Mothering Support for caregivers living with Post Traumatic Stress
with Joyelle Brandt
my dream for you…
I want you to know that you are not alone in what you are struggling with. I want you to know that you are not crazy or irrevocably broken. I want you to know your own strength. I want you to be able to identify when you are experiencing a trigger and be able to coach yourself through that moment with self compassion. I want you to start feeling again. Slowly and safely and a little bit at a time. I want you to find more joy in your days with your kids, more connection. I want you to be able to set boundaries, and to know when it is appropriate to set boundaries. I want you to feel connected to a wider community of survivors. I want you to know that although there is no end point, no magical final stage of recovery, that healing is possible.
I have heard from hundreds of moms who live with post traumatic stress from childhood abuse. They have put in the hours with therapists, and still they are struggling to manage life as a parent. They need support from someone who has been there and will really understand. That’s where I come in. As a mom, educator and compassionate witness, I am here to support you in your healing. I know what it is like to parent while managing flashbacks to childhood sexual abuse. I know how hard it can be when you feel so out-of-control, and life seems so overwhelming.
Together you and I will spend 4 weeks exploring:
-how Adverse Childhood Experiences impact your mental health, physical health and core beliefs
-identifying trauma triggers and trauma reactions
-re-thinking personal boundaries for stronger connection with your loved ones
-building a personalized toolkit of self soothing strategies for you
So what does that look like?
During this 4 week period, we will have weekly 45-minute conversations via Skype. What we talk about will come from your current concerns and from writing prompts as well as short reading assignments and the occasional fun art exploration to help you better understand the post traumatically stressed brain. Exactly what that looks like will vary from person to person.
After the initial 4 week period has finished, you can decide to finish working together, continue on a monthly or bi-weekly basis, or to have an occasional check-in sessions whenever needed.
How much does this cost?
The rate for our first 4 weeks is $375 and individual follow up sessions are $75.
Here are some of the key frameworks that inform our work together:
Trauma Informed: What does this mean for you? It means that we work from a strengths-based framework, understanding that you have survived to this point because of the tools you developed, and we are now going to look at your toolkit and add to, subtract from, or adjust as needed. It means that we focus on creating a safe space for you, which means that you are always the one guiding our work together. It means that our work is collaborative.
Peer Support: What does this mean for you? This means that together we create a supportive relationship through our shared lived experiences. Peer support is often used in conjunction with counseling or other therapy. For more information about what peer support is and is not, click here.
Intersectional Feminist: What does this mean for you? I am approaching this work through a social justice lens, understanding that Adverse Childhood Experiences exist in conjunction with Adverse Community Environments, which includes systemic racism, homophobia, transphobia, poverty, sizism and community disruption. I come to this work acknowledging my privilege as a cis-gendered white women in a relationship with a white man.
Body Positive: What does this mean for you? I work from a weight neutral perspective, which means that our work together never assumes that weight loss is a goal. My framework is informed by the Well Now approach developed by Lucy Aphramor, which emphasizes self compassion and self acceptance as core factors in a healthier relationship with our bodies and with food. As someone who has struggled throughout her life with body image and weight issues, it is important to me that our work together dismantles the diet industry’s hold on women’s lives, and questions current notions of “health.”
Healing through Creativity: What does this mean for you? As a writer and artist, I know from personal experience that there is so much healing value in creativity. This does not mean that you need to be a trained artist or writer, it means that we can use these tools in our work together to explore issues that are coming up for you, and you will never be asked to share your art or writing with anyone else unless you want to.
Creating Community: What does this mean for you? Through the Parenting with PTSD support group, you are connected with a community of survivors who are willing to share their wisdom, experience, and resources. Connecting with other abuse survivors is empowering and helps to normalize our reactions and experiences.
Are you ready for unconditional support and guidance? Fill in the form below to arrange a free consultation call to discuss whether this program is right for you.
Parenting with PTSD 