Tired of Feeling Like You're Failing?
If you feel like no matter how hard you try, it's never good enough, you're not alone.
Modern motherhood sets us up to fail. We are told to be present for our children. And make time for our careers. To bounce back into our pre baby bodies. All while healing from birth and becoming someone we don't recognise. To be selfless while taking time for self care.
It feels impossible because it is.
And yet we blame ourselves. After all, we’ve been conditioned from an early age to be ‘good girls’ and we often take that drive and perfectionism into our parenting.
But you can change the script.
You can identify where some of the ‘shoulds’ are coming from. To uncover your own voice and values as a mother / parent. To begin to trust that you are good enough.
Because when you stop striving to be a ‘better’ person, the irony is that change becomes possible.
Hello, I'm Ali
I am a psychotherapist and coach specialising in pre and postnatal mind-body health and wellbeing.
I used to think I was failing as a mother, partner, colleague, daughter, and all the different roles I was trying to juggle. Sometimes I still do.
But mostly now my inner critic has quietened down. I’m able to see that what I’m doing is truly good enough.
And I'm here for everything you are trying to juggle too. I can help you trust your own instincts, rediscover who you are after having children, transition back into the workplace, and feel calm and confident about your parenting.
Whatever we work on together, my aim is to help you to reject the ‘perfect mother’ myth and begin to live in alignment with your true values and authentic identity.
Even if you feel you have lost your way since becoming a mother / parent, I can help you find your way back to feeling like yourself.
I can help you
...feel calm, grounded, and better able to regulate your emotions
...let go of guilt about whether you are doing enough in your career and in your parenting
...heal trauma and change negative patterns from your past
...identify where the ‘shoulds’ and ‘oughts’ are tripping you up in life
...stop getting weighed down by your own (and other people’s) unrealistic expectations
...put all that nagging self doubt to rest and start trusting yourself
...know that no matter how overwhelming things seem, you have the power to respond rather than react
My story
When I was pregnant with my daughter at the age of 39, I thought I had everything covered. My background was in psychology - I knew about attachment styles and parenting philosophies. I went to pregnancy yoga, hypnobirthing, and NCT classes - I was as prepared as I could be for birth. I was successful in my career and already worked remotely - I negotiated a return with flexible hours.
And then my daughter arrived and my utter complacency was blown apart. Being responsible for keeping this tiny being alive, while simply getting through the day, challenged me to the core.
But more than that, having a baby changed everything I thought I knew about myself ...
For the first time in my life, I had to inhabit my body rather than my head. My identity became split into ‘me at work’ and ‘me at home’ and ‘me in public’ in a way that felt increasingly incongruent. I put myself under enormous pressure to get it right in all these different domains, with exclusive breast-feeding, gentle parenting, making new friends, performing well at work, and being an attentive partner. I wasn’t even aware of how damaging this pressure was.
It was only when I caught sight of my own tear streaked face in the mirror that I realised just how much I had been beating myself up. For the first time I really saw myself. I felt a wave of compassion and knew all the punishing standards had to soften. No one else was doing this to me, I was doing it to myself.
From that moment Good Enough Mama was born. I made it my mission to develop embodied self awareness and deep self compassion. Putting my own oxygen mask on first. Now I help other mothers / parents find true calm and confidence with whatever choices they make postpartum. Helping them to rediscover their authentic self and sense of purpose at home and at work.
Work with me
Therapeutic Coaching
Experience mind-body healing. Address underlying trauma and triggers at the level of the nervous system. Work on birth and breastfeeding trauma, relationships, family patterns, attachment issues and so on.
Work With Me
I bring a powerful blend of psychotherapy and coaching to enable you to make a lasting shift in how you show up in life. Move from feeling stressed and overwhelmed to feeling grounded and in control.
Matrescence Workshops
Learn about some of the 'shoulds' that get in the way of confident parenting. Tune out external noise and opinions. Turn towards your own instincts and what matters to you.
Background & Qualifications
I have over 10 years' experience supporting people at all stages of their parenting journey. My core training is in psychology and mind-body approaches, most recently Somatic and Polyvagal Informed Coaching.
I am also able to relate to the challenges that come with combining a career with caring responsibilities. I have a corporate background with over 15 years' experience in management and leadership roles in Financial Services.
- BA (Hons) Psychology (First Class)
- MSc Occupational Psychology (Merit)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Humanistic Therapeutic Counselling (Distinction)
- Accredited Diploma in Body-Oriented Coaching, The Somatic School
- ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC)
- Member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP)
- Polyvagal Informed Coach (PVI)
- Motherhood Studies Practitioner
- Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) Practitioner
- Rewind Technique Practitioner
- Hypnobirthing and Perinatal Yoga Teacher
- Mindfulness Based Compassionate Living (MBCL) Teacher