Karen Potter
Psychotherapy & Mentoring
Lismore, NSW
Perinatal & Parent Counselling
For those in the stages of thinking about having a baby through to early parenting of infants and toddlers:
- Fertility issues
- Anxiety or depression during pregnancy
- Pregnancy or infant loss
- Problems during birth
- Depression or anxiety after giving birth
- Issues with infants sleeping, feeding, or settling
- Infant attachment issues
- Change in family dynamics
- Behavioural concerns in toddlers
Many of the above are common in the transition to and through early parenthood. Therefore, the support of a perinatal specialist can help better understand these issues. Importantly, you will develop understanding, skills and capacities to work through these issues and enjoy your family life even more.
Raising children is one of the most important roles in life and it can also be the most challenging. All parents want to be the best they can for their children, but sometimes this can be difficult. Sometimes parents can experience emotions like: uncertainty, anxiety, frustration, irritability, doubt and overwhelm. Understanding what these emotions are about and learning parenting skills can help parents feel more satisfied and competent in their daily life.
With this understanding, Karen works with parents of children and teenagers, providing developmental information, education, support, guidance and strategies.
Grief and Bereavement Counselling
Bereavement describes the experience of mourning and sorrow following the death of someone important and/or close to us in life.
Grief is generally referred to as the response people have to loss. It is part of bereavement, but can also be experienced after the loss or ending of someone or something that has been important to us, including: divorce/separation, not having children, living in exile from our home country, losing our homes, retirement/retrenchment, loss of a pet, personal illness/injury, etc.
Grief is often seen as a more complex or conflictual experience. As it not only includes sorrow, mourning and/or sadness but can involved a range of other emotions such as: anger, fear, panic, shame, relief or disbelief.
End of Life Doula
An End of Life Doula is a non-medical professional who offers a range of services in the period from living well and healthy and/or to receiving a life-limiting diagnosis, dying process, death and bereavement.
The role is one of accompanying a person and their family, offering guidance, support, information and advocacy as they journey through the process. It is a holistic approach, considering the physical, psychological and emotional health as well as social connection, spiritual connection, cultural connection and connection to ‘home’ or land for the person and the important people in their lives.
Any relevant forms that might needed can be organised, discussed and assistance to complete.
If you have questions about end of life doula work, please Contact Karen to find out more.
Mentoring
The mentoring relationship is an extremely rewarding experience. It is a one-on-one opportunity for learning, encouragement, support, guidance and development in any or all areas of one’s life.
The process explores and clarifies who and where you are now in life and who/where you want to be and identifies how to get there. It could be about life in general, in work, and/or relationships.
Supervision
Karen offers supervision for anyone seeking support, guidance and/or processing around their work with clients. Supervision helps to further develop knowledge and understanding of issues that arise for clients. It can expand and deepen the understanding of the relational issues that can arise between practitioners and clients. In addition, supervision builds greater capacity and offers skills and tools to manage all the various issues that can arise.