Balancing Act: Supporting Working Parents Through the Lens of Therapy and Attachment

In today’s fast-paced world, being a working parent often feels like a constant balancing act. Juggling professional responsibilities, childcare, emotional labour, and personal needs can lead to stress, guilt, and burnout. Despite the normalisation of this lifestyle, many working parents silently carry the weight of feeling like they’re never doing enough — either at work or at home.

So how can we better support working parents in a way that acknowledges both their challenges and their resilience? Therapeutic approaches like Person-Centred Therapy (PCT) and insights from attachment theory offer meaningful ways to explore this question.

The Hidden Struggles of Working Parents

While being a parent is rewarding, the pressure to "have it all" can be overwhelming. Common struggles include:

• Work-life conflict – feeling torn between career and family.

• Guilt – particularly among mothers, who often face societal expectations around caregiving.

• Emotional exhaustion – trying to meet everyone’s needs before their own.

• Loss of identity – feeling disconnected from oneself outside of work or parenting roles.

Even in supportive environments, these emotions can take a toll on mental health and relationships.

What Is Person-Centred Therapy (PCT)?

PCT, developed by Carl Rogers, is grounded in the belief that people thrive when they feel truly heard, understood, and accepted. For working parents, who often feel judged — either for taking time off, needing flexibility, or struggling emotionally — PCT provides a safe, non-judgemental space to explore their internal world.

Therapy through a person-centred lens offers:

• Empathy without advice-giving,

• Validation of feelings, particularly around guilt, anger, or sadness,

• And support in reconnecting with one’s authentic self, beyond job title or parental status.

This kind of therapeutic relationship can help parents build self-compassion, reduce internal conflict, and feel more emotionally resourced in both work and home life.

Attachment Theory and Working Parenthood

Attachment theory, originally developed by John Bowlby, emphasises the importance of secure emotional bonds, particularly between parent and child. A key concern for many working parents is whether their time away — physically or emotionally — might harm their child’s development or attachment.

The good news is: quality trumps quantity. Children benefit most from attuned, consistent caregiving — not perfection, not constant presence. A securely attached child doesn’t need a parent who’s always there, but one who is emotionally responsive and available when it matters.

Understanding attachment through a therapeutic lens can help working parents to:

• Let go of perfectionism,

• Recognise the value of repair after moments of disconnection,

• And build healthy relational patterns — both with their children and themselves.

Compassionate Support for Parents

Many working parents hesitate to seek therapy, fearing it’s an admission of failure. In reality, therapeutic support can be a powerful act of self-care and generational healing. Whether it’s navigating a return to work after maternity leave, coping with the pressures of remote working while parenting, or managing anxiety about parenting choices, therapy offers a place to reflect and reconnect.

At its best, therapy doesn’t offer a manual on how to be the “perfect” parent — it helps individuals become the parent they want to be, aligned with their values and their child’s unique needs.

If you’re a working parent, know this: your emotional wellbeing matters. You deserve space to breathe, reflect, and be supported — not just as a parent or employee, but as a whole person.