The transition to parenthood is one of the most transformative experiences a person can go through during their life. This time is both beautiful and extremely stressful. Whether it’s your first or your fifth+ child, in today’s world, almost all of us- both moms and dads- can benefit from some additional support in the years of pregnancy and raising children. My practice aims to assist you through all of the normal and abnormal challenges of this time that is short-lived but has long-lasting impacts on ourselves and our families. While each individual and family is unique in their needs and ways that they grow, common goals achieved in counseling include feeling more connected to yourself, your baby or child, and your partner; changing unhealthy family patterns you don’t want to repeat from past generations; feeling more confident in yourself as a parent and partner; improving work-life balance; feeling more supported and less alone; developing your unique identity as a parent and embracing this stage of life; and improving persistent feelings of anxiety, depression, shame, anger, and feeling overwhelmed. If you are struggling, want to better support a partner who is struggling, or would just like to utilize this uniquely powerful time in your life to become more of the person you want to be, I would love to meet you.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
At the end of our first session you can expect to already have gained a better understanding of what’s happening to your mind, body, and soul in this time of transition. Additionally you will have concrete first steps to start practicing now to move you closer to the life you want with your new family, and we will have an idea of how we will work together to help you and your family thrive.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
As a clinician, my strength comes in my ability to work with you to create a therapeutic system custom tailored to you and how you grow. I have experience in a variety of therapeutic techniques and can help find new ways for you to grow that are both effective and speak to you as an individual. No matter what techniques, we will always work to strengthen the whole person and find balance in our lives in all realms of wellbeing: emotional, mental, social, physical, and spiritual. I also offer online group sessions to help you feel connected to a community of parents who are also on a journey of growth, a tool that has been proven to be one of the most effective ways to promote a positive experience in early parenthood and mitigate emotional and mental postpartum complications.
Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.
Mothers, fathers, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, postpartum, pregnancy
About Shannon Kovalchick
Identifies as
Specializes in
Serves ages
Licensed in
Accepts
Address
203 Old Route 30, Greensburg, PA 15601, Suite BAppointments
Virtual & in-personMy treatment methods
Couples Counseling
Each stage in a relationship brings new challenges. Some difficulties become easier to manage while other things that used to be tolerable are now distressing. Becoming parents is a major shift for both the individuals and I their relationship. I love helping guide couples through family transitions at any point, be it pregnancy as you prepare for how to want to parent together or later into parenthood as your kids get older and you want to be a stronger team or rediscover your lost connection.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
Do you want to feel more emotionally close to your partner, like they really understand and accept you for who you are while allowing you to continue to grow into the person you want to be? Do you want to end unproductive patterns, stop having the same argument time and again, and feel on the same page? I used EFT to help couples achieve these goals. This entails me promoting you and your partner to have a conversation about stressors in your lives with me pausing the conversation periodically to identify miscommunications, defensive responses, identify emotions and needs in the moment, and give chances to retry communication after a new way has been suggested so you can learn to have more productive conversations that bring you closer together both in and out of session.
Integrative
No one treatment approach is right for everyone. I integrate multiple treatment methods based on the individual or couple’s strengths, areas of needs, and interest.
Trauma Informed Care
Whether you’ve experienced significant trauma or just stressful periods of life that may still impact you, all of my treatment is trauma informed to help you get the most from your sessions while staying in a zone that feels safe by paying attention to trauma responses to help guide the direction of the session. You will learn when your mind and body are experiencing a trauma response and then practice in real time what to do when this happens so you can apply these skills outside of session. I incorporate a cool down and grounding before returning to the rest of your day so difficult emotions stay in the therapeutic space.