About Natalie
Hi, I’m Natalie! I approach therapy from a holistic, attachment-informed lens. I especially enjoy working with women with Mother Hunger and/or new moms who are looking to parent differently than they were parented themselves. Often these things go hand in hand. I draw on attachment research and the wisdom of our ancestors around how to approach parenting. Many of our society’s mainstream parenting approaches such as spanking, time-outs, ignoring, scolding, etc. go against what’s best for a child’s attachment and well-being. Yet it’s often overwhelming for new parents as they are inundated with advice from their own parents, pediatricians, friends, and essentially anyone with an opinion. While this advice is often well-meaning, it might leave you feeling guilty, confused, and directionless.
As women and mothers, we have become disconnected from our instincts around nutrition, movement, pregnancy, and mothering. We look for the expert to tell us how to be and what’s wrong with us. My approach is collaborative and helps you get back in touch with your own instincts and intuition so you can learn to trust yourself.
Often we have become disconnected from our instincts and intuition due to societal norms, how we were parented from a behavioral lens, our own attachment wounding, and misguided advice. If we can process our own experiences, we are able to take radical responsibility in our lives and the lives of our families. We can repair mistakes we’ve made or address wounds we’ve caused to the people around us when we reflect on our own behavior. When we do this we can then have more meaningful relationships with others around us, including our children. When we are deeply connected with ourselves, we can connect more deeply with others.
I do my best work with new mamas (including those who are pregnant) who want to break cycles of relational wounding to establish healthy bonds with their children and feel confident and grounded in their parenting choices. Many of my clients experienced deep relational wounding from their own caregivers and are highly motivated to be a different kind of parent for their children. You may feel anxious, fearful, and lack confidence about your parenting approach. You may wonder if you’re damaging your children, despite your best efforts.
I also love working with parents, their infants and toddlers! New parents or those with a particularly strong-willed, wild child often wonder what’s normal and how to approach parenting. Sometimes you’re just looking to parent outside of what is mainstream. Maybe you want to minimize screen time, not sleep train, avoid behavioral approaches, homeschool, or just gentle parent or perhaps you have a child that feels particularly challenging for you.
My approach is heavily influenced by the work of Kelly McDaniel, who writes on the topic of Mother Hunger®. Mother Hunger describes a deep attachment wound involving lack of nurturance, protection, or guidance from your mother. Healing from Mother Hunger and other forms of attachment hunger open us up for healthy bonding and attachment with our children.
I have seen individuals undergo incredible healing and become rockstar parents! I help clients to process their wounds from the past, learn about healthy attachment and bonding, and grow to trust their natural instincts by being sensitive and responsive to their children’s needs. I provide a relational approach for clients who feel anxious, overwhelmed, and driven by their past relational wounds. It is my belief that we need relational safety before delving into deep trauma and/or attachment wounding. I provide skill building to calm you in your most stressful moments. I teach you about the research on healthy attachment and bonding and help you to trust your own inner knowing. My goal is to help you to trust yourself and feel confident in your parenting choices to grow up healthy, well-adjusted children that trust you to provide the exact nurturance, protection, and guidance that they need.
I consider this work my passion and calling. In my free time you can find me soaking in all the snuggles with my son and daughter and spending time as a family. I’m an avid reader and enjoy nerding out, reading all things on trauma, attachment, and parenting. Yes, I do this in my free time! I’m a big foodie and love cooking. I’m obsessed with all things holistic living. I’m pro parent choice and believe we should be fully informed before making decisions about our little ones. Our family has been on a journey around nutrition and I’ve loved nourishing our family with grassfed and pasture raised meat and eggs, organic fruits and veggies, raw milk, and many other healthy foods. Cooking for my family is one of my biggest passions! I also enjoy photography, traveling, hiking, and being outside. I’m very much the mama of a strong-willed, sensory seeking little one and have enjoyed navigating what works to help him thrive.
Specializations
Motherhood, Trying to Conceive, Pregnancy, Pregnancy After Loss, Mother Hunger and Attachment Wounding, Parenting with a History of Trauma, Parent Coaching for Toddlers, Attachment-Informed Parenting, Gentle Parenting, Preverbal Trauma, Complex Trauma and Dissociative Disorders, Holistic/Crunchy Approach
Education
Towson University
Vanderbilt University
Approach
Attachment-Informed, Holistic Approach to Parenting and Trauma Treatment through Hypnosis, Ego State Therapy (Parts Work), Somatic Work
Areas of Interest
Mothering, Parenting, Pregnancy with a Holistic Approach, Home Birth, Holistic Nutrition and Movement, Mother Hunger, Parenting with a History of Trauma, Intergenerational Trauma, Breaking Cycles
Trainings
Attachment Focused EMDR
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
Comprehensive Resource Model, including Case Conceptualization for DID and OSDD
Clinical Hypnosis
Ego State Therapy
Safe and Sound Protocol
Onsite Trauma Stage Processing
Pregnancy Dialogues
Certifications
Mother Hunger Trained Facilitator
Advanced Certificate in Complex Trauma and Dissociation through ISSTD
Certificate in Somatic Embodiment and Regulation Strategies
