Pregnancy, Prenatal, Postpartum Therapists in Highland Park, CA

Having a baby has been so much harder than you ever thought it could be. You're feeling anxious, overwhelmed by your emotions & isolated- living in "survival mode". It's impossible to avoid reminders of what you've been through. You're replaying bad memories on repeat and imagining worst case scenarios. How is everyone else making this motherhood thing look so easy? Whether you're facing ongoing fertility process, feeling traumatized by a difficult birth, or need to heal a loss, getting support is an important step in moving forward without traumatic experiences interfering in your life, your relationships & your parenting.

I am passionate about helping women to truly thrive and find meaning in life. Being a woman is hard and often comes with many expectations. There’s pressure to have a successful career and healthy relationships, to be a good mom, to look put together, to be physically/emotionally healthy... Many of the women I work with find themselves feeling stressed and overwhelmed to the point that their physical and mental health may suffer. Maybe this sounds like you. You want to look inward, find healing and regain a sense of control. You want to develop tools to manage your mental load and move out of survival mode. You want to hope again.

You feel anxious, stuck, and often made to feel out of control by your own thoughts and fears. Whether you have OCD, are struggling with perinatal or postpartum issues, are in transition, or have a history of trauma, you are tired of letting your fears and doubts run your life and relationships. You're discouraged from continuing toward your dreams. You want nothing more than to feel confident in yourself and live a life aligned with your values, but you are not sure where to start or worry about finding someone who will actually hear you. You've come to the right place, I'm here to work collaboratively with you and really listen.

Welcome to a space where you can discover new perspectives and strategies to overcome life's challenges. As a trauma-informed, first-generation therapist, let me offer support you on your journey of self-discovery. My main goal is to help you work through intergenerational trauma and empower you to develop resilience and coping strategies for healing. Talk therapy can be the outlet you need to release and heal. I can offer you a safe space to break free from generational patterns. Today is the perfect day to start creating positive changes in your life!

I strongly believe in the healing power of a safe therapeutic space and human connection to build resilience and foster a more fulfilling life. I bring presence, compassion, humor, and a deep respect for the inner wisdom of each client. I offer a warm and insight-focused approach to support individuals and couples along the path of exploration, reflection, and healing. I work with clients who are in a moment of transition and would like to move forward authentically; individuals and couples who are navigating the perinatal or postpartum period; and individuals experiencing grief and loss.

The human spirit has an amazing capacity for resilience, but sometimes it's too hard to access it on your own. When we encounter challenges and problems in relationships, in our workplaces, in our families, we can feel overwhelmed, hopeless, & stuck. It's not uncommon to feel depressed or anxious, or seek out unhealthy ways to function that mask the hurt. It's in situations like these that it takes great strength to reach out and ask for help--to seek someone to come alongside and enter into your experience; help shoulder the burden, and rediscover and connect with that resiliency.

Whether you were embarking on motherhood, a new career, a new phase of life, or a relationship, you began the journey filled with anticipation and joy. However, life has brought on some unexpected twists and turns, leaving you feeling out of control and disappointed. The inner critic inside you is taking over, leaving you stuck in an endless cycle of self-blame and self-doubt, feeling helpless and hopeless about how to move forward.

I help adults make sense of their experiences in a meaningful way. People come to me who are inquisitive and trying their best, yet still feel detached and longing for a better understanding of their lives. Oftentimes they’ve been in the driver’s seat going 100 miles an hour for years and can’t quite figure out how to slow down. Together, we work to slow fast-paced life, be present, and ultimately, see the once-blurry scenes in a clearer way. Just as each road trip is unique, so too is our tailor-made therapy. If you’re open-minded, motivated, and filled with curiosity, let’s see if we’re a good match!

In my practice, I focus on individuals struggling with anxiety and depression. There’s no way you can magically eliminate all the things that bother you, but we can lower the suffering that’s caused by them. I want to help you learn how to to deal with the stuff that life throws at you so that it doesn’t weigh you down so much. I’ll help you build skills to cultivate the positive feelings (joy, strength, connectedness) as well as better handle the uncomfortable ones (fear, anger, sadness). We'll collaborate to unpack the heaviness that’s weighing you down, explore your strengths, and then figure out what practices work best for you.

Do you always feel preoccupied about something? Do you overthink everything? Is it hard for you to make a decision because you are filled with doubt or you imagine every possible outcome? Are you often easily overwhelmed, finding it hard to shut off your brain at night or when you need to really focus on a task? Does one little thing going wrong ruin your whole day? Are your emotions getting in the way of you building the life you want? Maybe they're even preventing you from being present with your friends and family, leaving you feeling alone.

As a first generation Latina and trauma sensitive therapist, I create a safe therapeutic space to help my clients work through symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD and complex traumas they may feel are standing in the way of becoming their best selves.

Finding the right therapist from a website is difficult, which is why I offer phone or in-person consultations. It takes courage to address challenges such as relationships, personal problems, or general unhappiness. Your success in treatment will depend on your readiness to open up and my authentic presence that will help create a safe space for you. Together we will work on identifying, experiencing and expanding your capacity to tolerate all ranges of feelings. You will become more conscious of your limiting patterns while developing healthy ones as your sense of a genuine and stronger self emerges.

If you've become lost amongst obstacles on your journey, I'd like to help guide you to more happiness by offering suggestions, uncovering unwanted patterns, and leading you from the past to the present in order to heal and evolve, enhancing your happiness. Through changes in perceptions/attitudes and being willing to see situations with a new pair of glasses, you can reach your goals and evolve. My clients report that they enjoy my down-to-earth attitude and humor and my use of Somatic Experiencing, EMDR, TRM, meditation and yoga to treat mind-body symptoms. I work best with clients who are motivated to gain self-awareness and see patterns that are no longer serving them. I give homework between sessions in order to keep the continuity of healing working consistently. I feel very blessed to be working in a field that serves people who are finding their best selves and evolving into the people they want to be.

Whether your struggle is deeply rooted or a temporary challenge, my role as a therapist is to create a safe space for exploring solutions and finding peace. It is possible to create a life you love with the life you have; let me help you. I also have personal and professional experience with the NPE (non-parent expected, or non paternal event) experience and am extremely comfortable, confident, and empathetic while treating those who have had shocking DNA discoveries. EMAIL IS BEST WAY TO INITIATE COMMUNICATION WITH ME! I am not taking on couples/marriage counseling at this time.

Are you struggling with worry or sadness related to painful patterns in your relationships? Do you feel that you are constantly striving for "better" and "more" in most aspects of your life, but often feel unworthy or not enough? Do you find that people pleasing depletes you and leaves you feeling burnt out? Many of these patterns are examples of relational coping styles that we adopted in early childhood as a way of adapting to the needs or demands of our family systems. These coping skills were helpful when we were children, but usually become frustrating stuck points in adulthood.

We understand that it is difficult to find a therapist you can actually connect to - someone who is both effective and human. That is why our therapists strive for this balance, providing authentic and effective therapy. We work collaboratively with people to detail their future hopes and honor the histories that inform their current experiences and relationships. Our goal is to not only effectively reduce symptoms, but also to facilitate the creation of a strong relationship with yourself and your inner world. Therapy can be a transformative experience when it is co-created and tailored to each individual, couple, or family.

Accepting new clients! 11/03/23 Any of us can be overwhelmed at anytime and seeking help demonstrates your courage and commitment to yourself. After your consultation, we will begin to develop a treatment plan to tackle those specific areas you are looking to change. Here, you will learn to look at these challenges through different perspectives allowing you to gain better insight and awareness of how they are effecting you. These first few steps of your journey are crucial to the ongoing healing you may be looking for.

My clinical approach is rooted in fostering a safe and supportive space for all, particularly focusing on serving couples and individuals from diverse backgrounds, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities.As a Mexican American clinician, I am committed to promoting diversity and inclusivity both in my practice and within the broader therapeutic community. I am driven by the belief that every individual and family, regardless of their background, deserves access to quality therapy that respects their unique experiences.

I believe that growth is a balance of tackling our short-term challenges while uncovering their long-term patterns and origins. I consider it a privilege to work alongside my clients and find out what is possible when we make the decision to explore and evolve. My approach is tailored to each individual and their goals, but I center my work around a psychodynamic approach that incorporates mindfulness-based stress reduction, somatic therapy, attachment theory, and family systems.