New & Expecting Parents
Becoming parents is one of life’s most exciting transitions: joyful, but also exhausting and overwhelming.
In the midst of navigating this new life phase, it’s common for your relationship to slip to the back burner. While it’s true that partnerships often change when we welcome little humans into the mix (and satisfaction can dip), that dip is not inevitable.
Your relationship can thrive in this chapter, and a strong partnership can be your greatest resource for navigating the emotional and physical challenges of parenthood.
As a mom of two young boys, I know firsthand how overwhelming the transition to parenthood can feel.
From my own experience, and from supporting many couples through this stage, I’ve learned that guided, intentional conversations about the changes you’re facing can make all the difference. With support, you can navigate this chapter as a team and come out not just intact, but stronger than ever.
I offer two ways to work with me: one-on-two sessions for deeper, more personalized support, or group sessions for shared learning and connection. You can choose the option that best fits your needs, schedule, and budget.
Tending To Your Twosome
An 8-session program just for the two of you to strengthen your partnership as you become parents.
This is my signature program designed to create space to discuss the hard and important questions in a supportive, confidential setting with just the two of you and me. Each session focuses on a different key topic while still leaving room to adapt or extend our work if you’d like to go deeper. This program is best done with one session per week but can be expedited with biweekly sessions if you are getting close to your due date. Click below for a breakdown of topics we will cover.
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8 sessions with options to add more sessions if needed.
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In person in Oakland (Rockridge) or Walnut Creek or virtual
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$190 per session (sessions are 50 minutes)
Prepare Your Partnership for Parenthood
A 1 day intensive group workshop to build your skills and create community.
Drawing from the Gottman Institute’s Bringing Baby Home Program, this workshop can help prepare you for life with a baby, teaching you skills to navigate conflict and communication with your partner and foster your baby’s development. Click below for more information and to sign up. If no workshops are currently scheduled, you may add your name to the waitlist to be notified of future offerings.
Please note: this workshop is for educational purposes only and is not a replacement for therapy.
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6 hours (10 am-4 pm) on a Saturday or Sunday
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Held at Loving Arms Childbirth Services in Emeryville
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$250 per couple
Relationship Reboot for Postpartum Parents
A 2 hour mini-workshop for reconnecting in a deep and meaningful way.
This bite size workshop was designed for parents within the first year of postpartum and especially for those hitting the 3-5 month milestone. You’ve emerged from the newborn haze, you’re contemplating a return to work, and now you’re supposed to be back to some kind of regular life? But everything is different now and staying connected to your partner may feel harder than ever. Spend two hours being together in a structured and purposeful way without the pressure of a date night!
Please note: this workshop is for educational purposes only and is not a replacement for therapy.
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2 hours (10 am-12 pm) on a Saturday or Sunday
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Held at Loving Arms Childbirth Services in Emeryville
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$100 per couple
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Tending To Your Twosome and Prepare Your Partnership for Parenthood are both programs that can help you strengthen your relationship and prepare for the addition of a baby to your family. The Prepare Your Partnership for Parenthood workshop is for educational purposes and happens in a group setting while Tending To Your Twosome will feel more like therapy and offers a deeper and more personalized level of exploration and discussion. The Relationship Reboot workshop is focused specifically on supporting couples who are in the first year postpartum to reconnect with each other. The best way to figure out which program is best for you is to set up a consultation with me. I can explain the differences and we can figure out what the best fit is for you.
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If you already have little ones, then you know just how valuable it can be to really be on the same page as your partner. Prepare Your Partnership for Parenthood is geared more towards expecting couples and offers an opportunity to build community with other soon to be parents, but Tending To Your Twosome can easily be tailored to your situation whether you are expecting or already have kids. If you are in the first year after having a baby (your first, second, third, whatever!) and want something small to start you on the road to reconnection, the Relationship Reboot is designed for you.
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The Prepare Your Partnership for Parenthood and Relationship Reboot workshops are only offered in-person, which helps to encourage connections with other couples who are in the same boat. Both are held at Loving Arms Childbirth Services in Emeryville, a warm and welcoming space. Although in-person is preferable for the Tending To Your Twosome program, virtual is a possibility if there are scheduling or location constraints.
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Although you can start Tending to Your Twosome at any time during your pregnancy, I think it will be most effective if you do in the second or third trimester through the first year postpartum. Remember to account for the fact that Tending To Your Twosome requires at least 4 weeks if done with biweekly sessions (weekly sessions over 8 weeks is preferred to give you time to integrate what we work on) so it’s best not to start any later than 30-32 weeks. If you decide to do Tending To Your Twosome in your first trimester or early in your second, I can offer a refresher session closer to your due date. Prepare Your Partnership for Parenthood can be done any time during pregnancy but will be most effective closer to your due date when things are starting to feel real. The Relationship Reboot is for couples in the first year postpartum and is particularly useful once you hit the 3 month mark when the newborn haze has receded.