Online sessions across the UK and internationally | In-person therapy in Bristol
I help sensitive mums overcome overwhelm, anxiety and anger so they can feel calmer, happier and more like themselves, through CBT and talking therapy
Does any of this sound familiar?
You find yourself losing your temper with your partner or your child far more often than you would like to, and it feels like it doesn’t take much to ‘push you over the edge’.
You often feel the need to be in control, and it can leave you feeling anxious when things don't go to plan or aren't done the way you think they should be.
You often feel completely overwhelmed by the noise, mess, interruptions, and constant demands of parenting.
Although you love your child deeply, you often feel resentment about how much of the mental and emotional load of parenthood has fallen on you.
You struggle with being too much of a ‘people-pleaser’ and find it hard to set boundaries with your partner or other family members.
You feel as though you have lost your identity since becoming a mum; it feels like you’re meeting everyone else’s needs but not your own.
If you have answered yes to any of the above questions then you’re not alone - and it doesn’t have to be that way.
Who am I?
Hi, I’m Sophie Harris. I am a BABCP Accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist and I specialise in postpartum and motherhood.
I’ve been working in mental health since 2008, first in the NHS and now through my private practice, since 2020. I know first hand how it feels to experience mental health challenges as a mum, and I use this to inform how I help other mums who are experiencing similar struggles.
As a highly sensitive mum myself, I understand that motherhood can bring immense joy, but it can also leave you feeling overwhelmed, anxious, overstimulated, irritable, or unlike the person you used to be. I help you understand the emotional patterns that are keeping you stuck and support you in creating lasting change, so you can feel calmer, more confident, and more like yourself again.
How can I help?
I offer Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and talking therapy specifically tailored to mums navigating the challenges of motherhood.
This is a space where you can talk openly about how you’re really feeling, whether that’s overwhelm, anxiety, anger, guilt, overstimulation, or feeling like you’ve lost yourself as a mum..
Sessions are held online via a secure video platform, making them flexible and accessible around being a mum.
Sessions last 50 minutes and can be short-term (around 6 weeks) or longer-term (20+ weeks), depending on what you need and what you want to work towards. We’ll decide together what feels right during your initial consultation.
Between sessions, I may suggest small, manageable tasks to help you apply what we’ve discussed in real life. These are always tailored to your capacity as a mum, so they feel doable rather than overwhelming, and we’ll shape them around your actual day-to-day life.
What can you get from therapy?
What you want to achieve from our work together is completely up to you, and we’ll decide this in our first session. Here are some common goals that many clients have worked toward in the past…
Learn to regulate your emotions so that you no longer lose your temper all of the time.
Control your emotional reactions to situations and feel happier and calmer.
Feel calmer and more level headed so that you can manage anxiety and worry as it arises.
Learn to hold boundaries for yourself and your child with family members, colleagues and friends.
Reclaim your sense of identity and feel more like yourself again.
Heal from your childhood trauma to prevent this impacting your child.
Create a healthier relationship with your partner, so that you feel re-connected again.
What is CBT?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is one of the most evidence-based therapy approaches which focuses on the connection between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, and helps you understand how these patterns may be keeping you stuck in cycles of overwhelm, anxiety, self-criticism, or reactivity.
CBT is a practical, skills-based therapy that helps you become your own therapist over time. Together, we’ll explore what’s going on for you and work with tools and strategies that help you respond differently in difficult moments.
This might include learning how to notice and shift unhelpful thought patterns, building ways to manage anxiety and overwhelm, or finding more helpful ways to communicate and navigate conflict in relationships.
Alongside this, we may also look at lifestyle factors that can support your mental wellbeing, such as sleep, boundaries, routines, and self-care. I will ensure that this is always in a realistic and manageable way that fits around motherhood.
Between sessions, you may be offered small, focused exercises to help you apply what we’ve worked on in your day-to-day life. These are always tailored to your capacity and designed to support, not overwhelm you as you make change at your own pace.
How much does it cost?
£125 per 50-minute session
I offer a free 20-minute consultation to consider whether this is the most helpful treatment option for you.
I am a recognised provider with major health insurers and have a small number of appointments available for insured clients (inc: Bupa, AXA, Aviva, Cigna). If you are seeking therapy via an insurance company, please send me an e-mail to sophie@lookingaftermum.co.uk to check availability.
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I was at my lowest point when I started therapy. I was really struggling with anxiety and intrusive thoughts and it was consuming my every day and I wasn't enjoying being a mum. Now I feel so much less anxious, I love being a mum and I can recognise when I'm starting to burnout again/not looking after myself and know it's time to slow down and make time for myself.
Previous therapy client
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I felt like I was drowning at the beginning. I’d been coping for too long and felt a shadow of myself. I now feel more like myself and now understand why I was feeling that way.
Previous therapy client
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At the beginning I felt quite hopeless and out of control, like there was little I could do to change how I felt and, at times, how I was behaving. My work with Sophie gave me an expanded awareness of myself as a mother, what stories and emotional triggers I bring into it, as well as what parts I can change versus the parts that I can't. It didn't suddenly become easy, but I feel more equipped to consciously choose the type of mother I want to be in the harder moments.
Previous client
What’s next?
If you are interested in working together then I offer a free 20-minute phone consultation. This is a great chance for me to get an understanding of where you are at and whether therapy together will be a good fit for you. To book a consultation, use the button below. If you have any questions e-mail me at sophie@lookingaftermum.co.uk.