Kara Bolling LCSWC

Magic is real. ❤️ Kara

I bet many postpartum bodies also p*e a little too - while running, jumping, or just walking around. Is this diagnosable? Probably. Is there a solution for this? Oh I know there is. Is this a problem? That depends on your point of view. Do I have to focus my precious energy on solving this problem? That is absolutely my choice.

Birthing a baby/babies inevitably changes a body, and we who have birthed don’t get to choose how our bodies will be changed by it. That can feel sad and scary and infuriating. But however it feels to you, you have done nothing wrong and your body is not wrong.

Please, don’t punish yourself. Instead, please find a way to choose joy. Run, jump, and walk if it brings you joy. Exercise, have s*x, be a boss. This is your one life. So what if you p*e a little?

❤️ Kara

If tech therapy companies can allow therapists to text with their clients no matter which state the client is in, then any therapist can ethically and virtually treat clients across states. The SW Interstate Compact is open for public comment. [linkinbio]

Posted • is moving closer to more license mobility. The interstate compact for social work licensure draft legislation is now available for review & public comment. Learn more and weigh in at https://bit.ly/3yraq1T or at link in bio!⁠
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Dear Pregnant Therapist, You nurture others. Who and what nurtures you?

Bodies don't bounce. Eat foods that comfort and nourish your body. Your body has just been through quite an ordeal. Treat it gently and nurture it. More in the book. ❤️ Kara

❤️ Kara

Taking parental leave means saying goodbye to your clients. Even if you plan to return! There are many reasons to make a "termination" plan with your clients, even if you plan to return. More in the book. ❤️ Kara

Follow, like, and share over at .in.action! ❤️Kara

How are you doing? Are you taking good care of yourself? Are you pushing yourself too hard? Are you putting your needs first (thereby putting your baby's needs first) or are you centering the needs of your clients and ignoring your own? No, you'll never be ready for all the changes and new-ness, but you CAN practice taking good care of yourself. Your baby needs that. More in the book. ❤️ Kara

This. Ish. Is. Hard. Your body, your baby, and your business of helping others will all thank you very much if you seek out your own support. Seeing your own therapist, if you're not already doing it, can help you check in with how you're taking care of yourself, can help you prepare for the changes you and your partner will experience in your relationship, and can help you notice early any signs of the postpartum mood and anxiety disorders that many (but no, not all) new parents can encounter. Because you are a human first, dear therapist. ❤️ Kara

You don't have to be that ideal parent you wish your clients had experienced, or that ideal parent you wish you'd had. I know you know that's impossible - the perfect parent doesn't exist and never will. But if you're shooting for "getting it right" most of the time, you're still being way too hard on yourself. One of the kindest, most loving, and most helpful things anyone said to me when I was just starting my parenting journey was this: "You only have to 'get it right' 30% of the time in order for your child to develop a secure attachment." (Thanks, Diane) The rest of the time you will either get it wrong or just not get it. That's human, and that's such a relief. ❤️ Kara