Moms and Postpartum
Therapy for Postpartum Anxiety and Mom Guilt
Pregnancy, birth and the months after can bring anxiety, rage and guilt that nobody warned you about. You do not need a diagnosis to start, and you do not have to be falling apart to deserve care.
When this season does not match the pictures
You may have expected tiredness. You may not have expected the constant hum of dread, the checking and rechecking, or the flash of rage that seems to come out of nowhere. You can love your baby fiercely and still feel trapped, numb or unlike yourself. Both can be true at once. Saying so out loud does not make you ungrateful or a bad mom. It makes you honest, and honesty is where this work begins, in a room where nobody is grading your mothering.
Postpartum anxiety, rage and frightening thoughts
Postpartum anxiety often lives in the body: a racing heart, a tight chest, sleep that will not come even when the baby finally does. Postpartum rage can feel like someone else has taken the wheel. You may also be having intrusive thoughts after birth, sudden images or ideas that horrify you. Having a thought that frightens you is not the same as wanting it, and it deserves a calm place to be said and understood. If you ever feel unsafe, or worry that you or your baby are not safe, please do not wait for a session: call or text 988, or call 911.
In our sessions we work on both ends of it. For your body, that can mean short grounding practices you can use mid-feed or in the middle of the night, coming back into the body when the mind has raced ahead. For your thinking, CBT helps you notice the thought, test the rule and practice a response that serves you better, so the worst-case forecast loses some of its authority. The same tools sit at the heart of my anxiety therapy, and you do not have to feel calm before you start.
Miscarriage, traumatic labor and grief nobody planned for
Not every part of this season involves a baby at home. A miscarriage can leave grief the people around you do not know how to name, and a later pregnancy can carry its own fear. A birth that was frightening, rushed or out of your control can keep replaying in your body long after the day itself. Trauma is the primary specialty here, and trauma work does not depend on retelling everything. We go as slowly as your story requires, weaving trauma therapy and grief therapy together when you need both.
Mom guilt and the mental load
As a mom myself, I know the running list in your head is real work, even when nobody else sees it. Mom guilt can turn every choice into a verdict on your worth: how you fed the baby, whether you went back to work, whether you wanted an hour alone. In our sessions we look at where those rules came from and which ones actually serve you and your family. The patterns can look a lot like perfectionism and people pleasing, and Present over Perfect applies here too.
- Guilt for wanting time that is only yours
- Comparing yourself to other moms online
- Resentment you feel you cannot say
- Tracking everyone's needs except your own
- Feeling like a stranger to your old life
Caring for yourself while carrying everyone else
Shifting identity is one of the quietest parts of becoming a mom. Your work, friendships, marriage and body may all have changed at once, and it makes sense to grieve some of who you were while you get to know who you are becoming. We make room for that without rushing it. If tension with your partner has grown since the baby, couples therapy can sit alongside your own sessions. If your body has become the battleground, body image therapy works from the Intuitive Eating Model, with no disguised pursuit of thinness.
Therapy that fits around a baby
Getting to an office with a newborn can feel impossible some weeks. Telehealth by secure video works anywhere in Texas, which can mean a session from a quiet room at home while the baby naps nearby. You just need a private spot and to be located in Texas during the session. When you want to get out of the house, in-person sessions are at my Southwest Austin office on Fridays and some select other times and days as schedules allow. Sessions are available in English or Spanish, and the initial assessment is $275 for 80 minutes.
Common Questions
Can I do sessions from home with my baby nearby?
Yes. Telehealth by secure video works anywhere in Texas, so you can meet from home with your baby close by. You should be located in Texas during each session.
Do I need a diagnosis to start?
No. You do not need a diagnosis to start. A few honest sentences about what has been hardest are enough for the free 15-minute consultation.
What if I have a thought that scares me?
You can bring it here, and we can talk about it calmly and without judgment. If you ever feel unsafe, or worry that you or your baby are not safe, do not wait for a session: call or text 988, or call 911.
Can I start therapy while I am pregnant?
Yes. Pregnancy is part of the work with moms here, along with miscarriage, traumatic labor and the months after birth.
The consultation is free and there is no obligation on either side.
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