SERVICES
Online Therapy for Postpartum in California
Get Personalized Postpartum Support to help you Rediscover Yourself and Embrace Motherhood.
Do you ever think- “this is not what I thought it’d be like?”
You had envisioned being happy and loving your baby and instead you find yourself feeling overwhelmed and lost.
At times you feel like you “just can’t do this.” It feels like you’re always going to feel this way. You feel that you aren’t cut out to be a mom, that there must be something wrong with you.
That you’re failing your baby.
You are not alone.
In fact, about 80% of mothers report feeling some sort of “baby blues” after birth and 25% of moms experience postpartum depression. Becoming a mother is a huge transition - physically, emotionally, and personally. It can take time to feel like “yourself” again.
While it can be common to feel more “emotional” in the weeks after giving birth and to have moments of overwhelm and doubt, if you find yourself feeling stuck in it, that things will never get better, and you’re starting to find it difficult to care for yourself and baby, you may be experiencing Postpartum Depression or another Postpartum Mood Disorder.
You are also more likely to experience Postpartum Depression if you have previously struggled with Depression, Anxiety or another Mood Disorder, you had a difficult pregnancy, and/or you experienced a difficult / traumatic birth.
The most important thing to know is that you don’t have to stay feeling this way and that Postpartum Depression + Anxiety is highly treatable!
You can feel better and be the mother you always wanted to be.
Online Perinatal Therapy for Moms In California
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Online Perinatal Therapy for Moms In California *
My name is Melissa and I’m a mom to 2 kids and a therapist.
As a mom, I understand how overwhelming motherhood can be, especially in the postpartum time. My two postpartum experiences were very different and in both of them there were quite a bit of areas where I was caught off-guard and felt ill-prepared.
My own postpartum struggles really shaped how I show up as a therapist. Supporting mothers, especially those in the postpartum time because a big passion of mine.
Hi mama!
I’ve worked with a lot of mothers that have struggled during the postpartum time, including those with postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, and birth trauma.
The most important thing to know is that you are not alone and that you’re not failing. This is hard and you can start to feel better.
In the beginning of therapy we’ll focus on very practical ways you can start to take care of yourself and get more support. Then we’ll start to look at the bigger picture - how your thoughts and beliefs about yourself, your relationships, your past and how you grew up, etc. may also be contributing to feelings of depression and anxiety. If you have experienced past trauma, including birth trauma, we can explore how a specialized therapy called EMDR can be helpful.
You are deserving and you can feel good about yourself as a mom!
Me after a the birth of my first child
Therapy for Postpartum can help with:
MY THERAPY APPROACH
Get online therapy for moms from the comfort of your home.
Let’s face it- finding time to go to a therapy session as a mom with a baby can be very difficult! My services are all virtual- no need to travel to an office, you can access your video appointment by computer, smartphone or tablet! It’s also okay if you need to tend to your baby during our appointment. Getting you the support you need is the most important and I’m happy to meet you where you’re at!
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Being a mother changes you in every way. Who you are after having children will never be the same as who you were before. There are very unique needs and pain points during the postpartum time and it's very important for a therapist to have the knowledge and awareness of this.
My specialization of working with mothers takes in consideration how much being a mother impacts you and how becoming a mother can be an amazing opportunity for growth for ourselves. Motherhood is really hard, it can bring up a lot of unresolved things from our past, it highlights our insecurities, it challenges us in so many ways. Motherhood is also beautiful, it is a love like no other, it gives us strength and courage to do hard things, we also shape the future through our children.
By having a therapist that has a lens of seeing you as not just an individual but also as a mother and the impact that has on you, you can have a better understanding of your needs and struggles. As a mother myself, I can understand many of the struggles and challenges that come with motherhood. I also know that your experience of motherhood is unique to you and I want to support you in feeling happy and confident in your own motherhood journey.
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No, there are some restrictions and other factors that may make me not a good fit to be your therapist.
Due to licensing regulations I cannot provide therapy to anyone that is physically located outside of California at the time of our sessions.
Also, online therapy is not appropriate for everyone. If you are experiencing severe symptoms such as seeing things or hearing voices that aren’t there, if you feel that you cannot keep yourself safe, or keep others safe from your behaviors, then it is imperative that you get immediate and urgent care. You can contact the National Crisis line at ‘988’ for resources, call 911, or go to the nearest emergency room.
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What is most important for me is for you to feel heard and understood. A really important aspect of therapy is the relationship between therapist and client. I view myself as like a guide. I will share my understandings and knowledge of things and may make some suggestions. Ultimately you know your life best and it's always up to you on what direction we go in.
My therapy style is a mix of providing support, exploring past experiences to gain insight into current struggles and offering strategies to help you put into action the things you are wanting for yourself.
In my therapy, I use a combination of CBT (Cognitive-Behavior-Therapy), Psychoeducation, and Mindfulness-based practices. I also like to look at the person as a whole- mind, body, and soul. There are so many aspects that go into our mental health that it's important to be open in exploring all different parts of ourselves.
My hope is that at the end of our therapy session you not only feel seen, heard, and understood, but that you also have some direction on what to do to help yourself.
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Yes, having some anxiety and worrying about your baby's wellbeing is a normal aspect of parenting. Our brains are "wired" for our survival, including our children's. It's natural to have more worries come up of things that may cause harm for your baby in order to help you be more "prepared."
With that said, this worrying and anxiety can easily become an issue when it starts to interfere with our normal day-to-day lives. Are you finding that you are not able to do basic things (such as go for a walk outside, sleep, leave your baby with your partner or other trusted loved one, etc.) because you are so worried about their safety? Are you consistently troubled with thoughts of yourself, partner or baby dying or having something horrible happen to them/you? These may be signs of Postpartum Anxiety and it's important to get treatment.
Worries and anxiety about the well-being of our baby and family can continue beyond the postpartum time. Many times we attempt to manage our worries by trying to assert control over every aspect of our lives. This can quickly create burn-out within ourselves, cause friction in our relationships and can create difficulties for our children to be more independent.
You don't have to suffer from anxiety in silence. Help is available to you. Therapy is a great place to process your anxiety and learn ways to better cope and manage it.
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While I have provided Couples Therapy in the past, I am not currently taking on new Couples clients. I have decided to keep my focus and specialize in working with individuals, in particular those struggling with anxiety, depression, and around items concerning motherhood. I can certainly help you process through what is coming up for you within your relationship but if you are looking for Couples therapy I would recommend to seek out a therapist that specializes in that.
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Of course! Therapy is a service for you. You know best what is coming up for you in your life. My role is to help you sort through it, develop a better understanding of what may be going on and then to help you make any needed to changes to better help yourself.
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If you have more questions or want to meet me first, we can schedule a consultation. Consultations are free and are for 15 minutes by phone or video. From there you can decide if you want to move forward to schedule for a therapy session.
If you are ready to schedule right to a therapy session, great! Both options (consultation and therapy session) are available to schedule in the button below.
Once you schedule a consult or session, you will get a confirmation email with the information on how to access the appointment. You will also get a link to complete either my consult inquiry form or my intake paperwork.