hi Friend!
photo by red lemon photography
My name is Laurissa! I'm a Canadian, with a psych degree, a teacher at Centre for Applied Neuroscience for the Life Coaching program, and a Mental Health & Self-Care coach for 5 years. I’m also a mom to a toddler, and figuring things out as I go (aren’t we all?!)
I also have had Generalized Anxiety Disorder for as long as I can remember.
I have spent a lot of time by myself practicing introspection, discovering who I am. I put my mental health first, I had tons of self care time without feeling guilty about it, and made time for things that brought me joy.
During the peak of the pandemic, I got pregnant and became terrified of raising a baby with so much uncertainty happening in the world at the time. My mental health took a hit with the extreme change in hormones, my previous anxiety being exacerbated, bodily changes..it’s completely understandable why it was affected! I ended up having an unplanned c-section, after a long, and extremely painful labour. Let’s just say it was a tad traumatizing! I spent post-partum healing, dealing with my birth trauma, struggling with breastfeeding, post-partum anxiety, navigating how to be a first time parent and of course cuddling my sweet baby.
Me doin’ mom shit
Being a mom means always multitasking. This was me for basically the first 6 months of postpartum. Putting my baby to sleep, while quickly eat some (cold) food, and trying to avoid onions and mayo dropping all over my baby’s head.
After about 6 months I started to feel like myself again, slowly but surely! I was able to prioritize my own needs, my mental health and joy again. Navigating the balance between being a parent, taking care of my own needs, nourishing my relationship, family, social life, career….it can be A LOT to try to figure out! Once I started making my mental health, and the things that made me smile, a big priority for me weekly, not only did I feel like myself fully again, but I felt more present as a mom.
Thirty, Flirting & Thriving
& yes, I did say this my entire birthday! This is me feeling like myself again, from doing yoga, dance, being crafty and creative, reading and being in nature.
Now that’s not to say that I don’t get overwhelmed, have breakdowns, get anxious, overstimulated…I know that this is not only normal but it is COMMON. So I give myself grace and compassion when this happens. Support systems are everything!
I decided to narrow my coaching business in on pregnancy, postpartum and parent’s mental health, to help others find the joy that they SO deserve!