As a psychotherapist, I support women through major life transitions, with a specialty and interest in various childbearing issues. Since 1993, I have had a private practice in Boulder, Colorado where I provide support for women from all over the state. Since pregnancy is a major transition and an important feminine initiation journey filled with seeds of opportunity, it's not surprising that the pregnant woman holds a powerful position of wisdom as well as projection. She experiences life more intensely so she can wake up to the exciting and miraculous changes. Honoring your feelings during this time does not mean you are wierd, crazy or sick. Instead, the commitment to your self can greatly benefit not only your baby and your family but also enrich and deepen your travels through motherhood.
My interest in perinatal issues has led to experiences with both low risk pregnancies and high risk inpatient pregnancies within a Denver area hospital. I am well aware of the developmental stages of pregnancy and the corresponding emotions and tasks. Often times, previous childbearing related issues, (such as a miscarriage, birth trauma, or previous terminations), can shake a woman's self-confidence and raise her anxiety, fear, obsessions, and feelings of depression. In fact, research now shows that addressing prenatal emotions during pregnancy can screen for post-partum risks while building resources for post-partum adjustment and a healthy maternal attachment. If pregnancy is getting you down or you're feeling overwhelmed by the thought of giving birth, psychotherapy can be one of the most recommended and successful treatments. It normalizes your feelings, provides the time and space to work the material through so you have clarity and resolution, and it documents the past and prepares for the future.
In my private practice, we can design therapy to suit your needs--short-term counseling or indepth psychotherapy. I offer talk therapy, dream work and art materials to safely explore feelings and facilitate a transformation towards greater wholeness and personal authority. There is no need to be a skilled artist--just a willingness to be curious. I offer individual sessions; occasional groups for conception, prenatal and post-partum concerns, and grief and loss; and support for pregnant couples. As a training candidate with the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts, I also offer a transpersonal perspective.
My background and training is as follows. In 1986 I graduated from Lesley College, Cambridge, MA where I wrote my thesis on using art with pregnant women as a tool for early intervention. My original training emphasized the importance of early intervention, which was viewed to extend as early as the pregnant woman. Since then I have worked in various clinical settings and with a wide range of populations and ages, including pregnant mothers and children in hospital settings. After publishing the first article on using art with pregnant women, an example of how the creative process facilitates healing when preparing for childbirth was published in Gayle Peterson's book, An Easier Childbirth, in 1991. Throughout the years, I have presented and published on original art therapy research, unique clinical approaches, and various prenatal issues. For over seven years I was a faculty member at Naropa University in the Art Therapy Program. Last but not least, I am the mother of two children: one teen and one young adult.
I look forward to speaking with you and answering any questions. For further information, please call 303-440-4000 or visit my website at www.SwanFoster.com.
