Therapy during Pregnancy in San Francisco Bay Area & California
Morning sickness isn't the only thing making pregnancy hard—therapy can help with the rest.
Because growing a human isn't hard enough, your mental health entered the chat, too. Therapy during pregnancy can help you navigate the physical, emotional, and mental health challenges of this season while preparing you for what's ahead.
What You’re Going Through
You thought pregnancy would be magical. Instead, you’re anxious, depressed or both.
Maybe it's intrusive thoughts about something going wrong. Maybe it's crying for no reason or feeling completely numb. Maybe it's checking and rechecking symptoms, hypervigilant about anything that could go wrong with the baby.
Your body doesn't feel like yours anymore. The changes, exhaustion, pain, and physical limitations—it's relentless. You were told your skin would be glowing and pregnancy would be amazing – yet you’re barely surviving.
The hormones amplify everything. You snap at your partner over nothing. You can't sleep even though you're exhausted. Everything feels ten times harder.
You dreamt of becoming a mom, but now that it’s almost here, you’re not sure what to expect. You're terrified of childbirth. Unsure how your relationship will change, and feel overwhelmed just thinking about how you’re going to get a car seat in. (If you’ve even picked one.)
You’re wondering if it’s you or if other women really skate through pregnancy.
Here's what many people don't talk about: about 50% of pregnant women experience anxiety, depression, OCD, or other mental health struggles during pregnancy. If you're struggling now, you have an increased risk for postpartum mental health challenges. Getting support during pregnancy is key for now and for a smooth landing into the world of postpartum.
How Therapy Helps
Therapy during pregnancy addresses what you're experiencing right now while also preparing you for postpartum. We create space to process the anxiety, depression, or intrusive thoughts without judgment.
Using CBT, we'll work on managing anxious thoughts about the baby's health, birth, and the future. ACT helps you reconnect with your values and navigate the identity shifts that come with preparing for motherhood. Mindfulness practices help you stay grounded even when your body feels foreign.
If past trauma is resurfacing—previous pregnancy loss, birth trauma, childhood experiences—we will address that using trauma-informed approaches so it doesn't complicate your current pregnancy or postpartum period.
We'll also work on relationship dynamics, communicating your needs, and building coping skills for both pregnancy and early parenthood. Getting support now significantly reduces your risk of postpartum depression and anxiety.
What Gets Better
The constant feelings of depression and anxiety ease up. You develop actual tools to manage intrusive thoughts when they pop up (because they still will sometimes, and that's normal).
You stop beating yourself up for not cherishing every moment of your pregnancy. Some moments are beautiful. Some are brutal. Both are valid.
You feel less at war with your body. The physical stuff doesn't magically disappear, but you find ways to cope that actually work for you.
Your relationship finds its footing again. You learn how to ask for what you need without feeling guilty. Your partner will know how to show up for you in ways that actually help.
The terror about childbirth shifts into something more manageable—maybe even a plan (or preference, really) that feels doable. You feel more prepared, less paralyzed.
You walk into postpartum with realistic expectations (not false Pinterest perfection) and coping strategies already in your back pocket. You're building resiliency, building coping strategies, and getting better now instead of trying to navigate all of this while also in postpartum.
