I am tired of self-care being shoved at women as one more thing to find the time and manage to do for themselves.  

I want to reframe self-care as a compassionate kindness and necessity.

Self-care, as it is sold to us, is not sustainable. When something is not sustainable an inevitable struggle to maintain consistency occurs. 

I struggle with making the time, space and room for self-care. I understand when people say that they don’t have any time because I put myself on the end of the list, t…

For me, being a mom can sometimes feel like never having time to recover before the next thing happens. Situations arise, my children need me, meals have to be made, laundry folded, a lost toy located. It can feel like a lot all of the time.

But what I’ve also noticed is helpful, is to be able to slow down in those moments, take deep breaths, not let the chaos envelope me. Instead making way to embrace the calm.

I also know that those tools are easier to access when I ensure I have opportuniti…

If you haven’t noticed, I am on a big self-care kick.

I am not talking about mani/pedis, massages or deep dive in your tub with the newest CBD bath balm. Those things are great! And, truthfully, they are only treating the symptom of something much larger. 

In last week’s blog, I filled you in, a tiny bit, about the science behind small shifts for big changes, the limbic part of your beautiful brain and integrating limbic calming techniques to create new pathways for calm. 

There are quite a n…

I have been seeing “Small changes for big movement”, “Little steps for great strides” and similar quotes, flood my social media these days. 

I gotta tell you, I am loving it! 

I have carried this daily mantra for years. I initially picked up the phrase, “small things often” from the Gottmans in regards to relationships and it has changed the way I approach my life. 

I imagine the next big thing you will start seeing is talk about our limbic brain and the powerful presence it plays in our li…

I’ll be honest.

I used to hold my breath and wait for the perfect present.

You know the one – the one that you can’t even fully articulate, but if your partner bought it for you, it would make your life complete.

That happened one Valentine’s Day, our first.

My husband (my then boyfriend) nailed it and I was beyond pleasantly surprised.

And then there I was, speechless and expectant every subsequent year, waiting for him to do the one thing I hadn’t asked for.

And then, being disappointed …

Politics.

Nothing could have been more boring to me when I was younger.

I find it fascinating to watch my children grow and find things they are interested in, for example, politics. What I once found boring and had no interest in when I was younger, they are very engaged in.

They are excited about the debates, different perspectives and current events. They ask questions about things they hear from friends at school (or on Zoom), on the radio or from conversations between Rick and me.

This …

Insurance Deductibles and Superbills and Self-Pay, Oh my!

Often, when new clients come to me, they already know what they need. They’re ready to do the work that therapy will inevitably ask of them. They often can tell if they want to work with me or not. Typically, they’re ready to book that first appointment. The only question left is: How will the sessions be paid for?

There’s no one right way to handle this. It really depends on a person’s situation. Some clients prefer to pay out-of-pocke…

I just learned that today, January 17th, is National Ditch Your Resolution Day. Did you know that was even a thing? I sure didn’t.

I mean, we all know that basically, every gym is going to be crowded in January and empty by March. We know that less than half of people who make resolutions don’t accomplish them by the end of the year.  In fact, according to U.S. News, 80% of New Year’s Resolutions fail by the second week of February!  

But still. The thought that there is a national holiday…

What is it like as a dad or co-parent when your partner has Postpartum Depression or Anxiety?

Well, "difficult" would be an understatement. Imagine you and your partner have the baby you’ve always wanted, but mom is just not herself anymore and you don’t know how to make things better. It can feel helpless or hopeless. It can feel frustrating. You might feel angry or impulsive. Or worried or sad. Or numb. Or way too preoccupied with tending to her needs and feelings that you have no ide…

When you think of meditation, what do you imagine?  

If I had to guess, I bet you’re picturing something like this:

Sure, looks ideal, right? 

But in a mom’s reality, it probably looks more like this:

Or, it might look even more like this.

That’s totally OK!  We need to let go of that perfect image of zen and realize that we can find a little moment of peace anywhere as long as we know how to do it.

There are so many different ways that you can find some calm in your daily…

Earlier this month, Catherine O'Brien, LMFT was interviewed by Katayune Kaeni, Psy.D. for the "Mom & Mind Podcast".

In the interview, Catherine talks about how she found her true passion in her work, how she supports both moms and dads during the transition into parenthood, and her special affinity for all moms regardless of the differences in experience or technique. Catherine shares the importance of maintaining the connection to your partner during this transition and highlights that the…

By now, you’re used to seeing my weekly interviews with moms of all sorts from all over the country on my blog and in your inbox.  

But recently, PsychCentral turned the tables and asked to interview ME! So, if you’d like to know more about why I do what I do, what I’m most passionate about, and what I want ALL moms to know.

Clinicians on the Couch:  10 Questions with Catherine O’Brien

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