Contigo Child and Family

31/12/2025

The past year has been a significant one for my family as we welcomed another child, and a quieter period for Contigo Child and Family.

As we move into the year ahead, I’m pleased to announce that I have reopened my practice and am now offering perinatal mental health counselling and trauma therapy via telehealth on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Supervision services are also available for child and family clinicians and early career social workers.

24/10/2025

Here is recent blog I wrote about sensory overload in motherhood

25/08/2025

17/07/2025

Birth trauma doesn’t always leave visible scars — but its impact can be deeply felt, long after the birth itself. For many women and birthing people, what was meant to be a life-changing moment of love and strength becomes a source of pain, confusion, or grief.
Too often, trauma isn’t just about what happened medically, but about how someone was made to feel — unheard, dismissed, afraid, or alone.
In honour of the voices that have gone unheard for too long, I’ve written a blog exploring the realities of birth trauma, the systems that contribute to it, and why trauma-informed, compassionate care matters so much. And the more people who stand up and say, this is not good enough, the more chance we have to prevent birth trauma — rather than trying to pick up the broken pieces afterwards.

Read the full blog here https://contigochildandfamily.godaddysites.com/blog-1/f/birth-trauma-understanding-the-bigger-picture

27/06/2024

09/04/2024

09/04/2024

The moment I looked at him I fell in love
He’s everything I ever wanted.
I’m exhausted after the birth, and I’m sore, but I’m so happy he’s here.
I keep counting his fingers and toes and smelling the top of his head and thinking, “You’re mine. You’re here!”
He’s perfect. I’m so happy. I’m so in love.

Nothing went the way I planned it. I’m still not really sure what happened — it’s all a blur. No one has really explained it yet either.
When they handed her to me I felt – nothing.
I feel numb.
I keep waiting for the love to arrive but it hasn’t yet.
Does this mean I’m not cut out to be a mother?
Can everyone tell that I’m a fraud?
Wasn’t this supposed to be the happiest time of my life?

The truth is, our experiences of motherhood can be so very different, even from baby to baby.
Remember that what you feel is valid. You’re not alone. And help is available if you’re struggling.

Art by

03/02/2024

Is your child booked in for a first visit? I have made a social story to help prepare younger children for their first therapy visit.

14/12/2023

19/11/2023

Movement is crucial for children's regulation as it helps them release energy, improve focus, and enhance mood. Physical activity stimulates the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, which play key roles in mood and attention. Additionally, movement can have a calming effect on the nervous system, helping children better manage stress and anxiety. Whether through structured activities or unstructured play, incorporating movement into a child's routine supports their overall well-being and contributes to emotional regulation.

13/11/2023

Play your way

29/10/2023

Something to start off the week

Here's a few things that I'm working on. Will you work on one of them with me this week?

“This week, I will…”

-Notice three things that you love about your child or student who you’ve been having a hard time with. When you notice, take a deep breath, live in that moment, and appreciate them. (Then tell them about it if you can!)

-Pause at a time when your brain wants to react immediately. Just pause. Even if your eventual reaction is the same. Practice pausing and having that reaction (or a different, more measured reaction) 5 seconds later, or 10 seconds later, or after you’ve said aloud “Hmmmmm…let me think…” so you know it’s coming from your thoughts instead of from your impulses.

-Say “yes” to one thing that you would have said “no” to, not because the “no” was actually important, but just because it was a mild inconvenience or mild annoyance or because you are in the habit of being a little too over-controlling.

-Something else; tell me in the comments.

[Image description: The multiple choice options from the caption written on white bubbles presented with A, B, C, D in a multiple choice format on a pale blue background with purple and pink hearts and swirls on it. End description.]