Rediscover yourself and find the balance you deserve.
Therapy for Pregnant and Postpartum Moms In-Person in San Francisco and Online Across CA
You’re trying so hard to get this right.
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Things suddenly feel different during this season. People treat you differently. There are endless opinions about what you “should” be doing, eating, preparing for, or avoiding. And so it never feels like you’re doing this right.
There are so many questions about how to prepare for this transition and how to prevent every possible worst-case scenario from happening. Maybe you’re wondering : What if the baby comes early? What if something goes wrong during labor? What if I’m not ready?
You’re caught between trying to soak up these moments of your life before everything changes, while also finding it difficult to truly enjoy it.
You may find yourself feeling irritable or crying more than usual without fully understanding why. Maybe you’re wondering why you’re not as happy or connected to your pregnancy as you thought you’d be. You’re trying to hold it together until suddenly it feels like you can’t anymore.
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You knew postpartum would be hard. But this feels like being pushed into the deep end in a way no one could have prepared you for. Everyone tells you to “enjoy every moment,” and if you’ve landed here, you’ve probably wondered “why doesn’t it feel that way for me?”
You love your baby. And still, this new life can feel consuming. The sleepless nights, the endless feedings, the physical recovery, the feeling of always needing to be “on”. All while caring for a brand new baby. It feels like you’ve hit a wall and the person who always has it together has suddenly disappeared.
You may find yourself crying often, feeling restless, anxious, irritable, disconnected, or overwhelmed by how heavy everything feels. You thought this would come more naturally, but it constantly feels like you’re failing. You keep wondering if you’re doing enough and if anyone truly sees how hard you’re trying.
MAYBE YOU'RE HERE BECAUSE....
You don’t feel like yourself and the old you feels so far away.
You’re caring for everyone else, always putting yourself last, and feeling guilty anytime you try to take care of yourself.
You feel like you always need to be “on”, unable to rest.
You’re in the postpartum trenches, feeling physically exhausted and emotionally drained, wondering if it will always feel this way.
You’re worried to have another pregnancy loss and finding it hard to have hope during this pregnancy.
You’re anxious about giving birth again or how postpartum will feel like, especially if you had a previous difficult postpartum experience or traumatic birth.
You’re feeling torn or conflicted deciding if you should stop pumping or breastfeeding.
You’re returning or have returned to work and feeling guilty and anxious about being away from your baby and how you will juggle it all.
You had a complicated or traumatic birth and you can’t stop replaying it in your head, trying to make sense of what happened and why it still lives in your body.
Old childhood memories, feelings, patterns, or trauma are resurfacing.
As much as you’re trying to hold it together and manage all of your responsibilities, it doesn’t feel like enough.
You make sense, even if this season doesn’t right now.
HOW WE’LL WORK TOGETHER
Therapy that meets you where you are
I truly believe that you make sense. And what you’re feeling now doesn’t define you or mean you’re doing this wrong. In our work together, we’ll make space to better understand your emotions, your patterns, and how stress and overwhelm may be showing up in your body. We’ll also explore how your past experiences, relationships, and outside pressures may be shaping how you’re feeling right now.
Our work together will be shaped around what is actually realistic and possible for you right now. As a mom myself, I understand that your bandwidth and needs can look very different right now. We’ll start by building a connection, identifying and strengthening your current support and resources, and what solutions and tools feels realistic for you.
I draw from attachment-based, DBT, somatic, social justice, and solution-focused approaches to help you better understand yourself and your needs, feel more grounded and confident in your decisions, and experience motherhood with more presence and self-compassion.
Helping you shift from surviving to thriving in motherhood
Rest when given the opportunity without feeling guilty.
Become more present and soak up the baby kicks and cuddles.
Feel more like yourself again while embracing your identity as a mom.
Become more confident in the choices you make.
Know what your boundaries and limits are and how to communicate them.
Ask for help without feeling like you are a burden or failing.
Your well-being and mental health is important for you and baby.
FAQs
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No, you do not need to have all the symptoms or a diagnosis of postpartum depression or anxiety to receive help. If you feel like there’s something you want to process and have space for during this difficult time, that is enough to get the support you need.
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Yes, oftentimes mothers get worried about going through the same experiences they had in their previous births and postpartum and want to secure support ahead of time. Together, we can discuss what your fears and worries are and how to build tools to help you feel more prepared and at ease.
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You can absolutely bring your baby to session. Please note that some mental health treatment such as trauma work may be limited with your baby present. We may have check ins about how the therapy process is feeling with your baby present and decide if we need to make adjustments.
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Yes, I currently offer short-term couples therapy for expecting couples who would like support and guidance on how to prepare their relationship when baby arrives. If couples are needing long-term support or are needing support beyond postpartum preparation, I refer out to other clinicians.
Please contact me for additional information on this service.
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I started working with pregnant and postpartum moms long before I became a mother myself (about 10 years!). I have extensive experience providing service coordination, case management, and therapy during this time. I also have advanced training in perinatal mood disorders from Postpartum Support International.
If you’d like to learn more about my training and experience, you can take a look at my CV here.