We hear ‘nothing can prepare parents for parenthood’ - but what if we changed the narrative, and found ways to prepare, get back on the same team and thrive as parents, together.
Becoming Us
Parenthood is a journey. When you and your partner have a clear path to follow and know how to support each other through the wilder times, you can enjoy the joys that you always dreamt of with your baby or children.
If you are knee deep in parenting and need to prioritise your partner relationship, this is the place for you. The course can be run privately or in a small group format.
This is for you if…
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You’re one of the 92% of us who experience an increase in couple conflict in the years after welcoming a baby in to the world.
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You want clear and simple ways to move your family from surviving to thriving. To actually experience joy in parenting, together.
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You want to be able to manage conflict WELL, and come back to base camp with your partner regularly, to work from a place of strength in your relationship.
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You haven’t yet had a chance to process some of the unmet expectations of parenthood, and truly hear your partner about their experience.
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You are looking for some evidence based coping strategies to get yourself, your family and your relationship through the wild times.
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You may be struggling to manage your own and everyone else’s needs in your family, and want a ‘tour guide’ to walk with your along your parenting relationship journey.
What’s included
This is your trail map for the next four weeks. Over 4 weeks we work through 8 evidence based and research supported stages. These 8 stages were developed by Australian researcher, author and relationship counsellor Elly Taylor after she noticed all the ways she and her husband had been unprepared for parenthood, and spent 15 years researching how to best prepare/repair the couple relationship when confronted with the normal challenges and changes that happen as couples become a family. Parenting is hard, but it can be easier when you work well as a team!. You’ll find that you cycle through these stages time and time again as your children grow and also if you have another baby. You’ll have plenty of opportunities for “do-overs”!
Session 1:
The Journey So Far
We work through evidence based strategies to understand each other’s experiences of parenthood so far, including some shocks, unmet expectations and emotions of ourselves and our partners. We will consider losses and gains in parenthood, changes to daily life in adjusting to different stages of baby/child development, and how to start to create a ‘base camp’ together to always come back together as a team during any challenging times.
Session 2:
Building Our Base Camp
There are ways to reduce risks of developing Perinatal Mental Health Conditions – doing this course is one of them! We discuss raising awareness and empathy around stress levels, how stress impacts self and other (and baby!) and the importance of being able to reduce stress levels when they go up. We will help you as a couple to focus on the individual and relationship strengths you can draw on during the transitions in parenthood.
We explore emotions and how they can change during the early years of parenthood, as well as looking at basic needs - how to identify them, tune in to self and partner, and manage ways to meet them with partner harmony.
We discuss some key differences between doing conflict badly, and factors that can help us do it well. Game changing discussions around anger and what is truly underneath it.
Session 3: From ‘me’ to ‘Becoming Us’
The negative cycle of conflict
Individual boundaries, and ways of relating
Managing conflict and connecting through conflict
Communication styles
The cycle of connection
Session 4:
Traveling together Through the Journey
Base camp plan
Layers of connection
Connection with self
True connection with your partner
Planning our future of growing together.
Expectant Dad Matt, Portland, OR”
“I can’t put into words how much I have learned about my part in this, the reasons behind expectations and how to connect and understand my wife and myself in this enormous transition. You helped me to communicate to my love.”
mama, Portland, OR
“I leave the Becoming Us classes feeling more in love with my partner each time.”
Special Offer For First Round
Special Offer For First Round
I’m your facilitator, Emma. I’m a registered psychologist and certified teacher with a passion for getting to the beginning of the cycle for parents’ and kids’ mental health. I recognise the mental load, the invisible labour of parenting and I offer a non-judgemental approach as I walk alongside you on your mountain - I’m over here climbing my own too! That means I can see different obstacles on your mountain coming up ahead, and can help you get clarity about the journey you have already faced.
After a decade working in schools and perinatal mental health, I know the importance of starting with early intervention and what a difference this can make to brain development, and the future of our society.
For my first time running this particular course I’m offering a special of $117 per couple, per week.
Or $468 per couple paid up front.
(That’s less than $35 per person per hour and compared to a psychology session it’s a no-brainer if you’re ready toinvest in your relationship.)
✺ Frequently asked questions ✺
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Absolutely not. Elly Taylor always says that we can prepare for parenthood at ANY STAGE of the journey. So often we don’t have the time or don’t prioritise the time to connect, reconnect or get back on the same team, but this course will allow the time and a safe place for that to happen, at any stage of parenthood.
So much from the early days of pregnancy and postpartum goes unprocessed as we hit the ground running, and it is always worth revisiting and doing this valuable work, no matter how old your child is.
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Remind each other that the main reason to invest in yourselves is to deepen your connection, troubleshoot well during conflict, and the bottom line - be there in better ways for each other so that your baby or child has a secure base in both of you in the long run.
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Send me an email - emma@nurturenaturesydney.com.au and we will schedule a 15 minute call to chat about your questions if needed!
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It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.
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It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.
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It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.