Share review of Campbell House

Campbell House 2022-08-18 Person 5 5 0

The care I received was exemplary. From the start of my initial assessment with the perinatal team I was supported and felt completely safe with the staff. I Was very reluctant 2 begin to receive care from the service as I thought that this would make me look like I was not a competent mother. This was not the case. I was first assessed by occupational therapist [name removed] who immediately put me at ease and validated the difficult emotions I was having at the time. She was able to help identify the nature of the perinatal illnesses I was suffering from, and gave me sincere support over several weeks whilst we waited for a psychotherapist to become available. During this time, she often went above and beyond to listen to what I needed to get off my chest. She sensed that I was really struggling and needed to start therapy as soon as possible. Once I was assigned a psychotherapist, [name removed], I received the same level of care and compassion. The nature of my illnesses made functioning in a therapeutic relationship difficult for me but [name removed] never made me feel like this was in anyway difficult. Over the course of a year, she consistently supported me, gained my trust, and offered me therapy that allowed me to change so much about my life. She showed genuine investment in my progress. One thing that I will always be grateful for is the fact that the team always took the needs of my son into account. As a single parent with a slight support network, coupled with extreme anxiety about leaving my son when I first entered the service, it was not an option for me to conduct therapy without him for many months. Both [name removed] and [name removed] were sensitive to this and allowed my son to attend sessions with me whether this be online or face to face. This gave me access to the service I would not have been able to have otherwise because I would not have been able to leave him. They engaged with my son in a positive manner and always made me feel like his presence was welcome. I cannot fault the care I received over the last year from perinatal services and it is impossible to describe the changes I have been able to make to my life, and my sons life, through the dedicated work of the team.

One thing I would suggest is I move to more face-to-face sessions. I really struggled to connect to my therapist online, I felt confident enough to tell heard that. As a result, she arranged for us to meet in person at a venue that was convenient for both of us. I tended an online workshop with other mums in similar positions to myself and found it extremely helpful. It would have been lovely to be able to meet these women face to face. as we move out of COVID times, I wonder if there is scope to introduce more face-to-face sessions as normal practise?