TRUEME® COUNSELING GROUP
Moms' Support Group: Why Does My Toddler "Hate" Me?
For Moms: A professionally facilitated support group for mothers navigating the painful, confusing, and surprisingly common experience of toddler rejection.
ABOUT THIS GROUP
You gave everything — and this group exists because that is not the whole story.
You are the one who gets up at night. You are the one who knows every preference, every fear, every favorite snack. You have given more of yourself than you knew you had to give. And then your toddler screams for the other parent, pushes you away, says “I don’t want you” — and something in you breaks a little.
This is one of the least talked-about and most privately devastating experiences in early motherhood. And because it happens within what is supposed to be one of life’s greatest joys, most mothers suffer through it in silence — convinced that something must be wrong with them, or with their child, or with the bond between them.
Nothing is wrong with you. What you are experiencing is real, it is painful, and it is far more common than the silence around it suggests. This group was created specifically for mothers in exactly this moment — to provide a space where you can say the things you have been afraid to say, be heard by women who understand without explanation, and receive clinically informed guidance from a licensed therapist who takes this experience seriously.
MOMS' SUPPORT GROUP
You are in the right group if any of this sounds familiar.
Your toddler cries or melts down when you are the one to comfort them
You feel rejected, hurt, or quietly devastated in ways you are ashamed to admit
You feel resentful of your partner and then guilty for feeling resentful.
They ask for the other parent — repeatedly — even when you are right there
You wonder if they love you less — or if you are doing something wrong
You are exhausted from giving everything and feeling like it is never enough
You don't have to figure this out alone. Let's talk.
WHAT YOU WILL GET FROM THIS MOMS' SUPPORT GROUP
What this group actually provides
This is not a parenting class. It is a clinically facilitated space for you — the mother — to be seen, heard, and supported.
To finally say it out loud
The things you have been too ashamed to tell anyone — the hurt, the resentment, the doubt — are safe here. You will not be judged. You will be heard.
Clinical understanding of what's happening
A licensed therapist will help you understand the developmental and relational dynamics behind toddler preference — and why it is not your fault.
Practical tools that actually help
Evidence-based strategies for navigating rejection in the moment, rebuilding connection, and managing your own emotional response with more steadiness.
A community of mothers who get it
You will not have to explain yourself. The women in this room are living the same experience — and that shared understanding is profoundly relieving.
Permission to not be okay
This group gives you explicit permission to struggle — without performing gratitude or pretending it is fine. Your full emotional experience is welcome here.
A path back to yourself
Beyond the toddler dynamic, this group supports you in reconnecting with your own identity, needs, and sense of self — not just your role as a mother.
MOMS' SUPPORT GROUP
Group Details
FORMAT
- Weekly group sessions
- In-person & virtual options available
GROUP SIZE
- Small & intimate
- Limited enrollment to ensure every member has space to be heard
FACILITATED BY
- TrueMe® therapist
- Clinically structured and professionally guided
WHO IT'S FOR
- Mothers of toddlers
- Experiencing rejection, preference for other parent, or emotional disconnection
Meet Our Therapists
TrueMe® Counseling is a team of licensed MFTs and PhDs with decades of combined clinical experience.
Marina Edelman LMFT #51009
Founder of TrueMe® Counseling | Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
Cheryl Baldi,
LMFT #39801
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
Dr. Rachel Chistyakov, PsyD, LMFT #150001
Licensed Psychologist
Sharalee Hall,
LMFT #135374
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
Chris Calandra, AMFT#129479
Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
Suzanne Perry,
AMFT #132904
Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
Hayley Willis, AMFT #132776
Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
Jasmine Johnson, AMFT #137660
Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
Kylee Garfield, AMFT #145651
Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
Sean Palmer, AMFT #
Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
FAQ - MOMS' SUPPORT GROUP
Frequently Asked Questions About Moms' Support Group
Honest answers from our licensed therapists — before you take the first step.
Does our toddler actually hate us — and does this mean something is wrong with our bond?
No — and this is one of the most important things this group will help you understand. Toddler preference for one parent over another is a normal and well-documented developmental phenomenon. It does not mean your child loves you less. It does not mean the bond is broken. It often means the opposite — that your child feels safe enough with you to express their full emotional range. What makes it so painful is the gap between what it means developmentally and what it feels like emotionally. This group holds space for both.
Is it normal to feel resentful, hurt, or even angry at my toddler about this?
Completely normal — and one of the most underacknowledged emotional realities of early motherhood. You are a human being with emotional needs, and being repeatedly rejected by someone you have given everything for produces real hurt. The fact that it comes from a two-year-old does not make that hurt less valid. What matters is having a space to acknowledge those feelings honestly — rather than suppressing them into guilt — and developing the tools to process them. That is exactly what this group is designed to provide.
Will this group tell me what I'm doing wrong — or how to fix my toddler?
Neither. This group is not a parenting class and it is not a space where you will be evaluated or told what you should have done differently. It is a clinically facilitated support group centered entirely on you — the mother — and your emotional experience. The goal is not to fix your toddler. It is to support you through one of the more unexpectedly painful seasons of motherhood.
How do I join the group— and is there a waitlist?
Group enrollment is limited to ensure every member has genuine space and attention. To register or inquire about availability, click the button below — we will confirm whether the group is currently enrolling, answer any questions you have, and ensure this is the right fit before you commit to anything. Call us at (818) 964-1806 or reach out through our contact page.
