Supporting Mental Health in All Stages of Motherhood

Mother’s Day comes around once a year, often with well-meaning breakfast-in-bed attempts, half-deflated balloons, and cards that say “You’re the best!” in crayon. It’s sweet. It’s appreciated. But when the toast crumbs are vacuumed out of the sheets and the glitter settles, the truth is this: Motherhood is not just a moment—it’s every moment. And it’s a lot.

From growing a human to raising one (or several), the emotional and mental load of motherhood is relentless. It’s beautiful, yes—but it’s also exhausting, overwhelming, and, frankly, a bit loud. Whether you’re nursing a newborn at 3am or driving a pre-teen to their fifth sports practice of the week while fielding work emails and managing the group chat for the end-of-year party, we see you. We are you. And we’re here to talk about it.

Pregnancy: You're Glowing!

(But Mostly Just Nauseous and Googling Stuff at 2am)

Pregnancy is painted as magical, but in reality? You're bloated, exhausted, and wondering if your baby has ears yet—while also contemplating the logistics of labor and why everyone suddenly wants to touch your stomach. 

Emotionally, it’s even messier. Anxiety about the unknown, fears about labor and delivery, body image struggles, mood swings that make you feel like a stranger in your own skin—these are all normal, but rarely talked about in the glowing highlight reel of pregnancy. Add in unsolicited advice, expectations about how you should feel, and the societal pressure to love every moment, and it’s easy to feel isolated or overwhelmed.

At BestLife, we support expectant moms in understanding that you don’t have to love every minute to be a great mom. Therapy during pregnancy offers a safe space to process your emotions, talk through your worries without judgment, and prepare mentally—not just for the birth itself, but for the identity shift that comes with becoming a parent. Our goal is to help you feel grounded, supported, and emotionally equipped to step into this next phase of life with confidence (and ideally, a little more sleep).

Postpartum: Welcome to the Fourth Trimester

(Also Known as “What Just Happened?”)

The baby’s here, and suddenly you’re responsible for a tiny person who doesn’t sleep, eats every two hours, and communicates only through screaming. You love them fiercely. But you’re also running on zero sleep, dealing with healing, adjusting to new routines, and quietly wondering why no one talks about how lonely this can feel.

Whether it’s postpartum anxiety, depression, birth trauma, or just plain overwhelm from the nonstop cycle of feeding, changing, and wondering if you’re doing any of it “right”, know this: you’re not broken, and you’re not alone. The fourth trimester is real—and it’s hard. Even when you’re surrounded by love, the emotional toll of adjusting to life with a newborn can feel like uncharted territory.

Our perinatal mental health specialists offer judgment-free, personalized therapy to help you find your footing in this brand-new world of spit-up, survival snacks, and suddenly having to Google everything from sleep schedules to swaddling techniques. We’re here to help you reconnect with yourself, feel more like you, and navigate early motherhood with support, not shame.

Toddlers to Young Kids

Sippy Cups, Schedules, and “Why” 14,000 Times a Day

Motherhood in this stage is equal parts chaos and charm. One minute you're building Lego castles and the next you're refereeing a meltdown because the toast is too “toasty.” It’s a time of complete mental overload, where your day is filled with small humans needing snacks, attention, explanations, and all of your energy.

Here’s where the mental health load multiplies. You're managing:

• Preschool drop-off logistics

• Potty training negotiations

• Career demands

• A desperate need for five minutes alone

Therapy during this stage is crucial in helping moms reclaim their sense of self, build emotional boundaries, and learn how to balance caring for others without losing themselves in the process.

Moms of School-Age Kids & Teens

Activities, Attitudes, and Calendar Chaos

You stored the diapers and bottles - yay! It can only get easier from here. Incorrect. You thought the toddler years were busy, but now you’re dealing with sports schedules, homework help, teenage mood swings, and nightly family dinners that feel more like negotiations. You’re expected to be the driver, cheerleader, therapist, project manager, and social coordinator, all while trying to maintain friendships, relationships, and maybe a hobby—if those still exist.

This stage brings its own brand of stress: worrying about your kids’ mental health while quietly pushing your own to the back burner. You're managing school drop-offs, sports schedules, homework meltdowns, and social media dramas—all while juggling work, relationships, and whatever version of self-care you can squeeze in. You might feel like you’re doing “fine,” but fine isn’t the same as supported. 

Therapy can offer the space to unpack the exhaustion, the guilt, the changing identity, and the emotional labor that doesn’t magically disappear once your kids start sleeping through the night. It's about making room for your own needs, too—because being a parent doesn’t mean putting yourself last forever.

Meet Nicole Farrell, LPC, PMH-C - Here for Every Stage

At BestLife, we’re proud to have Nicole Farrell, a Licensed Professional Counselor and certified Perinatal Mental Health Professional (PMH-C) through Postpartum Support International. Nicole brings warmth, realness, and deep expertise to moms at all stages—whether you’re just seeing that second pink line or trying to figure out how to connect with your teen.

With a Master’s Degree from Rowan University, Nicole specializes in:

• Perinatal and postpartum mental health

• Anxiety, depression, self-worth, motivation

• Life transitions and grief

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for practical, results-driven care

She also understands the juggle personally—as a mom herself, she knows how it feels to show up for everyone else while trying not to lose sight of who you are.

How BestLife Supports Moms Like You

We offer individual therapy, perinatal mental health services, couples counseling, and flexible telehealth sessions so you can fit mental health support into your very full life. Whether you need someone to talk to once a week or just want help untangling the mental to-do list, we’re here.

Our team supports:

• New moms navigating postpartum

• Working moms balancing career and caregiving

• Moms facing burnout, stress, or anxiety

• Moms seeking emotional space to reconnect with themselves

This Mother's Day, Give Yourself More Than Flowers - Give Yourself Support.

Motherhood is beautiful, but let’s be honest—it’s also a wild ride. If you’re feeling unseen, stretched thin, or just need a space that’s just for you, therapy can help.

You don’t have to earn rest. You don’t have to wait until it gets worse. You deserve care now.

Contact BestLife Counseling Services today to schedule a session with Nicole or one of our licensed therapists. We’re here—because supporting moms is more than a moment. It’s what we do.