Inside the Red Door:
Client Stories

This is the first in a series of articles which tells the story of one person or family whose life has changed because of Trinity Counseling Service. Names and other identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of our clients.

“I’m not meant to be this baby’s mother”

Anna is a 19-year old single mother who moved to Princeton to be closer to Andre, her 20 year old boyfriend. After delivering her son, Anna began to suffer from severe post-partum depression. Concerned, her obstetrician, who knew of our TIPS project, contacted Dr. Molly Palmer, a Trinity Counseling Service child psychologist.

That same day, Dr. Palmer went to Anna’s apartment. When she arrived, Anna was in a state of panic. She felt unable to meet the needs of her infant son and was worrying excessively that something would happen to him. When the baby cried, Anna did not respond, saying “I’m not meant to be this baby’s mother.”

Dr. Palmer determined that the baby was well nourished, and observed that the baby was responsive to his father. In speaking with Andre, Dr. Palmer learned that he was taking time off from work to care for his infant son. He was concerned because he was loosing pay for each day he did not work, and worried that he might loose his job if he took more time off. Other than Andre, Anna had no support system, and when Andre returned to work, Anna would be alone. She had no family or friends in the area.

Dr. Palmer arranged to meet with Anna and the baby twice a week, with frequent supportive and encouraging phone calls in between visits. She then arranged for Anna to see Dr. Jennifer Kearney, our child psychiatrist, who prescribed medication to help relieve Anna’s severe depression.

Today, Anna and her baby, who is now six months old, are thriving. Anna is relishing her role as her son’s primary caregiver, and confident in her ability to care for her infant. Anna and Dr. Palmer will continue their therapeutic relationship until the baby enters pre-school. Their friendship may last a lifetime.

TIPS (Therapeutic Infant Parenting Skills) serves young parents in need. Through this project, we provide coaching, mentoring and therapy to parents which enable them to meet the developmental needs of their infant. If you are a young mother in need, or know one who is, please us at 609.924.0060.