Online Therapy in VA & MD
Cara Root, MSSW, LCSW
Hi! I’m Cara.
I help moms and moms-in-waiting navigate the waters of motherhood (or desiring motherhood), their relationships, and their own worries that keep them from enjoying the present and having hope for the future.
This is not how you expected your life to be.
Motherhood is HARD. And while there are plenty of parenting books, there is no manual for your child (or children…because they are all different). You feel like you are drowning in a mixture of worry, fatigue, unmet needs, and so, so many crumbs. You do not know how many years it has been since you had a full night sleep without someone needing you. And even if you have not had someone needing you, your mind will not stop moving long enough to allow you to really rest. You feel like you are failing at this. But, mama, I’ve got you.
You might feel like you have lost who you used to be in the midst of caring for others. Your marriage might feel different too, even maybe some resentment building toward your husband or distance in communication and connection as you have been in the parenting trenches. When you have the responsibility of guiding and teaching others, sometimes it feels like your needs and wants get lost in the shuffle. Or are not as important as the needs of others. You matter too, and we can find a balance to allow enjoyment to be a part of your life again for you (and yes, this then benefits your kids and spouse too!).
Or you may be struggling to get pregnant or carry a baby to life outside of the womb. Infertility, pregnancy loss, and secondary infertility affect so many women, and it can be SO hard to talk about it. How is it that so many other women can do this so easily? They do not know the heartache of seeing yet another negative pregnancy test month after month. They do not know the loneliness of the loss of a baby, even if you are the only one who knew they were growing inside of you. But you do. You know it all too well. Your heart longs for a baby (or another baby), and even though you are happy for those around you with growing families, that does not mean you are not feeling broken. It doesn’t feel fair. I see you.
Sometimes it is because of hurts and unhealthy patterns that have developed as a result of your childhood.
Destructive family dynamics within your family growing up or traumatic events impact how you relate to others today. Try as you might, those have seeped into your marriage and your motherhood. You get triggered and all of a sudden you are not acting like the person you want to be. I can help you explore those memories, identify what is no longer working in your relationships, and help you actively change the way you relate to others in your life.
Sometimes it is grief over the life you thought you’d have right now or have in the future.
This is not how you wanted it to be or envisioned it. And you feel stuck. You feel disillusioned. You feel disappointed. I help my clients accept the differences in their current circumstances and problem solve to move forward in the direction they want to go. We change what we can control and work to accept what we cannot.
Sometimes you just do not know why you feel this way now.
On paper (or Instagram), your life seems great. Nothing from the past or present seems bad enough to be causing these feelings. It does not make sense to you why you are unhappy or anxious. But you are. I help my clients find the pieces of their puzzle to find relief.
Many of my clients are Christians, and yes, believers can still experience anxiety and depression and dissatisfaction in their lives. It is not a failure of your faith that is causing you to still be enduring those challenges. There is a reason the Bible says to not fear so many times - we, as humans, are prone to fear and worry! I am happy to incorporate scripture, prayer, and support from a Biblically based worldview into our work together if that is beneficial to you and requested by you.
Before my clients come in to therapy they are weary of the struggle and weight of their worry, their grief, their trauma, their sadness, their fear of failing.
Like my clients, you deserve to feel grounded, confident, content, and hopeful for the future. It will not be this way forever, and I can help you get through it.