Do you find yourself increasingly sad, insecure, and angry, and generally losing confidence in your ability to be a mum? If yes, you’re not alone. Parenting — let alone single parenting — after all, is hard. Juggling the seemingly endless responsibilities of raising children, all while dealing with your own emotions about the separation or divorce. The good news is, you already know of a possible solution: therapy for single mothers.

The fact that you ended up reading this article must mean you’re already looking into therapy. Sometimes, however, there are things that hinder your willingness to seek professional help. If you are still having second thoughts about the value of therapy or are in need of a final push to finally seek help, Single Mama Way is here to help.

Why Confidence Matters for Single Mums

The Link Between Therapy for Single Mothers and Confidence

How would you describe your emotional well-being right now? Let’s be real: most of us go through periods where we struggle with our mental health. It’s human. But when your emotional well-being is in a good place, you’re better able to cope with life’s curveballs. You can adapt when things change, face challenges head-on, and still find a way forward.

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention puts it this way: someone with positive emotional well-being is able to express their emotions in a healthy way, bounce back from tough times, handle conflict without blowing up or shutting down, look for practical solutions, and ask for help when needed.

And here’s the thing that often gets overlooked: when you’re emotionally well, your body feels it too. You’re less likely to get sick or injured, and when you do, you tend to recover faster. Your mind and body really are on the same team.

All this flows into parenting, which is why therapy for single mothers is crucial. When you feel emotionally strong, you trust yourself more. You know you can handle the tantrums, the teenage mood swings, or whatever else your kids throw at you. You respond with intention, not just impulse. You’re more open to real conversations, you listen better, and you find calmer ways to solve problems with your children. Plus, when your body’s feeling good too, you’ve got the energy to actually show up for them, not just physically, but emotionally too. You’re not just surviving. You’re present. And you’re modelling strength without being hard. That’s a powerful reminder of your strength as a single parent.

How Low Self-Esteem Impacts Parenting

Obviously, the state of your self-esteem has a direct impact on how you parent and raise your kids, whether you’re doing it in a single-parent or co-parenting setup. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying that children are like sponges. They absorb everything. In many ways, they become a reflection of you. So, when your confidence is low, chances are, theirs will be too. This is what’s called negative modelling. And it’s something worth keeping in mind … always.

Low self-esteem doesn’t just sit quietly in the background. It can show up in how you express emotions and how you handle challenges. Lacking communication skills, you might find yourself snapping at your kids, blaming them, or brushing problems under the rug. And over time, that can chip away at their own sense of confidence. This may cause feelings of bitterness and affect your parent-child relationship as they grow.

If you recognise that your self-esteem is something you must prioritise for the sake of your children, therapy tailored to single mothers may help.

Therapy for Single Mothers: How It Helps Build Confidence

Common Emotional Challenges Single Mums Face

Single parents are superheroes, not an expectation, just recognition of all that we do. But let’s be honest, we’re human, too. We experience mental health struggles just like anyone else… maybe even more. And that’s okay. Stress and anxiety from the seemingly endless child care needs, guilt and self-blame for your inability to give your child everything, relationship problems, and such feelings are common mental health issues that can affect a single parent, especially amidst extraordinary hardship. Experiencing these doesn’t necessarily mean you need therapy.

Signs You Might Benefit from Therapy

One of the reasons cited by some of our clients here at Single Mama Way for delaying therapy is thinking that their symptoms are not severe enough to warrant professional help. While it’s true that all of us struggle mentally and emotionally from time to time, it’s important to watch out for signs that you need to take things more seriously.

• Burnout. Parenthood is tough. But raising a child on your own takes that to a whole new level. Every day, you’re juggling childcare, managing finances, possibly chasing child support, and trying to meet your children’s emotional needs while somehow also remembering your own. It’s no wonder the burden can feel overwhelming. With little to no personal time, burnout can creep in fast.
• Chronic Stress. It’s ordinary to undergo some sort of stress when parenting alone. But if this condition goes on for extended periods and it seems like everything is stressing you out, you might want to have yourself checked for chronic stress and anxiety.
• Disconnection. Losing your relationships with friends and family isn’t unusual among single mothers. Solid relationships need effort from both sides, and when everyone’s caught up in their own lives — including you — it’s easy for those connections to fade. Suddenly, your once strong support network feels distant, and those feelings of loneliness hits hard.
• Inadequacy. I’m willing to bet nearly all of us have felt like we’re not good enough. Truthfully, most of us are just winging it as we go. But when you’re a single mum — whether as a result of divorce or your were never married — those feelings can really take a toll. It’s easy for your self-worth to slip through the cracks.
• Hopelessness. As humans, we need to live a purposeful existence. It’s not enough for us simply exist; we must feel that there’s a larger reason for us to go on. If you’re feeling hopeless all the time, you might be experiencing something a lot more serious, like depression.

Types of Therapy That Can Help

Thankfully, these don’t have to stand in your way forever. Numerous programs can help parents seeking support in raising a child alone. One of these is therapy. Here are different types of therapy for single mothers:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). CBT is a well-known and highly structured form of therapy often used to treat anxiety, depression, addiction, and other mental health challenges. The basic idea is that many psychological problems stem from unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviours. The good news is, you can change those. With CBT, you learn skills to overcome these emotions and start feeling more resilient and in control. If there’s trauma involved in your psychological programs, it may be necessary to look into Trauma-informed CBT.
• Counselling. Counselling, on the other hand, is a more open and adaptive type of one-on-one therapy. It usually takes a bit longer, but it offers a gentle, empathetic approach. Therapists hold space for you to talk freely about your thoughts and struggles, and the focus is more on understanding and healing through conversation. At Single Mama Way, we offer a safe space for single mums through our counselling service, How to Rebuild Confidence After Divorce as a Single Mum.
• Support Groups for Single Mothers. Support groups bring together people going through similar experiences. While it’s not a personalised or clinical approach like counselling or CBT, there’s so much value in shared stories and peer support. Hearing others say “me too” can be incredibly healing. Plus, support groups may be more affordable if one-on-one therapy isn’t quite within reach right now.

Therapy for Single Mothers cont…

Practical Strategies to Build Confidence Daily

Small Wins That Lead to Big Growth

Finding the right type of therapy is crucial for you to improve your well-being. There are also little things that you can practise on a daily basis to help yourself little by little.

Recognising that there is a problem is the first step towards growth. It’s important that you stop looking away and sweeping things under the rug. Deciding to get support and do something about your mental health conditions is necessary.

Developing a self-care routine is also important. Simple practises like journaling, mindfulness exercises, and deep breathing exercises, if done regularly and consistently, can foster a healthy environment inside you.

The Role of Self-Compassion and Positive Self-Talk

As I mentioned before, feeling like you don’t have a support system is common among single parents. Whether it is real or perceived, there is one person that is always there: yourself. Reconnect with yourself. Give yourself permission to feel your emotions, even if they are negative. It’s okay not to be OK all the time.

Allow yourself to feel bad and down, knowing full well that you are going to rise from these feelings. Not beating yourself down with negative self-talk. Believe that you can get over the negative thoughts and feelings. Remind yourself about your positive qualities and the good things you do for your small circle of influence. These are simple but incredibly powerful things you can do every day to help yourself with or without obtaining therapy for single mothers.

How to Access Therapy for Single Mothers

Affordable or Free Therapy Options

Affordability is an important factor in whether single mums go to therapy or not. If this is your case, know that it’s not your fault. The whole world can benefit from having more accessible mental health services.

Thankfully, there are free or subsidised therapy options available. For example, you can avail of free initial counselling from BetterHelp. This can help if you’re not sure if therapy is for you and are not yet willing to spend on the services.

The Australian government also has several community resources and programs that can help single parents access affordable mental health services, like Beyond Blue and Lifeline Australia. Centrelink also has several assistance programs to help with psychological issues, such as concession or health care cards and Medicare.

Online vs. In-Person Therapy: What’s Best for You?

When it comes to the mode of therapy for single mothers, what’s best for you is what fits your life. There are pros and cons to online and face-to-face therapy. Online therapy is best if there is no therapist in your neighbourhood, or if the ones available do not fit your needs. As long as you get matched with a therapist that fits your needs, online therapy can also be more affordable than in-person services because of lower overhead costs.

Final thoughts on therapy for single mothers as a tool to improve confidence

Single motherhood is tough. There’s no sugar-coating it. You carry so much and you do it often without thanks, without rest, and without a backup plan. But here’s the truth: even in the hardest of seasons, you deserve support. And therapy can be that support. It’s not a luxury or something only for when you’re falling apart. It’s one that helps you rebuild, restore, and rediscover who you are, outside of the role of ‘mum.’

Confidence isn’t something you magically wake up with one day. It’s built slowly, from the inside out. It grows when you feel heard, seen, and understood. It grows when you take small steps toward yourself, your healing, and your peace. Therapy doesn’t make life easier overnight, but it gives you the skills, strength, and space to navigate it with more grace, courage, and clarity.

Here at Single Mama Way, we believe you deserve that. We believe you deserve to feel strong in your choices, grounded in your identity, and confident in your parenting … not because everything’s perfect, but because you’re showing up. Therapy is one of the most powerful steps you can take toward that kind of inner strength. And if today is the day you take that first step, know this: we’re cheering for you. Always.

Single Mama Elle

Elle is our compassionate single mum counsellor, dedicated to guiding fellow mamas through life's challenges. With a heartfelt commitment to transforming obstacles into opportunities, Elle provides empathetic support and practical guidance to her clients. As a single mother herself, she intimately understands the daily struggles and joys of single parenthood. Outside of counselling sessions, Elle finds rejuvenation in nature walks and yoga practice, nurturing her own well-being to better support others. Through her counselling practice, Elle aims to instil unwavering belief in single mums, empowering them to navigate life's journey with resilience and optimism.

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