Katie McGill Psychotherapy
Bramhall (Stockport) & online
Therapy for Parents
You hold space for everyone, I hold space for you.
Parenting can be full of love and joy, but it can also feel really hard sometimes. Whether you're a brand-new parent or your children are growing up and bringing new challenges, the pressure can feel intense. I offer specialised support to parents and carers who want to do a good job, but feel overwhelmed, reactive and burnt out from the pressure to get everything "right".
I work with mums, dads, birth parents, and anyone in a caregiving role, regardless of gender identity or family structure. Whatever your path to parenthood looks like, you're welcome here.
Who I support
Maybe you've always been the reliable one... the one who works hard, gets things done, and usually says "I'm fine," even when you're not. Perhaps this is a big part of your identity, and those qualities have often served you well in life.
By now you're a parent, the stakes suddenly feel so much higher. You love your children to bits, and of course you want the very best for them... so you put all the effort in, you keep trying hard, and make sure you stay on top of everything for everyone. But somewhere along the way, that really starts to take its toll, and you begin to question "was it meant to feel this hard?"
Maybe you're left comparing yourself to others and wondering if you're doing it wrong, or worrying you'll look back and wish you'd been more present, had more fun, or spent less time feeling so stressed out and snappy. Perhaps everything just feels... heavy. You've spent so long looking after everyone else, you've stopped noticing what you need too.
This might feel familiar...
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Questioning if you're doing things "right"... am I too firm, did I handle that tantrum badly, would another script work better, is this healthy enough?
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Lying awake tired but wired, sometimes doom-scrolling parenting advice at midnight
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Feeling constantly on edge, with a knot in your stomach, gritted teeth, or realising you haven't taken a proper breath all day
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Feeling overstimulated, touched out, and angry nobody told you it would be this hard
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The pressure builds until it spills out as irritability, anger, or tears... snouting at bedtime, spiralling into anixety or thinking "why did I react like that?"
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Saying yes to plans or full-on days with family (even when you're exhausted) because you don't want to disappoint or cause conflict
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Resisting asking for help, but resentment builds when it all falls on you
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Taking time for yourself feels impossible... and somewhere along the way, you've stopped actually enjoying it
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Feeling lost, unfulfilled, and distant, like you don't even know what you need anymore.
Therapy offers a space to understand why it feels this hard... not just how to cope. With support, you can tune out the noise of all the "shoulds," and start tuning into what actually matters to you: the kind of family environment you want to create, what lights you up as a person (not just a parent), and what would support you in the challenging moments and create more space and energy for the joyful ones.
How I support you
We live in a culture that offers solutions like spa days, productivity hacks, or "just take a deep breath"... but rarely helps us to understand why it all feels so flipping hard. You may have tried the breathing tools, the gentle parenting scripts, or the productivity "hacks"... but nothing quite works, and you're fed up of getting into bed vowing to do things differently tomorrow.
My approach is different. I work using a talking therapy called Transactional Analysis, which explores how our personality has been shaped by our early experiences, beliefs and decisions, so we understand not just what we do, but why. That means I'll ask about your childhood, such as how you were parented, how emotions were responded to, and what you learned you needed to do or be to feel safe, okay, or good enough growing up. We're not just looking at what's happening for you as a parent... we're looking at what's made you you, and why those patterns are showing up now, under all the pressures of parenthood.
From there, we look at how society creates all these rules, expectations, and pressures that leave you feeling like you're failing (even though you're not.) We explore the picture you hold of what a "good parent" looks like to you, and where that belief actually came from.
This isn't about never struggling again. It's about reconnecting to who you are... not just as a parent, but as a person, so you can build a relationship with your kids that has more ease, more connection, and more joy - for both of you.
To read more about how I work, you can visit my Instagram page for parents and carers:
Changes clients often begin to notice...
Just like parenting itself, this isn't about overnight change. It's a gradual process, but a meaningful one that often evolves alongside your kids. You may notice changes like:
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Trusting yourself to find the answer, rather than overthinking or outsourcing every decision
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Resting or taking time for yourself without guilt, instead of using every spare moment to catch up on jobs
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Slowing down before reacting, with less panic when the day goes a little off-piste
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Sitting with feelings like anger, sadness, or guilt
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Feeling confident to repair without guilt or shame when things don't go to plan
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Feeling able to set boundaries with family, even if it means disappointing someone
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Asking for help, instead of telling yourself to "get on with it"
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Enjoying being you, with your own life experiences, not just a parent
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Speaking to yourself with the same kindness you'd offer your kids
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Knowing that good enough really is enough, without the nagging "what if?"
This isn't about changing how you parent... it's natural you want to do a good job. Nor is it about never struggling again, because parenthood is challenging at times, and we're not going to spend each day feeling like Mary Poppins.
Therapy is about easing the pressure, so those times where you dropped the ball doesn't mean beating yourself up for days, and those moments of overwhelm don't leave you full of anxiety or reacting in a way that doesn't feel like you. It's about understanding your own feelings, attending to what you need, and finding more moments to share the giggles with your kids.
It's natural to have some questions before starting therapy.
Here are some of the most common questions I get asked, but if you still need more information, get in touch and I'll get back to you.