About Renewed Women’s Counseling
Renewed Women’s Counseling was born from the idea that
“It takes a village to raise a child.”
The African proverb emphasizes the collective effort and nurturing of a community to care for children. Unfortunately it is the nature of our society to stress individualism leaving many women navigating parenthood feeling isolated, neglected, and overwhelmed. Just as every woman’s experience is different, so are her needs. Renewed is a place to remind women that although their experience is unique, they are not alone and they were never meant to do this alone. At Renewed we believe that it not only takes a village to raise a child, but also to hold the mother. And for some of us, we have to create our own village and be that village for others.
Renewed Women’s Counseling values community, compassion, and grace as we support women experiencing postpartum depression and anxiety, loss, infertility, trauma, and any difficult changes. We want to support you by creating a space aimed to tend to your pain and empower you to create change.
Focus Areas
Postpartum Depression & Anxiety
Up to 85% of women will experience what is known as the “Baby Blues”,(Liisa Hantsoo, PhD, John Hopkins Center for Women’s Reproductive Mental Health). Typically experienced 2-4 days after giving birth and tends to go away within two weeks. The Baby Blues are often described as a mild and temporary form of depression that will resolve on its own.
This is different from Postpartum Depression (PPD) where symptoms are more intense and can last up to 3 years. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 1 in 8 women experience symptoms of PPD within the first year after delivery. It’s common and can be difficult to navigate.
You could be experiencing Postpartum Depression if you’ve noticed
Difficulty feeling close or bonded with your baby
Persistent sadness, feelings of hopelessness
Decreased enjoyment
Difficulty sleeping
Feeling overwhelmed, guilt, regret, and shame
Difficulty concentrating
Anger and irritability
Changes in appetite
Avoiding your partner, friends, and family
Intrusive thoughts that may or may not include self-harm, ending your life, harming the baby, or ending the baby’s life
Postpartum Anxiety
Postpartum Anxiety is another common mental health condition characterized by excessive worrying after giving birth. While some level of worry for new mothers is expected, Postpartum Anxiety tends to be more severe and often creates irrational fears significantly impacting your functioning. Postpartum Anxiety can affect between 11%-21% of new mothers, (Cleveland Clinic).
You may be experiencing Postpartum Anxiety if you've noticed:
Intense irrational fears
Difficulty sleeping due to anxious thoughts
Difficulty leaving the baby alone or with other adults
Inability to relax or keep calm, muscle tension
Difficulty focusing, feeling on-edge
Racing heart
Loss of appetite
Irritability
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s important to reach out to a professional for support. Postpartum is a period of vulnerability for many women. These symptoms are treatable and working with a professional can improve your quality of life.
Grief & Loss
Grief changes us. Our world becomes different and adjusting with loss is more than challenging. Life has shifted and is forever altered. The reality of living with the pain, the disappointment, and the sadness can feel overwhelming. It takes deep courage to work through grief and loss, but there is hope and opportunity to receive support and comfort.
“We are not here to fix our pain, but to tend to it” - Megan Devine
Grief work may be important for you if you are experiencing:
Infertility
Pregnancy loss
Loss of a loved one
Loss of expectations
Difficulty adjusting to change
Feeling disconnected to yourself or your partner
Trauma
Defining trauma is like identifying a wound. An event took place, an experience was had and it has left you hurting or distressed. When we don’t take care of our wounds the pain can worsen and we can end up suffering more. Like a wound, it can vary in severity and like any injury it requires tending to, healing, and care.
“You are not what happened to you, you are what you choose to become” - Carl Jung
Developing self-awareness requires you to become introspective and reflect on how your past experiences have shaped you. In many cases with trauma, we are not responsible for what happened to us, but we do have a responsibility in shaping our own identity and future. Transformation is possible. And even after experiencing difficulty, you have the power to make decisions about your future.
Meet The Owner
Ericca is an independent social worker and owner of Renewed Women’s Counseling. She’s been in the field for almost a decade specializing in Women’s Issues, Pregnancy, and Postpartum mental health support. Ericca received her undergraduate at Kent State University and a Masters in Social Work at The Ohio State University. She is fully trained in EMDR therapy and uses EMDR along with other modalities to treat women navigating postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, grief and loss, and pregnancy and birth related trauma.
Join Our Mailing List
Sign up to receive news and updates.