therapy for moms | therapy for new moms

SERVICES

Therapy for Moms

Helping you find more balance and joy in motherhood.

You can feel happier and more at peace in your parenting and your relationships.

Being a mother is all-encompassing. Every part of your life changes when you have a child. Of course you love your child with all of your being. It’s also okay to miss who you were before kids.

Depression and anxiety can often be heightened in motherhood. It can be hard to know how to meet your child’s constantly changing needs. Not to mention your own needs, which let’s face it- often get put on the back-burner. Motherhood can also bring up a lot of unresolved concerns from our own childhood. Therapy for moms can help.

online anxiety therapist | therapist for moms

MEET MELISSA

Licensed therapist for moms.

Hi there!

As a mom myself, I understand how overwhelming motherhood can be. I truly believe that mothers are amazing and are the backbone of our society. We are also often the first to sacrifice ourselves for the wellbeing on our loved ones. I want to change this!

You matter too and your own wellbeing is essential for the wellbeing of your family. You are deserving of care and support!

I’m on a mission to shift the motherhood experience of one of overwhelm, sacrifice and losing yourself to one of support, care, and finding a more joyful and happy experience.

Through my therapy services, I’ll help you understand more of the transformative experience that motherhood is, help you identify the areas where you want to shift, and create the life that you are wanting for yourself and family.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ME

Therapy for Moms can help with:

  • Anxiety

    Anxiety can be all encompassing. It can easily take over in not just how you are thinking but how you are physically feeling as well. It's common to find your own "strategies" to help yourself manage your anxiety, however, many times these "strategies" can often make you feel worse.

    Getting support is imperative. When you are in it, it is hard to see a way out. Anxiety is very treatable. You can feel back to yourself again and find joy in your parenting.

  • Depression

    Depression can really suck the life out of you. The things you used to find enjoyment now can just start to feel "bleh." Maybe you find yourself just not feeling really anything or just not caring about things like you used too. You may have very low energy, always feeling tired even though you're getting sleep.

    In therapy you will learn about depression and ways you can holistically support yourself. This will include some lifestyle changes and therapeutic strategies that help with depression. You can feel better and find more enjoyment in your life again.

  • Anger/ Mom Rage

    You try your best to be patient and promote a gentle way of parenting and then you find yourself blowing up. Anger often comes up from a place of anxiety and when our own needs aren’t being addressed.

    In therapy, you’ll learn about your triggers, identify your needs, and develop a plan to meet those needs. We’ll practice self-regulating strategies that will help not just you but also your kids.

  • Parenting

    You want the best for you child and often this includes for your child to not go through the same struggles you had. You want to take a more gentle approach to parenting, to validate your child’s emotional experiences, and help them grow to become happy, well-rounded adults.

    Within this, we are human and are going to have our own “stuff” to sort through. Being a parent Is hard and therapy can be a safe and supportive place to sort through it all.

  • Personal Identity

    You had a life before children and in the process of becoming a mom, it can feel like you’ve lost yourself. Who you were before kids feels like a completely different person and likely you don’t necessarily want to go back to be exactly like that, but you do feel like you are missing yourself.

    Therapy can assist you in re-engaging with old parts of yourself while exploring potential new parts to help you find your place again.

  • Finding Balance

    It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day responsibilities of life and raising children. Hustling through the day, counting down the minutes till bedtime when you finally get that time to yourself then starting all over the next day.

    You can take back control of your life, to be more present, to follow through on your own goals for yourself, all while being there to raise healthy and happy children.

  • Relationships

    Relationships are hard. Then when you add in the task of raising children, it’s easy to put your relationship on the back burner. It’s no wonder that many couples report lower relationship satisfaction after having children.

    In therapy, you can learn how to prioritize your relationship again, to identify and share your emotional needs, and build back up your connection.

therapy for moms in San Marcos, CA, therapy for new moms in Carlsbad, CA
therapy for moms | mom rage therapy

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 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!

  • 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 can definitely come a lot of struggles with this, including finding your place again, balancing between yourself, your children and your partner, and feeling confident in your parenting.

    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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Yes, having some anxiety and worrying about your baby or child’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 child 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 child 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 child 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.

  • Yes, we can certainly talk about specific behavioral concerns and parenting items in therapy. We’ll also go a little “deeper” by exploring what is coming up for yourself and how you own upbringing and past experiences may be influencing your own reaction to this.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

Frequently Asked Questions