motherhood

I am a qualified integrative counsellor with over 6 years experience and founder of New Beginnings Counselling. I also have a BA (hons) degree in Sociology and Social Policy. I believe we are all capable of creating a change in our lives that lead to personal growth and development and sometimes we need a helping hand in making this change. Counselling and psychotherapy can support you, in any area of your life that you may be struggling with or with feelings of anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, anger or stress. It can also help you through major life transitions such as motherhood, a change in living situations or in relationships. By guiding you to reconnect with your authentic self, your values and identity. Improving your confidence and self-worth. Psychotherapy and counselling are closely linked, however counselling will often focus on the problems and parts of ourselves that we are already aware of. Psychotherapy will go deeper, uncovering things that may be hidden to us or that we are not consciously aware of. My approach to therapy is a non-clinical and therapeutic approach. My aim is to help decrease negative stigma surrounding mental health and normalising it within our society. We all have mental health and it is our responsibility to care for it, just as we care for our physical health. I also believe in mental health education and I share information, strategies and techniques on how we can best care for our mental health and well-being, through my client work, workshops and in the articles I write. I offer my clients a safe space to talk, to be heard and understood without judgement. Therapy is different for everyone as we are all unique with our own world view. However it often focuses on helping clients to resolve problems, understand their thought patterns, gain new perspectives, learn how to catch, challenge and change cognitive distortions, improve their self-worth and sense of self and build a toolkit full of positive coping mechanisms. Therapy offers you the opportunity to resolve, process and let go of pain and worries that you have been carrying. It helps you to live authentically and with purpose. Prioritise yourself as you are the most important person to you.

4 years ago

Managing motherhood and lockdown

By Sarah Barr • Health, Mammy

The transition to motherhood is a huge transformation for many women, physically, emotionally and mentally. Add a global pandemic and lockdown on top of that and it can be so …
Read More

4 years ago

The unseen impact of having a baby in a pandemic

By Sarah Barr • Health

Having a new baby during Covid-19 is not an ideal situation for any mother. Feelings of loneliness and isolation that some mums feel as they transition into the role of …
Read More

5 years ago

Tidy House = Tidy Mind?

By Sarah Barr • Health

The benefits of a tidy and organised home are obvious.

Cleaning can be an outlet for energy and negative emotions. Removing dust, dirt and clutter from our environment provides you …
Read More

5 years ago

Why ‘Me’ time is a necessity, not a luxury

By Sarah Barr • Health

Life can be hectic, chaotic, noisy…

It is so easy to feel overwhelmed by it all, no matter who you are or what your social media feed or stories say.

6 years ago

How you can help care for a new mum

By Sarah Barr • Health

Statistics often say one thing about postpartum mood disorders and social media says another. Many new mums feel like they can’t identify with the happy messages being shared on social …
Read More

6 years ago

Motherhood Unplugged – Why we need Maternal Mental Health Day

By Sarah Barr • Health, Mammy

Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week starts April 29th – May 3rd. Maternal Mental Health Day is May 1st.

As many as 1 in 5 mothers experience some type of perinatal …
Read More

6 years ago

Thoroughly Modern Mammy – Being Mammy, Still Me

By Maria Rushe • Mammy

Where do you find the time?”

“How can you be bothered?”

“It can’t be worth that much work?”

Musicals.

I’ve been on stage my whole life, first as an Irish …
Read More

6 years ago

Thoroughly Modern Mammy: Arriving at Baby Brain station

By Maria Rushe • Mammy

You are now approaching Baby Brain Station

Imagine a train network. (Yeah I know that this is an alien concept to us up here in Donegal, but hey!)

Your brain …
Read More

6 years ago

Motherhood and Me

By Sarah Barr • Health, Mammy

Being a mum in today’s world is no easy task, as amazing as it is, it is hard. With all the ‘normal’ duties of motherhood, mums today also have to …
Read More

7 years ago

How to rebuild confidence after becoming a mum

By Sarah Barr • Health, Mammy

Researchers found that most mums experience a significant dip in self-esteem after having a baby that can last up to three years.

This is regardless of the mother’s relationship …
Read More

7 years ago

Let’s start the conversation Donegal Mammies – World Maternal Mental Health Day

By Sarah Barr • Health

Today is World Maternal Mental Health Day, May is Maternal Mental Health Month.

This is a serious health matter, that needs more awareness and acceptance. We need to be …
Read More

7 years ago

Do you feel under ‘Mammy Pressure’?

By Sarah Barr • Health

Today mums feel enormous pressure to be the ‘perfect mum’. It can feel at times like a competitive sport. This coupled with social media and the pressure intensifies, as social …
Read More

7 years ago

The toolkit you need to mind yourself as a mammy

By Sarah Barr • Mammy

Being a mum is one of the most important jobs in any community. We provide food, safety, warmth, clothing, connection, love, and a sense of personal importance to our children. …
Read More

8 years ago

The other side of motherhood

By Sarah Barr • Health

It is estimated that one in five women in Ireland will suffer from antenatal or post-natal depression. Post-natal depression can develop up to 12 months post delivery.

World Maternal Mental Health …
Read More