Vessel Therapy Services

17/07/2025

31/05/2025

“When I truly reflect on my idea that my child is not grateful, I so often come to realise that the truth causing a pang in my heart is my expectation of them to be grateful for something they don’t have another experience to compare this one to, and that’s not their responsibility.

Being with whatever rests within me, whether it be sadness, grief, loss, is not for my child to be concerned with.”

Is this my child’s lack of gratitude, or is it my grief?

There are times I catch myself thinking my child is ‘ungrateful’ for the life they have the privilege of having.

So many of us will recall being told as children we don’t know how lucky we are - how our parents and caregivers had it so much worse than us. And that is not necessarily untrue.

There are times we don’t know our fortune or privilege, because the only experience we have is the one we’re having. We can absolutely learn from others about their lived experience, but that will never be the same as being ‘in’ the depths of the same hardships, or being ‘with’ the same emotional experiences that accompany those experiences.

When I truly reflect on my idea that my child is not grateful, I so often come to realise that the truth causing a pang in my heart is my expectation of them to be grateful for something they don’t have another experience to compare this one to, and that’s not their responsibility.

Being with whatever rests within me, whether it be sadness, grief, loss, is not for my child to be concerned with.

As I walked along, feeling the crunch of autumn leaves beneath my feet, breathing in the fresh, free air and feeling into the immense gratitude I have for my life, my freedom; I realised that my child is not having the same childhood I had.

My child is grateful. But they don’t feel the same depth and intensity of gratitude for such simple things as I, because it has always been available to them. They’ve had the privilege of knowing they are PDA, autistic, from early childhood and embracing this. They’ve known how to self advocate and that their no is a no.

And that same child, in what might seem oblivion, is also the person that will out racism, sexism, ableism, will take a stand for others unapologetically and without reservation. They’ll call out unacceptable behaviour from others (including me) and hold fast to their boundaries, no matter what threats loom.

When I think my child is being ungrateful simply because they don’t take in some aspects of life in the same way I do, it’s helpful for me to reflect on whether this experience is something I can bring back to me to be grateful for.

It’s okay for me to feel grief over a childhood I didn’t receive and to celebrate the one I am able to provide to my own children.

And it’s okay to allow my child to have the experiences they need in order to continue becoming the person they are supposed to be.

We are, after all, separate people.

KF

18/04/2025

I had intended on sharing my favorite Autistic voices on social media this month, and in true ADHD fashion I’m a little late. But this post lit a 🔥 under me

03/04/2025

In the spirit of autistic acceptance day, this picture saved me a ton of spoons in articulating the kind of message I want to send out today.

29/01/2025

“Inhale - The Body doesn’t lie,

Exhale - It remembers.

Inhale - I’m not foolish for feeling

Exhale - Fear can be a wisdom.”

Cole Arthur Riley

02/10/2024

I have been seriously slacking this year in my fundraising efforts, so please help me out in my sprint to the finish line in meeting my $500 fundraising goal for Climb Out of the Darkness.

Climb Out of the Darkness is a program of Postpartum Support International (PSI), and is the world's largest event raising funds and awareness for the mental health of new families. The organization has members all over the world, including volunteer coordinators in every one of the United States and in more than 36 other countries. PSI disseminates information and resources through its volunteer coordinators, website and annual conference. Its goal is to provide current information, resources, education, and to advocate for further research and legislation to support perinatal mental health.

To compensate, I will be *aggressively* hyping up the awesomeness that is PSI, as they have touched me as a mother, a mental health provider, and has, and will continue to make immense local and global impact. There are very few organizations that I "stan" this much!

https://give.postpartum.net/vesseltherapyservices

Join Team DelCo/ChesCo in supporting Postpartum Support International and the effort to raise awareness and provide mental health services to vulnerable families in need! 

15/09/2024

Please join me in participating in Climb Out of the Darkness this fall! Climb Out of the Darkness is a program of Postpartum Support International, and is the world's largest event raising funds and awareness for the mental health of new families.

I will be continuously promoting fundraising efforts online and will also have a table at the Team DelCo/ChesCo event on 10/5.

You can contribute to the cause by donating directly here ---> https://give.postpartum.net/vesseltherapyservices
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Join Team DelCo/ChesCo and create your own page to raise funds here ---> https://give.postpartum.net/team/582011
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Join us at our event on Saturday, October 5th 10:00 AM at Sleighton Park in Media, PA. https://www.facebook.com/share/aCwXunkz9kSgm4HV/

Postpartum Support International (PSI) provides direct peer support to families, trains professionals, and provides a bridge to connect them. It is our vision that every parent and family worldwide will have access to information, social support, and informed professional care to deal with mental health issues related to childbearing.

15/06/2024

What does it even mean to be neurodivergent-affirming???

First, I want to give the disclaimer that while neurodivergence actually encompasses many cognitive conditions that are pathologized outside of Autism and ADHD (you can learn more here --> https://www.vesseltherapyservices.com/understanding-neurodiversity ), for the purpose of this post I am referring to those particular neurotypes.

ADHD and Autism have long been defined by deficits, limitations, and impairments. Rather than a variation to be appreciated in a beautiful neurodiverse world, it has historically been viewed as an affliction or burden, an illness to cure. Neurodiversity reflects a more holistic view that values differences, emphasizes strengths, and acknowledges the challenges of being disabled.

In my practice of neurodiversity-affirming therapy, managing ADHD, for instance, is more than just executive function “hacks.” While I assist in managing the challenges identified by the clients, whether that means managing sensory overload, burnout, or disorganization, it is just as important to consider how society and neuro-normative standards have marginalized a neurodivergent client. I support clients in accepting and loving their square peg self and help them carve out their square hole in the world—or with whatever shape they identify!

Depending on where a client is on their journey of self-understanding or knowledge of neurodiversity, therapy with me may include:

***Education: Challenging misconceptions and providing different frameworks around neurodivergence.

***Neurotype Assessment: While I may not always be able to provide formal assessments that meet requirements for disability accommodations or medication, there are many other tools to help understand your unique modes for receiving or processing information, expressing and relating to others, experiencing sensory input, and meaningful engagement with people, places and things. This helps inform your needs, values, limits, and boundaries.

***Self-advocacy and adapting systems: Whether you desire to prevent or reduce burnout or optimize your functioning in certain settings, establishing your needs as important and worthy of being accommodated is often challenging for neurodivergent folx. I reinforce their importance and help strategize ways to have them accommodated whether it is through communication with employers or family members.

***Self-Regulation: This can include exploration of sensory profile, budgeting your energy, maintaining basic physiological needs, developing techniques to manage dysregulation, and honing the way you connect to emotions.

***Healing Shame: Exploring early life experiences, family relationships, and current stressors, I help clients identify painful core beliefs and shame narratives to adapt and cultivate compassion and self- acceptance. These pain points can often be deeply embedded in our nervous system and may benefit from a referral to specific trauma processing interventions.

***Clarification of values: One way to dispel the “shoulds” and measure what is “good enough” is by defining what matters through values.

If this approach resonates with you, please reach out! ----> https://www.vesseltherapyservices.com/contact

14/05/2024

07/05/2024

Someone had asked me how the newborn phase was for me, in terms of emotional and mental health and I had said something to the extent of "It was absolute hell, but it's supposed to be, right?"

There are realities of the postpartum and newborn phase that are unchangeable. Babies needing attention around the clock, which requires a lot of work. But does that work have to drain mothers of energy, deprive them of sleep, regular meals, and hygiene? Does it have to be hell?

My first was colicky, had reflux, and I couldn't keep up a consistent supply of breast milk. Being my first time experience, I had only the guidance of pediatricians and lactation consultants to tell me what options I had and what I should or shouldn't do, and nothing seemed to work or provide relief. Some older parents shared advice, but I either didn't think it applied to me, it conflicted with the "expert's" advice, or I was too far gone to be receptive.

Now, as a slightly more seasoned mom, a perinatal mental health therapist, and a human not in a constant fatigued fog, there's so much I would tell Me, as a first time mom. There are SO many resources to provide, so many different choice points than I thought at the time, and so many "shoulds" that I could have let go. I didn't know there was specialized mental health support for me then, I didn't know so many other moms struggled with the same issues. Nobody tells you about these parts and so many people have babies every day, I must be the exception, right?

Nope. I'm at least 1 in 5. If my experience resonates with you, you are not alone, and you don't have to do it alone.

06/05/2024

Not only is this Sunday Mother's Day, but this week is Maternal Mental Health Week!

I chose to specialize in maternal mental health, not only because of my own challenges and experiences, but because the universality of my experiences that so many other mothers share, behind closed doors. It astounds me especially how neglectful we are as a society to the perinatal period. This time of physical, mental, and emotional sensitivity and vulnerability that sets the stage for the caregiver-child relationship. A pivotal time in development, and a foundational building block of families and communities.

As important as this is, guess what: Mental health conditions are the most common complication of pregnancy and childbirth, affecting 1 in 5 mothers every year in the United States. Su***de and overdose are the leading causes of death in the first year postpartum, and the majority of these deaths are preventable. We need to do better!

I'll be sharing stories via Postpartum Support International and The Blue Dot Project and posting about maternal mental health throughout the week of May, starting with this one.

05/05/2024

This is hard to pass up, love their content!

Heyyy.

I just finished creating this presentation.

I feel good about it.

It’s got FAR too much info in it.
I actually make no promises to be done in 2 hours. We’re likely to go over time. Especially with answering questions. I love talking to you too much. We may well be there all night. Bring snacks?

The good news is, it will be recorded so if you need to leave or sleep or whatever, you can catch the end up another time. If you’re in a not-Australia-compatible time zone, you can watch the whole thing at a time that suits you.

This webinar is for parents, teachers, professionals. Anyone working with Autistic kids will benefit.

This presentation is brand new, but does include my NeuroWild Shift which I have talked about in a few other presentations. There’s plenty of new stuff as well.

Here’s the link to book.

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/essential-knowledge-when-caring-foror-supporting-autistic-kids-tickets-871468183797

I’m excited.
Are you coming?!

Em 🌈🌈🌈