Motherhood can change your identity, relationships, body and sense of self. We introduce Clinical Psychologist and mum Isadora Aldam, and explore why psychological support can have a place in this season too.
There is a lot of support focused on preparing women to become mothers.
Appointments. Birth classes. Lists of things to buy. Information about feeding, sleep and what to expect from a newborn.
There tends to be less conversation about what happens to you.
Because becoming a mother can bring enormous change — to your identity, your relationships, your body, your routines and the way you see yourself. And while motherhood can be deeply joyful and meaningful, those changes can also feel overwhelming, unfamiliar or simply harder than you expected.
It’s one of the reasons we wanted to make it easier for women in the Earthside community to find a psychologist for mums who genuinely understands this season of life.
So, we’d like you to meet Isadora.
Meet Isadora Aldam
Isadora Aldam is a Clinical Psychologist, mum and founder of Self & Seasons Psychology.
She holds a Master of Clinical Psychology and Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours), is a registered COPE practitioner, and has experience working across private, government and not-for-profit settings.
But her particular interest in supporting women and families through the perinatal period and matrescence became much more personal after starting a family of her own.
Her transition to motherhood deepened her appreciation of just how much change the perinatal journey can bring — emotionally, physically, within our relationships and in how we see ourselves.
It was from this experience, and her respect for the significant life transitions or seasons we move through across our lives, that Self & Seasons Psychology was born.
Support through the transition to motherhood
Pregnancy and postpartum aren’t isolated events.
They can sit within a much bigger transition into motherhood, bringing changes to identity, relationships, purpose, body image, family dynamics and everyday life.
Isadora supports women through pregnancy, birth preparation and debriefing, adjustment to motherhood and identity changes, as well as perinatal anxiety, depression and OCD.
But you also don’t need to arrive with a diagnosis or know exactly what you need help with.
Sometimes, you simply feel like you need some support.
Isadora’s approach focuses on building genuine therapeutic relationships based on equality and trust, working alongside women to improve and maintain their wellbeing in whatever way that looks for them.
What does therapy with Isadora look like?
Isadora aims to provide therapy that feels accessible, non-judgemental, warm and comfortable — somewhere you can feel heard, understood and gently re-empowered.
Her work draws on a range of therapeutic approaches, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Enhanced (CBT-E), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Schema Therapy.
She also draws on yoga-informed practices and has an interest in the mind-body connection and evolutionary perspectives in psychology.
Depending on the person sitting in front of her, therapy might be structured. Or it might need to be more flexible, with space simply to feel heard and held.
Trauma-informed practices are incorporated throughout her work.
A psychologist for mums — including the messy reality of motherhood
One of the things we particularly love about Isadora’s approach is that therapy doesn’t require motherhood to disappear for an hour.
Babies are welcome.
Cups of tea are welcome.
And appointments are available via telehealth across Australia, making support a little easier to fit amongst pregnancy appointments, feeds, naps, childcare and family life.
Both brief and longer-term support are welcome.
Because psychological support during motherhood doesn’t have to be reserved for a crisis.
Sometimes it can simply be having somewhere to put everything you’re carrying.
Meet your psychologist
We’re really pleased to welcome Isadora into Earthside’s growing wellbeing space and to make her work easier for our community to find.
If you’re looking for a psychologist for mums, whether you’re pregnant, preparing for birth, finding your feet in motherhood or somewhere further along in the transition, you can learn more about Isadora and Self & Seasons Psychology through Earthside here.
Babes in arms and cups of tea welcome.
