CO-PARENTING
Also offered: counseling to support couples hoping to learn more about co-parenting after divorce or relationship dissolution.
Bringing Baby Home Educator
Having children is an amazing gift, however it can take a toll on even the healthiest relationships. Research shows that within three years after the birth of a baby, approximately 2/3 of couples will experience a significant drop in relationship quality and have a dramatic increase in conflict and hostility.
Bringing Baby Home is an educational program for pregnant couples and families with children up to three years of age. It was designed and created by relationship experts, Drs. John and Julie Gottman, at The Relationship Research Institute in Seattle, Washington.
Let’s improve the quality of life for babies and children by strengthening the parental relationship.
The Gottman’s research demonstrates that when couples become parents, there is a significant decrease in their relationship satisfaction. Further research has shown that relationship discord and conflict have a profound negative effect on the couples’ infants and toddlers.
The Bringing Baby Home Program was developed in order to support families during this challenging, transitional time.
Dr. Gottman’s research shows that couples who have participated in the program experience:
• A significantly lower rate of postpartum mood disorders and depression
• A decrease in relationship hostility
• A higher level of relationship satisfaction
• A decreased likelihood of divorce
The content of the program evolved from Dr. Gottman’s 40 years of marriage and family research and is designed to teach parents to:
• Increase friendship in their relationship
• Deal effectively with conflict
• Keep dads involved in infant care and parenting
• Improve the quality of parent–infant interaction
• Recognize the psychological and emotional needs of their child
• Co-Parent effectively
While Megan no longer offers the Bringing Baby Home workshop, her therapy practice is informed by the program and still teaches ways to nurture the family environment through the toddler and preschool years. By supporting couples as they become parents, children benefit. By teaching couples how to build a strong emotional foundation in their family during the very early stages of a child’s life, children are raised in healthier environments. These benefits result in positive changes for families. Once this foundation is established in a family, research shows that children do better in school, adapt better socially, and are physically and emotionally healthier. (Cowan & Cowan, 1995; Gottman, 1999)
Therapy that provides safeguards and supports to couples in their transition to parenthood.
You’ll learn valuable skills needed to encourage healthy and supportive family relationships, the importance of sharing fondness and admiration, how to preserve intimacy and romance in relationships, and more!
BRINGING BABY HOME
Trained to offer a specialized workshop to support couples expecting or recently having had a baby. In this workshop you will learn practical techniques to successfully navigate the changes to the relationship with the transition to parenthood.
BLENDED FAMILIES
Megan offers support to parents with the adjustment to becoming a blended family.
POSTPARTUM SUPPORT
Has your doctor or a loved one expressed concern you may be experiencing baby blues or postpartum depression? Thrive Therapy is able to work with you to make sense of your feelings with the new baby in your life and help support you in improving your mood/emotional reactions.
Workshops for Couples in Tampa, Florida
Not interested in therapy at this time, but might like to strengthen your relationship? Megan is trained as a Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work Leader and can lead a class in your community to help to foster support and normalize your experiences.
This class is based on internationally acclaimed research from Dr. John Gottman and his New York Times bestselling book The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work.
Provides proven tools to help couples:
– Improve friendship, fondness and admiration
– Enhance romance and intimacy
– Enhance emotional connection
– Manage conflict constructively
– Gain skills to address ongoing problems in the relationship
– Create shared meaning
– Maintain gains throughout your lifetime!
The program is appropriate for:
– Couples contemplating engagement
– Pre-marital couples
– Couples living together
– Newlyweds
– Seasoned Couples
The program is inappropriate for:
– Couples in severe relationship distress
– Relationships displaying significant emotional or physical abuse
– Couples experiencing serious emotional or mental health problems
– Relationships where one or both partners are addicted to drugs, alcohol, or other compulsive behavior.
*This class includes a time of teaching and private couple’s exercises. Participants will not be expected to share their personal problems in front of others.
