Maternal & Perinatal Mental Health Therapy in Redondo Beach, CA
Helping mothers move through trying to conceive, pregnancy, postpartum, and early motherhood with greater confidence, self-compassion, and support.
When This Season Doesn't Feel the Way You Thought It Would
The path to and through motherhood brings a lot of change, and sometimes it feels nothing like you expected. Whether you're trying to conceive, pregnant, recently postpartum, or a few years into life with little ones, you might not feel like yourself. Instead, you may be dealing with constant worry, intrusive thoughts, sadness, grief, or emotions that surprise you.
These feelings don't follow a set timeline. Anxiety and depression can show up while you're trying to conceive, during pregnancy, in the first weeks after birth, or months later when extra help is gone and life settles into a new routine.
You may notice:
✓ Your mind jumps to worst-case scenarios
✓ Rest feels impossible even when you have the opportunity
✓ Guilt shows up whenever you try to make space for yourself
✓ You second-guess yourself more than before
✓ You're carrying responsibilities nobody else seems to notice
✓ You miss feeling like yourself
✓ You're carrying grief or anxiety from fertility challenges or a loss
“A lot of moms who reach out tell me they waited a long time before asking for help.”
Why Moms Reach Out
Common Reasons Mothers Reach Out
Birth trauma
Intrusive thoughts
Fertility challenges, pregnancy loss, and grief
Anxiety or depression during pregnancy
Postpartum anxiety
Postpartum depression
Relationship stress during pregnancy and postpartum
Identity shifts in early motherhood
Emotional distress that continues long after the newborn stage
Stress and anxiety while trying to conceive
What Therapy Can Offer
When you're dealing with anxiety, intrusive thoughts, sadness, grief, or constant worry, it's easy to lose touch with yourself. Therapy gives you a chance to slow down, talk through what you're experiencing, and begin meeting yourself with more compassion instead of judgment.
Over time, you may begin to notice:
✓ Your mind doesn't jump to worst-case scenarios as often
✓ More confidence in your decisions and less second-guessing yourself
✓ Rest doesn't bring the same guilt
✓ Recognizing stress before reaching the point of exhaustion
✓ Difficult thoughts don't feel like they define who you are
✓ More compassion for yourself when things don't go as planned
✓ More energy for your relationships and the moments that matter most
✓ Feeling more like yourself again while also growing into this new season of motherhood
Over time, you may find it becomes easier to trust your instincts again and feel more confident in the decisions you make.
My Approach to Maternal & Perinatal Mental Health
My approach is developmentally informed, shaped by years of clinical work with children and families, and training through Robyn Gobbel's Baffling Behaviors Institute.
“I believe every mother should have a place to talk openly about what she’s experiencing, without feeling pressure to have all the answers.”
My approach is relational and trauma-informed. Together, we’ll get curious about what’s underneath the anxiety, overwhelm, or self-doubt. I don’t see your emotions and behaviors as problems — I see them as signals from your nervous system about what you need.
I have specialized training in perinatal mental health through Postpartum Support International, along with training in trauma and EMDR. Depending on what you need, we might use EMDR or nervous system regulation strategies to help you process difficult experiences and support your healing.
“Whether you come to my Redondo Beach office or meet with me online from anywhere in California, I hope therapy gives you a space where you don’t have to carry everything on your own.”
Treatment Process
What Working Together Looks Like
One
Initial Consultation
We’ll begin with a free 15-minute consultation. You can share what’s been hard lately, ask any questions, and learn more about how I work. Together, we’ll see if working together feels right.
Two
Getting to Know You
In our first few sessions, I’ll get to know you and what life has been like for you lately. We’ll discuss your current challenges, thoughts, and the support that would be most helpful as we move forward together.
Three
Ongoing Support
As therapy continues, our sessions will focus on what matters most to you. Some days we may spend time talking through anxiety, grief, relationship challenges, or difficult experiences. Other days, we may focus on the everyday realities of trying to conceive, pregnancy, postpartum, and motherhood as they unfold.
FAQs
Maternal & Perinatal Mental Health Questions
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Perinatal refers to pregnancy and the first year after birth. Perinatal mental health includes anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts, and other challenges that can come up during that time. I also support mothers before pregnancy, including while trying to conceive, and in the years after.
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Yes. Trying to conceive can bring hope, worry, grief, and uncertainty all at once, especially if it's taking longer than expected or involves fertility treatment. You don't need to be pregnant to reach out for support.
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Postpartum anxiety can look different for every mother. You may find yourself constantly worrying about your baby's safety, replaying worst-case scenarios, feeling on edge, or struggling to relax even when everything seems okay. Many mothers tell me it feels like their minds never truly slow down.
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Yes. Postpartum anxiety and depression don't always begin right after birth. They can develop weeks or even months later, often after the extra help has faded and life settles into a new routine.
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It's common to have intrusive thoughts during pregnancy and after giving birth. These thoughts can be scary or confusing because they are unwanted and often clash with what you care about most.
Having these thoughts does not mean you want them to happen or that they reflect who you are as a mother. They are upsetting because they go against your values and your love for your baby.
Many mothers worry that something is wrong with them or feel afraid to share what they are experiencing. Opening up about these thoughts in a supportive and understanding space can bring a sense of relief.
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Baby blues are common during the first few weeks after birth and may include mood swings, crying, or feeling more emotional than usual. Postpartum depression lasts longer and can include persistent sadness, hopelessness, irritability, numbness, difficulty enjoying things, changes in sleep or appetite, or feeling disconnected from yourself or your baby.
If these feelings aren’t getting better or are making daily life harder, it’s a good idea to reach out for support.
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You don't need to have everything figured out before starting therapy. Many mothers reach out because they know they aren't feeling like themselves, even if they can't explain why.
It can take time to figure out what’s making you feel this way. Therapy gives you space to slow down, understand what you’re experiencing, and discover what kind of support feels most helpful.
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Yes. A difficult birth, pregnancy loss, miscarriage, infertility, or fertility treatments can stay with you long after others think you should move on. Therapy gives you a place to work through these experiences at your own pace, with support that is caring, and without judgment.
Let's Connect!
Motherhood asks a lot of you.
You spend so much of your time caring for everyone else. You deserve a space where someone is caring for you, too.
If you're ready, I'm here to support you.