Therapy for New Moms
Serving Arlington, VA & Online in Virginia and Washington, DC
You expected joy, relief, connection, but instead things feel mixed up. You might feel disconnected from your baby, your spouse, or even the person you used to be. Some mothers experience rage, intrusive thoughts, or persistent worry that makes daily life feel overwhelming.
If anxious thoughts, disrupted sleep, or worry interfere with your ability to care for yourself or your baby, therapy can help. You can feel more like yourself again.
Your baby is here, and it isn’t quite how you expected.
A 20-minute call to see if we’re a good fit
Birth Trauma & Healing After a Difficult Birth
If you’re replaying parts of your birth over and over, feeling anxious or on edge, disconnected from your body, or grieving the experience you hoped for, you’re not alone and nothing is “wrong” with you. These are common responses to a nervous system that didn’t feel safe.
I specialize in supporting new moms who are healing after difficult or traumatic birth experiences, including:
emergency or unplanned interventions
births that felt overwhelming, frightening, or out of control
NICU stays or medical complications
feelings of shock, grief, anger, or numbness after delivery
anxiety or panic connected to reminders of birth or medical care
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)
In my work with birth trauma, I use Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), an evidence-based therapy that helps your brain and nervous system process distressing experiences without having to relive or retell every detail. ART brings relief for many clients in as few as one to five sessions.
ART works gently and efficiently to:
reduce intrusive memories or emotional charge
calm the body’s stress response
restore a sense of safety, agency, and control
help you move forward without erasing the meaning of your experience
Similar to EMDR, many clients find ART especially supportive in the postpartum period when your emotional cup is very full and relief needs to feel both effective and contained.
Healing doesn’t mean forgetting what happened.
It means your story no longer has to live in your body as tension, fear, or pain.
You deserve support that honors both what you went through and where you are now.
What is Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)?
ART is an evidence-based, brief, brain-based psychotherapy that uses eye. movements and image rescripting to help your brain reprocess and store distressing experiences in a new way. Research shows significant improvements in PTSD, anxiety, depression, and trauma symptoms in just a few sessions.
Using ART, your mind accesses and releases traumatic material while keeping you grounded and in control. you do not need to relive or explain the full story for healing to happen.
Did you know that 1 in 5 new moms experience Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs)? Many of these moms do not get the help they deserve.
Because the transition into motherhood can bring moments of overwhelm, many parents wonder, “Is what I am experiencing normal?” While struggles during this transition are common, if you are feeling persistent worry, racing thoughts, or intrusive thoughts that affect your sleep or your ability to enjoy time with your baby and family, you deserve help and support.
One symptom of postpartum anxiety that often gets missed is irritability. If you find yourself on edge to the point that it impacts relationships or day-to-day life, therapy can help you feel better.
Postpartum depression can include a mix of anxious feelings and other difficult emotions, including low mood, sadness, feeling disconnected from your baby, and trouble concentrating or making decisions.
Every parent’s experience is different. Even if your feelings don’t look like your sister’s, friend’s, or cousin’s postpartum experience, help is available.
What are postpartum anxiety and depression?
What if I’m having trouble adjusting but it may not be depression or anxiety?
Even if you’re not experiencing postpartum depression or anxiety, the transition to motherhood can be challenging. Many parents struggle with feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or unsure of themselves, and that doesn’t always meet the criteria for a diagnosis.
Therapy can still help. You’ll have a safe space to process your emotions, develop coping strategies, and regain confidence in your parenting. Whether it’s adjusting to a new baby, managing expectations, or navigating the changes in your relationship and identity, therapy can give you tools and support to feel more like yourself.
How can therapy for postpartum help?
Therapy at Connected Beginnings can help you:
Manage thoughts and emotions that interfere with daily life
Reconnect with your baby and yourself, and strengthen your relationship with your spouse
Feel more like yourself again
Clarify your values so you can parent authentically
Learn strategies to calm your nervous system and be present for both yourself and your baby
Returning to work feels impossible
Going back to work after maternity leave can feel overwhelming. Pulled in multiple directions, feelings of self-doubt or worthlessness may creep in. It may be one of the first times you’ve struggled to balance it all or feel like you aren’t as successful at work. Therapy can help you find balance, restore confidence, and navigate both work and home with more ease.
A 20-minute call to see if we’re a good fit.
Finding time for yourself as a mom can be challenging, especially in the early postpartum months. At Connected Beginnings, I provide individual therapy for moms in Arlington, VA, and online for clients in Virginia and Washington, DC.
I am also a Certified Run, Walk, Talk® practitioner, offering walking therapy sessions in Arlington, VA. Therapy plus movement outdoors can be especially supportive for busy moms. Baby can join in a carrier or stroller, and early morning sessions are available for convenience while partners are home.
I’m a mom of two boys and understand the complex emotions of postpartum life. Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, burnout, traumatic birth, or adjusting to multiple children, therapy can help you reconnect with yourself and your baby.You can learn more about me here.
Why choose Connected Beginnings?
FAQ about postpartum therapy
-
Therapy for postpartum is designed for moms in all stages of the postpartum experience. Whether you recently gave birth to your first baby, have a new sibling at home, or experienced a traumatic pregnancy, birth, or difficult transition to motherhood (NICU, breastfeeding journey, etc), even if it has been many months.
I provide therapy online in Virginia and Washington, DC, as well as in-person via walking sessions in local parks in Arlington, VA, making it accessible for busy moms.
-
Therapy provides tools to reconnect to yourself and your baby, process difficult emotions, and feel like yourself again. Through sessions, you can:
Help you manage thoughts and emotions that are making it hard to enjoy your day-to-day life
Connect with your baby and reconnect with yourself and your spouse
Feel more like yourself again
Clarify the values that matter most to you so you can parent in a way that feels authentic to you
Learn strategies to calm your nervous system and feel present to meet both you and your baby’s needs
-
The first step is scheduling a free 15–20 minute intro call. This gives us a chance to talk about what you’re going through, see if we’re a good fit, and discuss next steps.
Schedule a free intro call here.
-
Individual therapy sessions are $225 per session. I am an out-of-network provider, but I can check your out-of-network benefits and submit claims on your behalf through Thrizer. Many clients receive 60–80% reimbursement after meeting their deductible.
If you prefer, I can also provide a monthly superbill so you can submit claims directly to your insurance company.
Learn more about therapy fees and insurance here.
-
In sessions, you’ll find a mix of humor, realistic parenting perspectives (I’m a parent of two boys!), and clear, evidence-based tools paired with empathy. You can learn more about me and my background here.