Ambivalence in Parenthood: Making Room for Both Love and Frustration in Therapy

You can adore your child and still feel overwhelmed. You can crave solitude and still be a devoted parent. These truths don’t cancel each other out—they coexist in the emotional reality of parenthood. And yet, many parents feel guilt or shame for holding such conflicting feelings.

In my practice, I work with parents to unpack the layers beneath these tensions. We trace the origin of guilt and consider what it might be defending against: fear of inadequacy, echoes of our own childhood, societal expectations of “perfect parenting.” Ambivalence is not a failure—it’s human. And in psychoanalytic therapy, we make space for the whole picture.

This work offers a place to reflect on your experience without judgment. We look at the emotional history you bring into parenting, the unconscious patterns that shape your caregiving, and the internal pressures you carry. By allowing space for what feels hard to say aloud, we can uncover more room for self-compassion—and, ultimately, for connection.

If you're a parent in Los Angeles feeling conflicted, depleted, or simply in need of a space to think and feel, therapy can be a powerful resource. Your feelings are welcome here.