You're trying to parent in ways you weren’t parented – and it’s exhausting. Therapy can help you break generational cycles with more clarity and compassion.
Therapy for Cycle-Breaking Parenting
You’re doing it differently, but it shouldn’t feel this lonely.
You promised yourself things would be different. You swore you'd never say that thing your mom said. You read all the parenting books, try to stay calm during tantrums, and hold in your own tears until bedtime.
You’re working so hard to give your child what you didn’t get. But it can feel like you’re unraveling, like your nervous system is completely fried from holding it all together. You start to wonder if you’re really breaking the cycle like you promised yourself you would – or if you’re just breaking down under the weight of it all.
If that’s where you are, you’re not failing. You’re doing deep, generational work. Therapy can help you do it with more support.
What does it mean to “break the cycle”?
Cycle-breaking parenting means raising your children differently from how you were raised. It can include:
Learning to regulate your emotions instead of yelling or shutting down
Offering your child empathy when you were met with criticism
Teaching boundaries when yours were ignored or punished
Making space for your child’s identity when yours wasn’t seen
Creating safety where there once was fear
The work is powerful – but it’s also heavy. You don’t have to carry it all alone.
Common struggles cycle-breaking parents face
You might feel…
Overwhelmed by your own big emotions
Triggered by your child’s needs or meltdowns
Guilty for feeling angry, impatient, or numb
Frustrated that gentle parenting feels so hard
Confused by the gap between what you know and what you can actually do
Stuck between who you were raised to be and who you’re trying to become
Lonely, unseen, or resentful
You’re not making this up. You’re parenting while healing. And that takes a different kind of support.
How Therapy Helps
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Understanding how your past shows up in your present parenting
Building tools to regulate your emotions and respond (not react)
Learning to set boundaries without guilt
Untangling internalized shame, people-pleasing, or perfectionism
Reclaiming space for your identity beyond motherhood
Creating sustainable, compassionate change
We’ll go at your pace, and I’ll meet you where you are – whether you’re feeling raw, ready, or somewhere in between.
Let’s talk about the kind of parent you want to be.
Sessions are 100% virtual for clients in Iowa, Indiana, Idaho, South Carolina, and Florida, so you can access support without leaving your home (or finding childcare). If you’re doing the deep work of parenting differently than you were parented, you deserve support that sees the whole picture.
PHONE: (515) 259 - 0138
EMAIL: hello@therapywithanne.org
Get in touch with us via phone, email, or drop your details in the form and we’ll get back to you soon. We serve Iowa, Indiana, South Carolina, Idaho, and Florida.
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