New Mom? We’ve got a support group for you!

Greetings to all fellow new moms!

My name is Dr. Ellyn Turer. I am a licensed clinical psychologist who is starting a new mom support group in Dupont Circle on Wednesday’s at 12:30pm beginning in November. I’m excited to provide a fun, non-judgmental, mutually supportive group of women all rooting for each other!

Some topics we will cover include (but are not limited to):

Mindfulness/Meditation
Learning how to effectively communicate w/ your spouse
Sleep Hygiene
Anxiety/Depression
The baby blues
Breastfeeding
Stress management
How food affects your mood
Exercise after having a baby
How to cope with going back to work
Baby product essentials

Please feel free to email me with any questions as well as to register. Space is filling up quick, so definitely reserve your spot today! I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Cost: $65.00 per session*

*Unfortunately, I do not accept any insurance. However, most of my patients get back b/w 50-80% of what they pay per session after they submit a claim to their insurance company. I would call your insurance company & ask if you have out-of-network benefits. If you do, I would ask approximately how much money you could anticipate getting back? I would also ask if you have a deductible that you would need to meet before you got money back?

(Photo: 30 Second Mom)

The Mind Body Minute with Dr. Ellyn L. Turer: A Three-Year-Old’s Wisdom

Several years ago, I gave a talk to parents of obese children on how to live a healthy lifestyle. Approximately 25 minutes into the talk a sweet 3-year-old girl with medium-brown hair in pigtails quietly walked into the room and took a seat next to her mother. Moments prior to her entrance, I had presented the following question to the parents: “What kinds of things do you do to relax when you feel stressed?” The audience avoided eye contact with me, looked around the room and pretended that they needed to check their iPhones at that exact moment all in effort to avoid answering my question.

I decided to ask the question again…silence.

As I continued to survey the room, my eyes slowly met with those of the 3-year-old girl. I looked at this little girl in pigtails and asked for her name…“Lyla,” she answered shyly. I proceeded to ask Lyla if she ever feels stressed? She looked directly at me with bright brown eyes and answered my question with ease… “Definitely!” she proclaimed. It took me a moment to grasp my head around the fact that someone so young could even begin to understand what it meant to feel stressed.

I then asked Lyla the same question that I asked the parent’s moments prior to Lyla’s seemingly inconspicuous entrance…“What kind of things do you like to do when you feel stressed?” I asked. Without hesitation, Lyla quickly, with a matter-of-fact tone answered, “I just put on my pink dress.” So simple. Just to clarify, I asked, “So all you need to do when you feel stress is put on your pink dress and all of your stress melts away?” She answered softly, yet with genuine confidence, “Yeah, I just put on my pink dress.”

This innocent exchange got me thinking…where is my pink dress? Perhaps, finding a reliable way to relax is easier than we think. Maybe we are trying too hard to relax. When Lyla talked about her pink dress, she breathed diaphragmatically without intention. It appeared that even thinking about this dress served to naturally induce a relaxation response for this little girl.

To be clear, I am not suggesting that you (regardless of gender) go out and buy a pink dress. What I do suggest is to take about 10 minutes to sit down and think about an item or activity that you find relaxing. Think about your senses: whether it’s wrapping yourself up in a warm fuzzy blanket, spritzing on your favorite perfume or cologne so you can smell it throughout the day, listening to a song that you find soothing, slowly sipping hot or iced tea, petting your dog or cat, holding a memento (i.e., a favorite photo, a sentimental object), notice how both your mind and body feel as you engage in any of the above-noted activities.

As I have mentioned in previous articles, the more our society increases it’s desired, unrealistically fast pace, the more important it becomes for you to take a moment and breathe. The items and activities mentioned above oftentimes serve as “triggers.” Implementing a simple, yet meaningful object or activity into your daily routine may serve to naturally induce a relaxation response with little to no effort.

As always don’t forget to breathe!

Dr. Ellyn L. Turer is a licensed psychologist in the District of Columbia. Her areas of interest include Stress Management, Mind/Body Wellness, Sleep Hygiene, Mourning & Loss, and Mindfulness/Meditation. Dr. Turer also specializes in adjustment to physical illness, injury and disability, and she has a particular interest in working with individuals and their loved ones coping with the emotional and mental ramifications of physical illness and injury.