"Parents are tricked into thinking that being ready for a child means having a room perfectly set up, getting diapers of all sizes and properly installing a car seat.
Really, the greatest tool that isn't given is the opportunity to develop us, the parent."
-Shaina Morton, Connect First Family Therapy
How many people would succeed the first day of a new job if they walked in the door, were paced in front of a computer, patted on the back, and left alone to figure it all out?
You wouldn't start a career without training, but so many of us jump into parenting not knowing whether we have the tools we need to succeed.
Studies show that about 40% of adults didn't have a secure attachment with their parents when they were children.*
"You can not lead a child to a place of healing if you do not know the way yourself."
- Karyn B. Purvis
As we become parents, the relationships we knew when we were very young can have a surprising influence on the connections we form with our own children.
{Pre}Parenting counseling is designed to address your story of attachment as a way to prepare you to become the parent you want to be.
“If you had premarital counseling, the lessons you learned helped you prepare for your marriage. The lessons you will learn in {Pre}Parenting counseling will help you prepare for the relationship with your child; and not only your child but with your spouse, because that relationship is changing as well.”
-Trey, Expecting Father
By planning to connect first, you will be able to build a secure attachment which will affect your child’s future emotional, behavioral, social and philological health. Find out more about Attachment Theory by clicking here.
may be for you if:
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You are expecting your first child
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You are adopting a child
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You are becoming a parent again
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You experienced trauma as a child and are now expecting a child
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You want to help anticipate the way you will parent your own children
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You want help understanding your connection with your children
"Adoptive parents become the biological parents through connection. We change their biology." - Dr. Karyn Purvis
What Parents are saying about{Pre}Parenting counseling:
"My favorite part of counseling was diving into the physiology of the brain…it was very enlightening for me and a really good reminder that I am a huge part of that development."
"In {pre}parenting counseling, you are not just focusing on how you will react to a stressful situation, but how you as a couple will react to it and how you can support the other person in it.”
“Shaina was very personable… she was really down to earth and easy to relate to. We really enjoyed talking with her.”
just plan to complete counseling about a month before you expect to welcome your new child
*A study done by Princetown University of 14,000 US children in 2014 found that 40% of them lacked a secure attachment. This study has been replicated over and over again.