Seeking therapist f/parenting anxiety (esp dads)
Does anyone out there have a recommendation for a talk therapist who specializes in helping parents -- especially dads -- with parenting anxiety and overwhelm?
My husband and I have two wonderful kids, ages 6 and 3. Husband works full-time, and has worked from home full-time since 3-yr-old was a baby. He is a great--and very involved--dad who our kids adore. He also struggles a lot with fears that he's not spending enough time with the kids, giving enough of himself to the kids, etc. This manifests for him as trouble setting non-disciplinary boundaries ("Daddy read me ONE MORE BOOK!"), trouble relaxing when the kids are around (he feels like he needs to be actively engaged w/them 100% of the time if he's 'in the room'), and overwhelming guilt about sometimes wanting (needing) kid-free downtime. Some of this can probably be put down to family-of-origin drama, some is larger mental health struggles, some just personality. This isn't a new problem, but pandemic-related stress over the last two years has turned it up to 11.
I know many full-time employed parents of young kids struggle with a version of this problem. Does anyone have a therapist recommendation for processing some of this? Recs from other dads would be especially helpful. TIA.
Parent Replies
I recommend Ben Geiger, he guided me through a similar process to what you describe.
As a health care professional, I heard Will Courtenay give a talk about depression in fathers and was impressed with his approach and experience. He may be a good fit for what you are seeking.
https://willcourtenay.com/
Dr. Bruce Linton runs Fathers' Forum (a dad group) in Berkeley, and also does individual counseling sessions. He's been a great resource for my husband, who has general anxiety that's been exacerbated by becoming a father (especially in a global pandemic).