through. It is common for feelings about the birth to remain unspoken, even as they continue to surface in everyday life.

Alternatively, you may be a partner or support person who is struggling after witnessing a loved one experience a traumatic birth.

Counselling offers a compassionate and supportive space to explore and process your birth experience. With someone alongside you, it is possible to lessen its hold on the present and begin to feel more settled, supported, and connected.

05.

Postnatal and Early Parenthood

Caring for a new baby can be both physically and emotionally demanding. Feeding challenges, sleep deprivation, and significant hormonal or bodily changes can all take their toll.

This period can feel especially vulnerable as you adjust to changes in your body, identity, and sense of self. Emotions connected to your own childhood experiences may resurface, sometimes unexpectedly, and can be difficult to understand or process.

It is common for parents and caregivers to experience low mood, anxiety, or depression during the postnatal period. Postnatal depression affects more than 1 in 10 people who give birth within the first year, and emotional difficulties can also affect non-birthing parents.

You may find yourself struggling with bonding with your baby, feeling uncertain or lacking confidence in your role as a parent or caregiver, experiencing intrusive or unwanted thoughts and feelings, or having difficulties with how you see, value, or relate to yourself.

Counselling can help you make sense of what you are going through and remind you that you are not alone. It offers a safe, supportive space to explore your experiences, find relief, and move forward when things feel overwhelming or hopeless.

06.

Termination of Pregnancy

If you’ve experienced a termination of pregnancy, whether recently or in the past, you may not have felt able to talk about your experience. Societal messages, debates, and judgments around choice can make it difficult to fully acknowledge your own deeply personal experience.

There are many reasons people choose to terminate a pregnancy, including medical considerations, personal or emotional health, financial or social circumstances, family circumstances, or trauma-related reasons. Whatever your reasons, the decision can be complex, and you may not have experienced it as entirely voluntary — it can be a deeply difficult and emotional choice.

Going through a termination can bring up a wide range of emotions, which may feel overwhelming if faced alone. These can include anger, sadness, guilt, grief, and more. Many women feel they do not have the right to grieve, yet these feelings are valid and can influence how you navigate your life afterwards.

Counselling offers a safe and confidential space to process your experience and explore your feelings. It can help you understand your experience and feelings, work through them, and feel more held and supported as you navigate life after your decision.