Therapy for Moms
Because this sh*t is hard.
I knew who I was this morning, but I’ve changed a few times since then.
—Lewis Carroll (and moms everywhere)
Being a mom is hard (yes, even for those who seem to have it all together).
Let’s work together.
I am a psychotherapist with training and research experience in maternal mental health. Let’s tackle the “shoulds,” heal past trauma, work through current distress, and help you access a more balanced, authentic life, rooted in your identity as a whole person, motherhood and all.
You can find me at Shine a Light Counseling Center, where I offer in-person therapy in Santa Cruz and Watsonville, and telehealth therapy for clients in California. I also see clients at The Circle Family Center in Aptos through my practice with Shine a Light.
The Psychosocial Experience of Matrescence: An Identity Development Theory for Intervention
Written as my capstone research project for my Masters in Social Work, this study applies a new lens to maternal mental health and the sources of distress so many mothers face during matrescence. Zooming out and looking at sociocultural expectations of women and mothers, the medical model of perinatal care, the physical and biological experience of matrescence, the psychological experience, identity theory, and so much more, I theorize that maternal identity formation is a complex and messy process, and that understanding this process can open doors to better supporting mothers in all phases of matrescence.