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Monday 9am - 9pm Tuesday 9am - 9pm Wednesday 9am - 9pm Thursday 9am - 9pm Friday 10am - 7pm Saturday 9am - 3pm

Barnum Counseling

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United States
Saint Charles, IL
Barnum Counseling

Private, supportive counseling for women looking for help navigating relationships, TTC, & more We work with adolescents, teens and adults.

Barnum Counseling is a private counseling and therapy group practice founded by Alisha Barnum. Our team of therapists provides individual, couples and family therapy in Saint Charles and Naperville.

05/31/2025

✨ Taking care of your mental health is essential on the journey to conception. Here are three empowering ways to nurture your mind:

1️⃣ Embrace mindfulness and meditation—take a moment each day to breathe and reflect.
2️⃣ Move your body! Whether it's a walk, yoga, or dance, physical activity boosts your mood and energy.
3️⃣ Limit your social media time. It can trigger anxious thoughts and can lead you to engage in comparing where you are at in your journey with others. Focus on your journey and surround yourself with calm and positivity.

Remember, self-care is not selfish; it's essential! 💖

08/24/2024

During the postpartum period, many women struggle with body image. Some are frustrated because their body changed in ways they didn’t expect. Or, perhaps their body hasn’t “bounced back” as quickly as they had hoped it would.

Whatever the reason, if this sounds like you, please offer yourself some self-compassion. Practice patience, kind self-talk, and focus on what your body CAN do right now. Your body just did something truly remarkable, and it can take up to TWO YEARS to fully heal from that! ❤️

05/27/2024

Wishing everyone a meaningful Memorial Day.

Today we remember all of the people that didn’t make it home and the ones that lost their battles after they got home.

05/12/2024

On this Mother’s Day, I am thinking of all of the women who might be experiencing a mix of emotions: sadness, anger, grief, confusion, loneliness, desire, hope, acceptance. Holding space for all of you today. ❤️

05/01/2024

May is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month… and today is World Maternal Mental Health Day.

The postpartum period is tough. Physical recovery, body changes, sleep deprivation, attachment and connection to the baby…can all be challenging without helpful supports in place. It takes a village!

Sharing from - check in on your postpartum mom friends, sisters, daughters…

Maternal Mental Wellness = Child Wellness!

03/02/2024

Delivery Coping Plan continued….

Day 5: Delivery Room Support (outside of your medical team)

Who you have by your side during your delivery is an important consideration. Here’s why:

Sometimes during labor and delivery, women can be overcome with emotions or struggle with pain. It can be difficult to communicate what we need when we are feeling overwhelmed or are in pain.

Consider having at least one person in the room with you who knows your birth plan and coping plan. This might be your partner, a Doula, a family member, or a friend.

How can they help?

This person can advocate for your needs.

This person can encourage you to utilize the coping strategies you came up with prior to labor and delivery.

If you cannot communicate or you have trouble accessing your coping skills, they can be there to support you and honor the plan that you worked hard to create!

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Something else to contemplate:

Are you interested in having visitors at the hospital pre and/or post-delivery?

If so, who?

If not, how do you plan to address those boundaries ahead of time?

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Need some help mentally preparing for your upcoming delivery? Contact Barnum Counseling today!

Disclaimer: this social media content is not a replacement for professional counseling services. It is for educational purposes only.
If you are looking for support from a licensed professional counselor/therapist, contact me today.

03/01/2024

Day 4: Working with your baby during delivery

During labor and delivery, some women feel that they are fighting with or against their baby to get their baby out. This can lead to a lot of overwhelming feelings and emotions about baby.

Instead, what if you considered the following:

🔘 How do you envision working together WITH your baby during delivery?

In your mind, picture that you and your baby are a team; working together toward the same goal. You are partners in this challenge.

🔘 What will you do to reassure and soothe your baby?

Consider words of encouragement (for yourself and your baby).

🔘 Imagine your baby’s experience.

Coming into the world outside of the womb is likely a shocking experience for your baby. This can often allow you to offer compassion for your baby while you are experiencing the discomfort and pain of labor.

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Need some help mentally preparing for your upcoming delivery? Contact Barnum Counseling today!

Disclaimer: this social media content is not a replacement for professional counseling services. It is for educational purposes only.
If you are looking for support from a licensed professional counselor/therapist, contact me today.

02/29/2024

Delivery Coping Plan Series continued…

Day 3: Dealing with unexpected feelings and emotions

You can’t plan and prepare for every scenario, or anticipate every single emotion that may arise during your delivery.

Here’s what you CAN do:

-Focus on what you can control a like your breathing
-Be a curious observer - notice what’s coming up for you
-Imagine riding the wave of your emotions
-Imagine working together with your baby (tomorrow’s post will expand on ways to do this!)

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Need some help with processing your emotions about and mentally preparing for your upcoming delivery? Contact Barnum Counseling today!

Disclaimer: this social media content is not a replacement for professional counseling services. It is for educational purposes only.
If you are looking for support from a licensed professional counselor/therapist, contact me today.

02/28/2024

Birth/Delivery Care Considerations and Coping Plan

Day 2: Finding Comfort During Delivery

Now that we’ve named our emotions (or the emotions that we anticipate feeling during delivery), how do we tame them?

Creating a coping plan now for managing emotions during your delivery can help the experience of your delivery to feel more manageable.

Of course, you can’t plan for everything… but thinking about some things that might help you to feel more comfortable during delivery can certainly be beneficial.

Some women have found the following to be helpful during their delivery:

1. Calming music
2. Essential oils
3. Audio books
4. Reciting positive affirmations
5. Cozy socks
6. Comforting snacks
7. Chapstick
8. Practicing breathing techniques
9. Mindfulness of emotions

What would you add?

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Need some help mentally preparing for your upcoming delivery? Contact Barnum Counseling today!

Disclaimer: this social media content is not a replacement for professional counseling services. It is for educational purposes only.
If you are looking for support from a licensed professional counselor/therapist, contact me today.

02/27/2024

Birth/Delivery Considerations and Coping

Day 1: Exploring Your Thoughts and Feelings Around Your Upcoming Delivery

If you’re giving birth soon, it’s likely that you’re feeling a myriad of emotions. This is totally normal! Let’s explore them!

Take out a notebook or a piece of paper.

Write the answers to the following:

What feelings come up for you when you think about your upcoming delivery?

What are you excited about?

What might you be worried about?

Given your history, is there anything that might be triggering?

What do you anticipate feeling the day of delivery?

Are there any medical questions that you still need answered by your OB/GYN or midwife that might offer you some comfort?

What are you feeling confident about going into your upcoming delivery?

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Any feelings that are coming up for you are valid.

By identifying and naming the emotions you are currently experiencing, along with the ones you anticipate feeling, you can:

1. More effectively process your emotions
2. Offer yourself comfort and validation
3. Prepare to more effectively cope during delivery (tomorrow we’ll talk more about coping)

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Need some help with processing your emotions about and mentally preparing for your upcoming delivery? Contact Barnum Counseling today!

Disclaimer: this social media content is not a replacement for professional counseling services. It is for educational purposes only.
If you are looking for support from a licensed professional counselor/therapist, contact me today.

02/26/2024

Birth/Delivery Care Considerations and Coping

If you’re giving birth soon, then it’s likely that you’re feeling a myriad of emotions. You might even be curious about what your experience will be like if this is your first time.

Follow us this week for some tips on how to mentally and emotionally prepare for your upcoming delivery!

Disclaimer: this social media content is not a replacement for professional counseling services. It is for educational purposes only.
If you are looking for support from a licensed professional counselor/therapist, contact me today.

02/23/2024

Powerful words from one of the leading, parenting experts:

“You are the architect of your child’s resilience, and that is the ultimate gift you can give them.

After all, successfully managing life’s challenges is a person’s most reliable path to happiness.”

Dr. Becky Kennedy

This really resonates. As parents, we have such an important responsibility to set our kids up for success. That weight can be heavy.

AND it is also an honor and privilege to have and raise resilient children.

Address

3833 E Main Street
Saint Charles, IL
60174

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 9pm
Tuesday	9am - 9pm
Wednesday	9am - 9pm
Thursday	9am - 9pm
Friday	10am - 7pm
Saturday	9am - 3pm

Telephone

+16307979192

Website

http://www.barnumcounseling.com/

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