A confidential, collaborative space to think through your return to paid work after maternity or parental leave, at a pace you set. Registered Psychologists and Registered Provisional Psychologists regulated by the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP). Registered Social Workers regulated by the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW), Canadian Certified Counsellors certified by the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA), Mental Health Therapists and Student Therapists. In-person sessions in Edmonton and St. Albert, and virtual sessions across Alberta. Weekday evening and weekend hours available as well.

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You Might Be Wondering Whether Counselling for Returning to Work Is Right for You

You may not be sure that going back to work is a big enough reason to talk to someone. Nothing is technically wrong. The return date is on the calendar, childcare is sorted or nearly sorted, and it can feel like this is simply something you are supposed to handle. Still, part of it might not sit easily. Maybe you lie awake running through drop-off times and the first meeting back.

Maybe you feel ready to use a different part of your mind again, then feel uneasy about feeling ready. Or maybe you are already back, and the days feel heavier than you expected at home and at work. Responses like these make sense. Your routines, your caregiving, your relationships and your place at work can all shift at the same time.

Mixed or changing feelings about returning are an understandable response to a real change. They do not mean you are failing at it. If you are curious whether talking it through could help, you may wish to read on and see what this kind of support looks like. Take what is useful and leave the rest.

Who We Help

This service may be a good fit if you are:

• preparing to return to paid work after maternity or parental leave and want space to think it through first
• already back at work and finding the adjustment harder, or more complicated, than you expected
• still deciding whether, when or how to return, and want to sort through your priorities without being told what to choose
• returning after parental leave as a non-birthing or adoptive parent
• a partner adjusting to new routines while someone else in the family goes back to work
• getting ready for conversations with a manager, partner or family about schedules, boundaries or who does what
• reading on behalf of someone you care about and wanting to understand what support could look like

This service may not be the right fit if you need:

• immediate help with your safety or someone else's. Please use the crisis resources below.
• legal, employment, human resources, leave-entitlement or workplace accommodation advice. These questions belong with the relevant professional or organization.
• a medical opinion, a fitness-for-work evaluation or documentation for your employer. Psychological assessments are a separate service and are not part of this counselling.

If you are returning after a different kind of leave, such as illness or injury, our Returning to Work Support page may be a closer match. If work itself has become the main source of strain, see Workplace Stress.

If you are not safe at home, the Family Violence Info Line (Alberta) is available 24/7 at 310-1818. Counselling can sit alongside that support, but it does not replace safety planning.

If You Need Help Right Now

Counselling is not set up for emergencies. If you are worried about your safety or someone else's, these services can help right away:

• Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department if anyone is in immediate danger.
• Alberta Mental Health Help Line: 1-877-303-2642 (24/7)
• 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline: call or text 9-8-8 if you are thinking about suicide or are worried about someone who may be (24/7)

Wholesome Psychology is not an emergency or crisis service.

What Counselling for Returning to Work After Maternity Leave Is

This counselling is a confidential, collaborative space to explore what returning to work means for you and to identify goals that matter to you. It is support for a life and work transition. It does not start from the idea that something is wrong with you, and you do not need a diagnosis to begin.

Sessions may include role changes, workplace communication, boundaries, practical planning and emotional adjustment. These are examples, not a set plan. You set the pace, and your therapist will not decide for you whether or when to go back.

It can also help to know what this service is not:

• It is not a crisis or emergency service.
• It is not legal, employment, human resources or leave-entitlement advice.
• It is not medical care, and it does not decide fitness for work or workplace accommodations.
• It is not an investigation or a way to resolve a workplace complaint.
• It is not a psychological assessment. Assessments are a separate service with their own process.

What you share is confidential within limits set by Alberta privacy law and professional standards. Your therapist explains those limits in the first session, and the details are in the confidentiality section below.

Each clinician works within the scope of their own registration and training. If something you need falls outside that scope, your therapist can talk with you about who may be better placed to help, or what questions to bring to your doctor, employer or another professional.

Signs Returning to Work After Maternity Leave May Be Affecting You

There is no single way to experience this change. You might recognize some of the patterns below, all of them, or none. They are examples, not a checklist.

• Feeling pulled in two directions: wanting to go back, and also not wanting to leave your child
• Running through the first weeks back in your head, especially at night when you are already tired
• A sense that whatever you choose, you are letting someone down
• Wondering where you fit at work now, or whether things moved on without you
• More friction with a partner or family about drop-offs, sick days, night wakings or the mental load
• Dreading a conversation with your manager about hours, flexibility or boundaries
• Feeling like a different person from the one who left, and unsure how the two fit together
• Tiredness, tension or trouble switching off that makes ordinary days feel heavier
• Pulling back from friends or coworkers because there is nothing left at the end of the day

None of these mean something is permanently wrong with you. They are understandable reactions to a time when routines, caregiving, relationships and workplace expectations can all change at once. Some people find it useful to sort through them with someone outside the situation.

How Counselling Works Here

• Find your therapist. Use the Match with a Therapist tool or browse Our Therapists. If you would rather talk it over, the admin team can help at 780-904-4880.
• Book your first session. Your therapist reviews consent, privacy practices, fees and the limits of confidentiality, and you can ask about any of it. You talk about what brought you in, what you hope to get from counselling, and whether this feels like a good fit.
• Build your plan together. Goals are set with you, not for you. Plans are developed together and may change over time.
• Ongoing sessions. Sessions are 50 minutes, usually weekly or every two weeks. Timing can shift around your return date, work schedule and childcare.
• Progress check-ins. Your therapist checks in with you regularly about what is helping and what is not. If your needs change, the plan changes with them.

There is no fixed number of sessions. Your view of how things are going matters at every stage. For more on what to expect, see Getting Started with Therapy.

Evidence and Approaches

Research on counselling designed specifically for the return to work after parental leave is limited. Rather than list therapy models without supporting evidence, this section describes what the available research covers and how sessions are approached here. The limits of each are stated plainly.

Canadian Research on Returning to Work After Parental Leave

What it helps with: Understanding the Canadian picture of when mothers return to work and whether they go back to the same employer.

Evidence summary: Statistics Canada has examined the likelihood and timing of mothers returning to work after parental leave, using pre-pandemic data from the Employment Insurance Coverage Survey (Statistics Canada, 2023). That research found past extensions of parental leave were associated with more time at home and greater continuity with the employer a mother had before the birth.

Limitations: These are population-level patterns and cannot predict what any one parent, family or workplace will experience. The data predate the COVID-19 pandemic, and the study did not evaluate counselling.

Collaborative, Client-Centred Counselling

What it helps with: Exploring what the return to work means for you and naming goals that feel personally meaningful.

Evidence summary: This describes how counselling is offered at Wholesome Psychology: plans are built with you and revisited as your circumstances change. The research gathered for this page does not include outcome studies of this approach with parents returning from leave, so no claim is made about how well it works for this transition.

Limitations: Experiences of counselling vary, and a collaborative approach does not guarantee any particular result. How useful it feels can depend on your circumstances and your fit with your therapist.

Practical Planning and Workplace Communication

What it helps with: Preparing for conversations about workload, schedules or boundaries, and thinking through the practical side of a changing routine.

Evidence summary: Sessions may include workplace communication, boundaries and practical planning, offered as options rather than a set program. None of the sources reviewed for this page evaluate this kind of support for returning parents. It is described here as a service option, not as an evidence-based treatment.

Limitations: Counselling does not secure workplace accommodations or replace advice from human resources or an employment lawyer. What is possible at work depends on factors outside the counselling room.

Support With Role Changes and Emotional Adjustment

What it helps with: Making sense of shifts in identity and relationships, and of mixed or changing feelings about being back at work.

Evidence summary: Sessions can explore how work, caregiving and relationship responsibilities are being managed, and how you feel about those changes. The available research does not show that counselling leads to a particular emotional, family or work outcome, so this is described as an area of focus rather than a proven method.

Limitations: Adjustment looks different for everyone, and some concerns may call for medical or other specialized care. Your therapist can talk with you about other options if that seems relevant.

What Results to Expect

Counselling can offer space to think, plan and adjust. No therapy can guarantee a particular outcome. How things unfold depends on your circumstances, what is happening at work and at home, the support around you, and your fit with your therapist.

Adjustment rarely moves in a straight line. The first week back can go better than expected while the third feels harder, or the other way around. Some people notice shifts within a few months. Others find longer-term support useful as family and work life keep changing.

You might come for a few sessions around a specific decision or the first weeks back, or you might prefer to keep meeting as routines settle. Either is reasonable, and your plan can change.

Fit matters. If your therapist or their approach does not feel right, you can change at any point. Saying so is a normal part of counselling.

Confidentiality and Privacy

What you share in counselling is confidential. Psychologists at Wholesome Psychology are regulated by the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP) and follow the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists. Other clinicians follow the standards of their own professional bodies.

Two Alberta privacy laws are relevant. The Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) generally governs how private clinics collect, use and protect personal information. The Health Information Act (HIA) governs health information held by custodians such as Alberta Health Services, and can apply when a clinician provides services on behalf of a custodian. Your therapist can explain which rules apply to your file.

There are legal limits to confidentiality. A clinician may need to share information without your consent when:

• there is a risk of serious harm to you or someone else
• there are reasonable grounds to suspect a child is being abused or neglected, which Alberta law requires to be reported
• a court orders the release of records

Your therapist will explain these limits in your first session, before you share anything personal. You are welcome to ask privacy questions first, by phone or at the start of the session. Outside these legal exceptions, information is not shared with your employer, partner or anyone else without your informed consent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to talk about my birth or early parenting experiences in detail?

No. You decide what to share and when. You can focus on what is happening now, such as your schedule, your workplace or the conversations ahead. If earlier experiences feel relevant, you can come to them at your own pace, or not at all.

Is what I share kept private?

Yes, within legal limits. Information may be shared without consent only in specific situations, such as a risk of serious harm, a suspected child protection concern or a court order. Your therapist explains this in the first session. See the confidentiality section above for details, including how PIPA and the HIA apply.

How many sessions will I need?

There is no set number. You might want help with one decision or the first weeks back, or you might prefer ongoing support as things settle. You and your therapist review progress regularly and adjust the plan together.

What if the therapist is not the right fit?

Fit matters, and it is fine to say a match is not working. The admin team can help you find a different clinician, and you can also use the Match with a Therapist tool. New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

Can I have sessions online?

Yes. Virtual sessions are available across Alberta, and the same confidentiality standards apply. This can be easier to fit around a work day or a child's schedule. Availability varies by clinician. Learn more about online counselling.

Can counselling tell me whether I should go back to work?

No. Your therapist will not make that decision for you. Counselling can give you space to clarify your priorities, circumstances, concerns and options so the choice feels more like your own.

Can my therapist contact my workplace or write a note for my employer?

Any contact with your workplace would need to be discussed with you first and would require your informed consent. Counselling does not decide fitness for work or accommodation needs, and it does not replace medical, legal or human resources processes. If you are hoping for a letter, raise it early so your therapist can tell you what they can and cannot provide.

Can my partner come to a session?

You can talk with your therapist about whether a joint session would be helpful, since a return to work can change things for both partners. If you would like ongoing support as a couple, our couples counselling page explains that option.

Meet Your Clinicians

Our team includes Registered Psychologists, Registered Provisional Psychologists, Registered Social Workers, Canadian Certified Counsellors, Mental Health Therapists and Student Therapists. All psychologists are registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists. Registered Provisional Psychologists practise under the supervision of a senior registered psychologist. Registered Social Workers are regulated by the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW), and Student Therapists are master's-level practicum students who work under clinical supervision.

Clinicians differ in their training and areas of focus. Individual profiles on Our Therapists describe each person's experience, including work with parents, life transitions or workplace concerns where that applies. The Match with a Therapist tool can help you narrow the list, or you can call the admin team at 780-904-4880 for guidance.

If you are earlier in this stage of life, our pages on Parenthood Transition and Birth and Postpartum Support may also be relevant.

Children and Youth

A parent's return to work can change daily life for the whole family, including older children who notice new routines, different caregivers or a busier household. Wholesome Psychology also offers counselling for children, adolescents and young people through our child and youth counselling services.

Therapists who work with younger clients use age-appropriate approaches and work with parents and caregivers so support carries over at home. This page focuses on the parent's transition. If you are concerned about a child, the admin team can help you find a clinician who works with that age group.

Taking a Next Step

If you would like to explore counselling for your return to work, you can start in whichever way feels easiest:

• Book a session online through our booking system
• Find a clinician with the Match with a Therapist tool
• Call 780-904-4880
• Email info@wholesomepsychology.ca
• Read Getting Started with Therapy to see what the first steps involve

Starting the conversation is enough.

New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

References

• Statistics Canada. (2023). The likelihood and timing of mothers returning to work after parental leave.