You don’t have to do this alone
Motherhood is the most beautiful and demanding thing you’ll ever do. Needing support isn’t weakness – it’s wisdom.
The love is real. So is the exhaustion, the anxiety, the guilt, and the quiet fear that you’re somehow doing it wrong. Perinatal therapy is for the moms who are holding it all together on the outside while quietly falling apart on the inside — and who deserve real support, not just a pep talk.
At Light Within Counseling, many of us are moms ourselves. We don’t just understand the clinical side of postpartum and perinatal mental health — we understand what it actually feels like to be in it. You’ll find no judgment here. Just a space that’s genuinely yours.
Perinatal challenges can show up in so many ways. We specialize in (but not limited to)…
Postpartum Depression
More than baby blues — persistent sadness, emptiness, or hopelessness that doesn’t lift on its own.
Postpartum Anixety
Racing thoughts, constant worry, panic, or a hypervigilance that won’t turn off — even when everything is technically fine.
Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders (PMADs)
A broad spectrum of mood and anxiety challenges that can arise during pregnancy or in the postpartum period.
Postpartum OCD
Intrusive, disturbing thoughts about your baby’s safety — distressing and unwanted, and a recognized form of OCD that responds well to treatment.
Birth Trauma
A delivery experience that felt frightening, out of control, or dehumanizing — leaving emotional and sometimes physical scars.
Pregnancy & Infant Loss
Grief after miscarriage, stillbirth, or the loss of a baby. A profound, often invisible grief that deserves real support.
Maternal Burnout
The deep, bone-tired exhaustion of giving everything to everyone else while running on empty yourself.
Identity Shifts & Matrescence
The disorienting experience of becoming a mother and losing — or needing to rebuild — your sense of who you are.
Challenges in motherhood can show up in many unexpected ways.
Ways it Shows Up Emotionally:
- Crying more than feels normal or feeling strangely numb and unable to feel much at all
- Anxiety that won’t turn off, no matter how hard you try to logic your way through it
- Intrusive, scary thoughts you’re too ashamed to say out loud
- Rage, irritability, or snapping at people you love
- Feeling disconnected from your baby, your partner, or yourself
- A persistent sense that everyone else has figured this out except you
- Grief for a loss, a birth experience, or a version of motherhood you expected
Ways it Shows Up Physically
- Exhaustion that sleep doesn’t fix – even on the nights you get it
- Not eating, or eating to cope
- A body that feels tense, wired, or completely shut down
- Headaches, stomach issues, or physical symptoms that flare with stress
- Feeling touched out, overstimulated, and desperate for space
If you recognized yourself in any of these — you are not broken, you are not a bad mother, and you are absolutely not alone.
You may need perinatal support if…
- You love your baby and also feel like you’ve completely lost yourself
- You’re surviving the day but not really living it
- You’re putting on a normal face in public while internally falling apart
- You went through something during pregnancy or birth that you can’t stop replaying
- You’re dreading things you used to love because you have nothing left to give
- You feel like your baby deserves a better mom than you
- You’re grieving a miscarriage, infertility, or a birth experience that didn’t go the way you hoped
- You’ve been waiting to feel like yourself again — and it’s been a while
What you’re feeling is not weakness. It’s not failure. It’s your nervous system asking for support — and asking is the bravest thing you can do.
How We Support You in Motherhood
We combine evidence-based approaches with the kind of care that only comes from truly understanding what moms are up against:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Helps you identify and shift the heavy mom thoughts — the guilt, the worry, the “I’m not enough” — and build healthier patterns.
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Supports you in sitting with difficult emotions without being consumed by them, and reconnecting with what actually matters to you.
EMDR & Brainspotting
For moms with birth trauma or whose past experiences are resurfacing in motherhood — gentle, body-based approaches that process pain without requiring you to relive every detail.
ERP for Postpartum OCD
Specialized treatment for intrusive thoughts that feels overwhelming and shameful. You’re not a bad mom — this is a treatable condition.
Attachment-Focused Therapy
Motherhood stirs up our own early attachment experiences. We help you understand and strengthen your bond with your child while also tending to your own wounds.
Mindfulness & Stress Reduction
Practical, grounding tools to ease anxiety, restore calm, and create small pockets of space in the chaos of early motherhood.
1 in 5 mothers experience significant anxiety or depression during or after pregnancy. You are not alone.
This is one of the most common (and most undertreated) experiences in early motherhood. You can love your baby fiercely and still be falling apart – Both can be true!
Wherever you are in the motherhood journey, support is here.
During Pregnancy
Postpartum - The First Year
Beyond the first year
Postpartum mental health challenges can linger or emerge long after the newborn stage. If you’re still struggling — or struggling again — that’s valid and that’s treatable.
Pregnancy After Loss
Carrying a baby after miscarriage, infertility, or loss is its own unique emotional experience. We help you hold both the hope and the fear.
You aren’t a ‘broken’ parent for needing help; you are a ‘present’ parent for ensuring you have the tools to stay whole.
The Light Within Difference
We take an holistic, integrative approach to address your mental health at the root level.
Because we don't follow the 'cookie-cutter' insurance models, we have the freedom to use more effective, holistic tools that actually get to the root cause faster. We combine this with evidence-based modalities - CBT, ERP, EMDR, Brainspotting, ACT, trauma-informed care - but it's always paced to you, collaborative, and safe.
The highest quality of personalized care without outside interference.
Collaborative sessions that look at your life, body, and mind as a whole.
Meet us where you feel safest - In person or virtually.
Real, sustainable change - Not quick fixes and coping mechanisms.
Frequently Asked Questions About Perinatal Therapy
Have other questions or concerns? Don’t hesitate to reach out to us – We’re here to help you! Email us here.
What is perinatal therapy?
Perinatal therapy is specialized mental health support for women during pregnancy and the postpartum period — typically defined as the first year after birth, though challenges can extend well beyond that. It addresses the unique emotional, psychological, and identity shifts that come with becoming or being a mother.
What's the difference between baby blues and postpartum depression?
Baby blues are common in the first one to two weeks after birth — tearfulness, mood swings, and emotional sensitivity tied to hormonal shifts. Postpartum depression is more persistent, more intense, and doesn’t resolve on its own. If you’re still struggling after two weeks, or if symptoms are significantly interfering with your life, it’s worth reaching out.
I love my baby. Can I still have postpartum depression?
Absolutely. Postpartum depression has nothing to do with how much you love your child. It’s a medical and emotional condition — not a reflection of your feelings for your baby or your capability as a mother.
What are intrusive thoughts and should I be worried?
Intrusive thoughts — unwanted, disturbing thoughts often about your baby’s safety — are extremely common in new moms and a recognized symptom of postpartum OCD and anxiety. Having them does not make you dangerous or a bad mother. They are distressing precisely because they go against everything you feel. Therapy can help significantly.
Can I start therapy during pregnancy?
Yes — and we encourage it. Prenatal therapy helps you address anxiety, depression, or previous trauma before the postpartum period begins, and builds a supportive relationship with your therapist ahead of one of the most demanding transitions of your life.
What if I had a miscarriage or pregnancy loss?
Grief after pregnancy or infant loss is profound and deserves dedicated support. We provide compassionate grief counseling for moms navigating miscarriage, stillbirth, infertility, or the loss of a baby at any stage.
Do you offer virtual sessions?
Yes. We offer both in-person therapy at our Roseville, CA office and virtual sessions throughout California — because we know getting out of the house with a newborn is its own obstacle.
How do I know if what I'm feeling is "bad enough" to seek help?
If it’s affecting your daily life, your relationships, or your ability to feel like yourself — it’s enough. You don’t need to be in crisis to deserve support. The earlier you reach out, the easier it is to get back to feeling like you again.
What if I'm a mom but my child is older — is this still for me?
Yes. Maternal burnout, ongoing anxiety, identity challenges, and unresolved postpartum struggles don’t have an expiration date. If motherhood is weighing on you — at any stage — we can help.
How do I prepare for my first session?
Come as you are. Think about what you’d like to achieve and any questions you have. Bring information about previous treatment or medications if applicable.
Ready to Heal?
Imagine feeling truly yourself again - Grounded, connected, and at peace.
We work alongside you to help you understand what’s keeping you stuck and create meaningful, lasting change. Whether you’re navigating OCD, anxiety, trauma, grief or another life challenge, we provide thoughtful, evidence-based care to support real healing and growth.