Parenthood and Identity: Making Space for You

Becoming a parent is one of the most profound shifts a person can go through. It’s beautiful, exhausting, joyful, disorienting, often all at once. And while there’s a lot of focus on the baby (rightfully so), there’s not always enough space to talk about what happens to you.

Because the truth is, when you become a parent, your identity changes. Your routines shift, your priorities rearrange themselves, your body might feel different, your relationships do too. It’s not just a new chapter, it can feel like an entirely new book.

And sometimes, in the middle of it all, you can start to wonder: Who even am I anymore?

This question shows up in small moments. Like when you realize you can’t remember the last time you did something just for yourself. Or when you feel guilty for wanting space, but also a little desperate for it. Or when you scroll through old photos and feel a tug of longing for the version of you who had more freedom, more fun, more clarity.

If you’re in that place, missing parts of yourself, unsure of who you are outside of the role of “parent” you are not alone. You can love your child with your whole heart and still grieve the parts of yourself that feel far away. That grief doesn’t make you a bad parent — it makes you human.

In therapy, we create space to explore this transition. To name what’s been lost, what’s changing, and what you want to carry forward. We talk about identity shifts, relationship strain, the mental load, the invisible labor, the guilt. We hold space for both the joy and the overwhelm.

You’re still in there. Under the diaper bags and dishes and schedules and sleep deprivation, there is still a you who matters. Therapy can help you reconnect with that person. Not to go back to who you were, but to integrate who you’re becoming.

You deserve care, too. Not just as a parent. But as a person.

Feeling lost in the shuffle of parenthood? Therapy can be a space that’s just for you, where you don’t have to perform or explain. Just show up as you are. We’re here when you’re ready.