Karen Potter
Psychotherapy
Camberwell, Vic
Perinatal and Infant-Parent
This area includes the whole period from thinking about having a baby, conceiving (or not), through pregnancy, birthing, post-natal and the early parenting of infants and toddlers. As much as it can be exciting, it is often a time equally charged with anxiety, ambivalence, guilt, uncertainty and a whole range of other feelings. It is a stage that often brings to mind (consciously or unconsciously) feelings about ones own experience of being a child to their mother/father.
Karen works with parent(s) on any issues that arise during this stage, such as:
- Fertility/conception issues
- Anxiety and/or depression during pregnancy
- Pregnancy, stillbirth or the loss of an infant/toddler
- Twin pregnancy – the complications and/or losses
- Problems/trauma during birth
- Depression and/or anxiety postnatally
- Issues with infants sleeping, feeding, or settling
- Infant/toddler behaviours concerns, disorders, genetic anomalies, special needs
- Managing twins with or without older children
- Infant attachment or parent bonding issues
- Struggling with the changes in family dynamics and/or in becoming a mother/parent
Many of the above are common in the transition to and through early parenthood. As such, the support of a perinatal specialist can help to develop deeper understanding, and build on skills and capacities to work through these issues and enjoy family life even more.
Parenting
Raising children is one of the most important roles in life and it can also be the most challenging. All parents want to be the best they can for their children, but sometimes this can be difficult. Parents can experience: uncertainty, anxiety, frustration, guilt, irritability, doubt, sadness, feeling out-of-control and overwhelm.
Understanding and working through the experiences and emotions as well as learning parenting skills can help parents feel more satisfied and competent in their daily life and in their relationships with their children. Also, many parents are now experiencing and facing their child(ren) being diagnosed with ADHD, ASD and/or other diagnoses. Not only can the behaviours and emotional dysregulation be very challenging and distressing for parents but what it means for the child and family is often filled with many emotions including grief.
With this understanding, Karen works with parents providing a safe and supportive space to explore and understand all the range of feelings. Developmental information, education, support, guidance, and strategies are offered. She also works with adoptive and foster parents as well as couples to deepen and strengthen the couple bond, at a time when it is significantly under stress, with many demands. In addition, Karen works with parents of adult children, and when/if needed the parent/adult child together.
Individuals & Couples
Individual psychotherapy is for those wanting to develop a deeper understanding of oneself, ones relationships and life. This involves increasing self-awareness and the capacity to see oneself honestly and compassionately as well as providing cognitive and behavioural strategies. Karen works with individuals who either already have a diagnosed mental health condition or may be exploring whether they might have one.
Couples therapy is for those who wish to resolve issues in their relationship and/or to build a stronger bond between one another. In couples therapy, we explore the relationship in many ways. Improving communication skills and developing appreciation and understanding toward one another are often central aspects.
Karen also works with individuals and couples through transitions in life, including the beginnings and endings of: relationships, work, health, home and the losses or the death of important people and pets. The end of life phase includes when living well and healthy, receiving a life-limiting diagnosis and/or during the period toward death. When living well we start to become more aware and reflective about life, our mortality and the last phase of our own life and our loved ones.
Transitional times offer us an opportunity to delve deeper into ourselves, to change, heal and grow. They often involve many mixed emotions including anxiety, confusion, uncertainty, excitement, relief, shock, fear and grief. The end of life phase can include any or all of these emotions as well as bereavement.
Supervision & Mentoring
Karen offers clinical supervision to practitioners seeking support, guidance and/or processing around their work with clients. Supervision helps to further develop knowledge and understanding of issues that arise for clients. It can expand and deepen the understanding of the relational issues that can arise between practitioners and clients. In addition, supervision builds greater capacity and offers skills and tools to manage all the various issues that can arise.
The mentoring relationship is an extremely rewarding experience. It is a one-on-one opportunity for learning, encouragement, support, guidance, and development in any or all areas of one’s life. This process is about exploring and clarifying who and where you are now in life, and who/where you want to be and identifies how to get there. It could be about life in general, in work, and/or relationships.