dulwichpsychology

Yes I am. x

Next group on Tuesday 3rd June from 10-11.15am. Please contact me if you wish to book a free place.

Actually I just realised that they did in fact control for this (must have skipped this before) and it showed that women with only one child were more depressed - now that makes me wonder if they controlled for reasons why mum only has one child. Maybe those who have made the decision to have one child are less depressed than those who may have fertility problems?

It is certainly an interesting read and from my experience depression and anxiety can be a difficulty well past the postnatal period - and this could be for all sorts of reasons, including changes in lifestyle and work (or becoming a SAHM), changes in the relationship with partners etc. However, in the case of this study I also wonder if they controlled for women having a second child in the four years since they had their first?

Tomorrow morning 9-10.30am. Please PM or email me if you would like to attend. Babies welcome!

Next Tuesday 4th March

kish's other half - Thank you so much! Yes I have started to get in touch with childrens centres, midwife and health visitor teams. Unfortunately I have not had the time to dedicate to it that it needs, but now that I have reduced my NHS working hours, I can get on to this. I have just started putting things together for a flyer so any help would be much appreciated and any guidance/advice on linking with childrens centres would be fantastic. I will send you a PM in the next few days to maybe have a chat next week?

NEXT GROUP ON TUESDAY 4TH MARCH AT 9AM New Mothers Support Group - FREE Drop in support group for mothers with babies or toddlers under 2 facilitated by local clinical psychologist who specialises in perinatal difficulties. The aim of the group is to provide a comfortable setting in which new mothers can share experiences and feelings about the times they are finding challenging. It is a very informal group where a range of topics can be covered: including birth trauma, postnatal depression, anxiety, feeling overwhelmed and lonely. What we talk about depends on who attends and you do not have to have experience of post natal depression to attend. Tea and biscuits provided. You are welcome to bring your baby to the group. Dates: First Tuesday of every month (Next dates 4/03/2014 and 01/04/14) Time: 9am-10.30am Location: Lordship Lane, London, SE22 8JU Please contact Dr Christine Langhoff (Clinical Psychologist) by PM, Email or phone, for further details and to reserve a place. E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 07816 382810

I am very sorry to have to cancel the support group this Friday at 7.30pm due to a lack of interest. Following the helpful comments from forum members and now that I no longer work for the NHS on Tuesdays, I have taken the decision to offer the group on the first Tuesday of every month from 9-10.30am. I am hoping this will enable more mothers to benefit! I will post a reminder closer to the time. Thank you again for all your comments and encouragement!

Thank you Belle. Yes so far nobody has brought their baby, but I am assuming that more mums will bring baby if I offer daytime support groups. So it is an option for mums who want to access support and who need to bring baby, maybe because they don't have anyone else to look after baby or because they are breastfeeding.

Next group on 07/02/14 at 7.30pm The ladies who attended wanted me to feedback that the group is very informal and that it is for anybody who is finding an aspect of motherhood challenging. It is a non-judgmental space to discuss any issue that you are struggling with. Update: I will be offering a monthly support group on a weekday morning from April.

I agree with all of the above comments that many women find some groups a bit intimidating. I am sure you will meet some lovely mums now that you have posted on the forum and this will most likely help to alleviate some of your anxiety. It definitely sounds like it would be helpful to talk to someone about how yoru confidence and anxiety have been affected since you had your daughter. You can actually self-refer to the local psychology service http://www.slam-iapt.nhs.uk/section.php?id=25 by calling 0203 228 6747 (Lambeth) or 020 3228 2194 (Southwark). Alternatively there are many private options. I run a free monthly support group for mums with children under 2 - it is very informal and we talk about any difficulties the mums who come to the group are experiencing. The next one is on 7th February at 7.30pm With best wishes Christine

MrsS - unfortunately this is a problem that affects many men to a degree, but it is much less talked about than PND in women. Birth trauma and adjusting to parenthood and the change in the couples relationship can be big contributing factors. There is a lovely website by Mark Williams who shares his and his wife's experience of PND: http://www.fathersreachingout.com/ Rather than individual counselling for yourself, which no doubt could be very helpful, you might also like to consider some sessions as a couple as PND is clearly having a big impact on both of you. Maybe your husband's counselling/psychology service also offers this or you might even be able to attend some sessions with his current counsellor together? Best wishes Christine

Thank you for teh advice re- time of day. I completely agree that this makes it more diffcult for some mums to attend. unfortunately due to my work committments taht is the only time I can offer at present. Moreover, it enables those mums who are back at work to attend. In a couple of months time I may be able to offer a daytime slot, but this would then mean that workign mums will be unable to attend. Saffron - yes the NHS has very long waiting times and this can be a big problem for many mums. Also some mums may not meet criteria for NHS servcies but would still like some support.

Dear all I have set up a free informal support group for mothers with children under 2 which I have been advertising on the forum as well as two other local sites and via twitter. Uptake has been very slow even though I presume that potential demand may be high? I am hoping to dedicate some time to post information about the groups to local health visitors and community midwives, but I am wondering if anyone has some ideas on how to spread the word about the group. Here is some further info about the group: Free drop in support group for mothers with babies or toddlers under 2. Informal group where a range of topics will be covered: including birth trauma, postnatal depression, anxiety, feeling overwhelmed and lonely. Dates: First Tuesday of every month (Next dates 04/03/14 and 01/04/14) Time: 9-10.30am Please feel free to reply via the thread, via PM or to my email [email protected] Thank you!

Sounds like you have managed to put a little group together very quickly!

Sillywoman - I think its a wonderful idea. I am also not currently pregnant but I think it sounds like a great group. Kes - My understanding from the website is that there is an emphasis on having a positive birth experience no matter what kind of birth you might have? Maybe sillywoman could shed a bit more light on her expectations for the group. I agree that it is important to think about the 'unexpected'. Saffron - I also agree with you on the need for support in the postpartum period. I currently offer groups in East Dulwich for women affected by postnatal depression . However interest and attendance has been fairly sparse. Yet I have been contacted about informal support groups to discuss a variety of topics. I have therefore been planning to offer something more informal (and free) on a monthly basis as a space for any difficulties which new mothers might be facing - whether this is birth trauma, PND, feeding difficulties, feeling overwhelmed or lonely etc. I will shortly be adding a couple of dates to gauge interest in this kind of group. (Sillywoman - I would also be interested in any potential collaboration.) www.perinatalpsychologist.co.uk

I am a local clinical psychologist and I run therapeutic support groups for women who are experiencing low mood and depression. I have been approached by a number of new mothers about a more informal support group for postnatal depression and anxiety. I would like to gauge what the interest in such a group would be? I would still facilitate the group, but the content of each group would be determined by the members who attend and the focus would be on sharing experiences and providing support to each other. I would also like to propose a first meeting for Sunday 24th November from 7-8.30pm. Babies welcome. This group will be drop in. ?15 per group. Dr Christine Langhoff Clinical Psychologist (HCPC registered) Lordship Lane London SE22 8JU Phone: 07816 382810 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.perinatalpsychologist.co.uk

Alongside CBT, light therapy is a popular treatment for SAD albeit with little evidence for long-term effects. From my experience talking to clients who have suffered from SAD, light therapy can be very effective to lift your mood. www.dulwichpsychologist.co.uk

Thank you so much for those of you who have given me feedback. This is really helpful and I really appreciate your help. I understand that this is a sensitive issue and I wondered if it would be easier for people to give feedback anonymously. I have therefore now created a survey on surveymonkey. Please see the link below: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XRMZ2HH Thank you very much for looking.

I am a local clinical psychologist working in the NHS. I will be starting private practice within the next few months offering a range of psychological interventions for a variety of presenting difficulties. I have a special interest in health and mental wellbeing and have experience working in sexual and reproductive health in the NHS. I am therefore very interested in continuing this part of my work as part of my private practice. I would like to hear (maybe via PM) about the views you hold on offering a specialist service for women who are pregnant or have recently had a baby and are struggling with difficulties such as anxiety or depression. I would be looking to have an initial assessment at my practice (which would happen within a week from point of contact) and any agreed sessions could take place either at my private practice or at the clients home. Interventions would be based on the individual circumstances and may include couples work and they will be based on NICE guidelines. I am particularly interested in hearing your views about such a service and how mums to be or mums with young babies would feel about home visits for sessions? I look forward to receiving your views and comments.