Therapist for Moms in Elk Grove, California
Therapy for Moms Who Are Tired of Holding It All Together
Do you know exactly when the dentist appointment is, which kid is out of snacks, and whose birthday party is Saturday? And yet if someone asked what you need right now, you’d draw a blank?
I hate that for you.
You’re probably the one who remembers everything. The permission slip, the pediatrician follow-up, the gift for the teacher, the fact that the good yogurt is almost gone. You keep a running spreadsheet in your head that nobody else can see, and it never closes. Not at 2pm, not at bedtime, and definitely not at 11pm when you’re lying there replaying the one thing you think you handled badly today.
What The Mental Load In Motherhood Actually Feels Like
It’s a lot more than being busy. Busy ends. The mental load is the part of parenting that happens inside your head, the planning and anticipating and tracking that runs in the background while you’re also doing your job, your workout, your 10k steps, and the never ending piles of laundry.
Here’s what I hear from moms in my practice, in some version, all the time:
- “I’m doing everything and I still feel like I’m failing.”
- “Why can’t I turn my brain off when the kids are finally asleep?”
- “I feel guilty when I work and guilty when I don’t.”
- “I Googled a symptom at midnight and now I’m convinced something is wrong.”
If you just nodded along to that list, I get it. Truly. You’re carrying A LOT, and you’ve been on high alert for so long that it feels normal. You’re trying to keep everyone okay, and somewhere along the way you forgot to clock out.
Why anxiety and perfectionism show up so loudly in motherhood
Most of the moms I work with were the capable ones long before they had kids. The “so mature for her age” girls. The ones who got good at anticipating what everyone needed and handling it before anyone had to ask. That skill set serves you well at work. It also turns into a full-time job the second you have children, because now there are tiny humans whose needs NEVER stop.
Then add the pressure to do motherhood “right”. Right feeding choices, right sleep approach, right amount of screen time, all pieced together from Instagram advice that contradicts itself every scroll. So your mind keeps grading you. Every decision gets a pass or fail, and somehow the grades are always lower than you’d give anyone else.
That’s mom guilt. It tends to show up no matter what you choose, which is a pretty good sign the standard is the issue and you aren’t.
Over time, you get disconnected from yourself. You know what everyone else wants for dinner, and you can’t remember the last time you wanted something just because you wanted it. Trusting your own decisions starts to feel foreign, because you’ve been outsourcing that gut feeling to the internet for a while now.
How therapy for moms works with me
I’m Arielle, an LMFT with about 10 years of experience helping women with anxiety, relationships, and reconnecting with themselves. I’m also a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, so I look at how your mind and body work together. I’m a mom too, so I’m not going to tell you to “just practice self-care” like it’s one more item to check off.
I draw on ACT, CBT, mindfulness, and MBSR, all inside a client-centered, holistic approach. In plain language, we build skills you can actually use in the real moments of your day. The 4pm meltdown (yours or theirs). The 11pm spiral about if everyone is going to get sick during your family vacation next week. The moment someone asks you to take on one more thing and your mouth says yes before your brain catches up.
Here’s what that can look like:
- Learning to notice anxious thoughts without letting them completely takeover
- Getting clear on what you value, so decisions feel less like guesswork
- Practicing boundaries that don’t come with a side of crushing guilt
- Finding small ways to slow down that fit into your real motherhood schedule, because we’re all forever short on time.
I front-load questions early on so I understand your life, not just your symptoms. Then we set the pace around what works for you. I keep a small caseload on purpose, so I remember the details from week to week, like which kid had the rough week and what you told me about your mother-in-law. Most clients work with me for about 6 months to a year.
Questions moms usually have before reaching out
“I don’t have time for one more thing.” Totally fair. All sessions are virtual, so there’s no commute and no childcare logistics to untangle. You can meet from your car, your home office, or the corner of the house with the best Wi-Fi.
“Isn’t it selfish to spend time and money on myself?” This is the guilt talking, and it’s worth a conversation. Most moms I work with say the same thing a few months in: the people around them benefit when they’re calmer and more present. You’re allowed to need support too.
“What if therapy doesn’t help?” You don’t have to be sure. You just have to know that whatever you’re doing now isn’t working. That’s a perfectly good reason to start, and the consult call is a low-pressure way to find out if we click.
What makes this different
You won’t get a generic anxiety worksheet and a pat on the head. I’m not here to make you a more efficient mom. The goal is for you to feel at home in your own mind, to accept the anxious thoughts when they pop up without being run by them, and to trust that you have what you need when life gets messy. Because it will. It’s parenting.
Mind and body.
Ready to talk?
Book a free 15 to 20 minute consult call, and we’ll chat about what’s been going on and whether working together feels right. No pressure, no pitch, and no need to have your thoughts organized beforehand. (I know. You’ve got enough organizing to do.)
I offer online therapy for moms throughout California, and my home base is Elk Grove.
I help millennial moms who are dealing with anxiety, depression, codependency, perfectionism, self-esteem, and relationship issues. You're great at everything and exhausted by it, and I'd love to help you feel at home in your own mind again.
You’ve got everyone, but who has you?
I’d love to be that person. I’m a mom of 2 and a recovering over-achiever myself, so I know exactly what it’s like to be the one everybody leans on.
Therapy can feel awkward at first when you’re used to doing the helping. So I’ll do a lot of the asking early on, and we’ll go at whatever pace works for you.
Together, we’ll look at the patterns that have you feeling stuck, disconnected, and alone. You’ll practice saying what you feel and need without apologizing for it, even to the people you love most. We’ll build coping skills that fit your real schedule, because I’m not handing you one more thing to do perfectly.
This hour is yours. No performing and no having it all together. Just you, getting the same care you so readily give everyone else in your life.
Frequently Asked Questions for Therapy For Moms
Therapy for moms is regular one-on-one support for the anxiety, perfectionism, and constant mental load that come with running a household and often a career too. In my practice, we focus on quieting the racing mind, easing mom guilt, and helping you trust your own decisions again. You build practical skills you can use in the real moments of your day, like the 11pm spiral or the 4pm meltdown.
If you’re lying awake replaying the day, feeling guilty no matter what you choose, or running on empty while everyone around you thinks you’ve got it handled, therapy can help. You don’t need a crisis to start. Plenty of moms come in because life looks fine on paper and something still feels off. I’d love to support you.
Yes. Mom guilt usually comes from holding yourself to a standard you’d never hold anyone else to. In therapy, we get curious about where that standard came from and practice responding to the guilty thoughts without letting them make your decisions. Using ACT and CBT skills, my clients learn to notice the guilt, decide what’s actually worth acting on, and let the rest go.
The mental load is the invisible planning, tracking, and remembering that keeps a family running, like appointments, snacks, birthday gifts, and permission slips. Therapy can’t remove the to-do list, but it can help you set boundaries around it, ask for help without guilt, and stop treating every task as your personal responsibility.
Online therapy works well for many moms, especially when the biggest barrier is time. Sessions are by video, so there’s no commute or childcare to arrange. You can join from your home, your car, or wherever you can find a quiet 50 minutes. If you’re not sure virtual sessions are right for you, we can talk it through on your free consult call.
Sessions with me are $200. If you have Northern California Kaiser, I’m able to bill Kaiser directly once your referral is approved. If you have another plan, I’m out of network, and I can give you a superbill to submit for possible reimbursement. You can use the benefits tracker on this page to estimate what your plan may cover.
I hear this one A LOT, and I get it. Weekly sessions are virtual, so you’re not adding a drive to an already packed day. Many moms schedule during a work break, nap time, or after bedtime. We’ll find a time that works, and we’ll keep the skills small enough to fit into the life you already have.
Yes. I offer online therapy for moms throughout California, and my home base is Elk Grove. If you’re in California and can join a video session, we can work together.
It’s a free 10 to 15 minute conversation where you tell me what’s been going on and ask me anything. There’s no pressure to book and no need to have your thoughts organized beforehand. It’s simply a way to see if we feel like a good fit.
Teletherapy in California
Currently all sessions for anxiety therapy are offered via teletherapy. These telemental health sessions are available to anyone in the State of California, allowing accessibility and convenience. I use a secure HIPAA platform (Simple Practice) to conduct these online therapy video sessions which you can access on your computer, tablet, or phone.
How it Works
Everything is virtual! Once we have scheduled your first appointment, you will receive a link to your secure online portal where you can fill out all the necessary forms before we meet. Before every session you will receive a link to the virtual waiting room where I will join you when it is time for the session.
Some Tips
Choose a space where you’re unlikely to be disturbed and you feel comfortable opening up
Check that your WiFi connection is strong and any headphones or audio devices are working properly.
Check that your lighting is good and your camera has a proper view of you.
Get cozy, grab a blanket and pillows. Find a comfy spot and get yourself set up. (I love getting a warm cup of tea before).
Some benefits of teletherapy
Many forms of therapy can feel overwhelming to someone with an anxiety disorder, online therapy takes some of the stress and worry out of it, allowing you to get help from the comfort of your own home or another safe space anywhere in the state of California.
The ultimate convenience.
Expands your search area for therapists or other mental health professionals. * Pro tip: if you are struggling to find a therapist who you want to work with in your local therapist directory, try expanding your search to other areas of California.
Easier to fit into busy schedules due to no commute time.
Provides same level of treatment for most of the treatment areas I work with.
Are you feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or stuck? Caught up in a never ending cycle of perfectionism and being hard on yourself? Or maybe you’re struggling with sharing feelings and thoughts in certain relationships in your life and having difficulty getting your needs met? If so, you don’t have to do this alone, I can help.
Ready to work together?
Me too! Schedule a free intro call where we can chat for 10-15 minutes to see if we’d be a good fit!
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