therapy for nicu parents & parents with medically complex infants - KS & MO
You imagined the first days of your baby’s life filled with soft blankets & sleepy snuggles. Instead, you were handed monitors, wires, beeping machines, & a crash course in medical language you never wanted to learn.
Whether your baby was premature, you had a traumatic birth experience, your newborn needed surgery, your baby spent weeks or months in the NICU, you’re navigating a new diagnosis, or you’ve been thrown into a world of specialists & medical jargon you didn’t know existed, we’re here for you.
Maybe you’re balancing feeding tubes, oxygen tanks, or endless follow-up appointments. Maybe you’re lying awake replaying the beeping monitors, the rush of medical teams, or the moment everything changed. Or maybe you’ve been home for a while, but the anxiety, guilt, & exhaustion haven’t eased.
Your baby’s first home wasn’t a cozy nursery: it was the NICU. The moment you became a parent, you also became a medical advocate & now you don’t know how you feel about the role you had no choice in becoming.
What you’ve lost is more than just “a normal start.”
You’ve lost the future you pictured.
The moment you thought you’d place your baby on your chest & exhale.
The sense of safety you once carried in your body.
The belief that “things like that happen to other families, not ours.”
- Hypervigilant, constantly scanning for danger around you
- Guilt that your body couldn’t carry or protect them in the way you imagined
- Afraid to bond too deeply in case of another medical emergency
- Going through the motions because it’s all you have energy for
- Unsure how to explain to your partner that intimacy feels different now
- Anxious about every cough, hiccup, or skipped breath — & worn out from living in that state
- Disappointed that your days are now measured in appointments & medication schedules
you deserve to take a moment for yourself in this.
Life doesn’t stop just because you’re living in crisis mode.
The rest of the world keeps turning (bills, work, siblings, milestones) & it can feel like you’re trapped between two realities.
Instead, we'll meet you in the middle of it al, the place where:
- you can love your baby fiercely & still grieve what you’ve missed
- gratitude walks alongside fear & resentment
- pride in your child’s strength exists next to the pain of watching them struggle
- hope & worry travel together every single day
- Untangle medical trauma so it doesn’t consume your daily life
- Navigate transitions (like discharge, readmission, or moving to home care)
- Process milestones, anniversaries, hospital trips, appointments, & triggers without shutting down
- Protect your mental health while continuing to meet your child’s needs
- Restore connection with your partner or support system after months (or years) in survival mode
- Learn grounding tools for high-anxiety moments — in the hospital or at home
- Rebuild trust in your body and your ability to parent
therapy for nicu support is worth it by giving you the ability to:
You deserve online therapy where your story is met with compassion not comparison, where your therapists are trained in medically fragile infants & the nuances of NICU walls.
We’re committed to making therapy for new parents accessible. All of our sessions are held virtually to reduce barriers like transportation, childcare, finances, location, & mobility needs. If there’s anything we can do to better support your access to care (communication preferences, tech accommodations, website adjustments, etc), please let us know at admin@holdingnewtherapy.com.