Therapist in Chula Vista CA | CBT for postpartum depression & bilingual therapy
Crossing the border for a family visit or a doctor's appointment is simply part of life for so many mothers here, and that binational rhythm rarely gets acknowledged in typical therapy spaces. My practice offers postpartum and new madrehood therapy for Latina, first generation, and BIPOC mothers whose lives move fluidly between two countries and two languages. I bring my own experience as a first gen daughter of a Mexican immigrant mother into this work, so that rhythm never has to be explained from scratch.
Chula Vista sits just north of the border, with newer developments like Otay Ranch sitting alongside older, established neighborhoods closer to Third Avenue and Southwestern College, where generations of Mexican American families have built their lives. Many families here have relatives just across the line in Tijuana, making weekend visits and long distance caregiving a normal part of family life. This closeness to the border shapes both the joys and the specific stresses that mothers bring into this work.
Living between two countries can mean carrying two sets of expectations at once, one from the family across the border and one from a life being built here, and that balancing act rarely gets a name. Postpartum anxiety can feel especially tangled when immigration status, family separation, or long distance caregiving are part of the picture. What brings mothers to this practice is a space that already understands binational family life instead of needing it explained.

How it works

My work begins with the understanding that living between two countries and two cultures is not a complication to fix but simply your reality to be supported in. Sessions bring together clinical training, ancestral wisdom, mindfulness, and radical compassion, offered in English, Spanish, or a mix of both. Nothing about your binational life needs simplifying here.
A philosophy that holds two worlds at once
We begin with a relaxed conversation about what has been weighing on you, whether that involves family across the border, immigration stress, or simply the exhaustion of new motherhood. There is nothing to prepare and nothing to explain twice. By the end, you will know whether this feels like the right fit.
A first conversation without assumptions
From there, sessions unfold using tools rooted in cultural validation, nervous system support, and self compassion, always shaped around the specific realities of border life. Over time, many mothers describe feeling more grounded in both parts of their identity rather than torn between them. What you build here tends to hold steady no matter which side of the border life takes you.
Support that flows with your bicultural life

EXPLORE MY SERVICES

Postpartum therapy holds space for the mother who is coordinating family across the border while barely keeping up with her own recovery at home. It welcomes exhaustion and deep love for her baby existing in the very same breath. Many mothers first notice relief in finally being asked how she is doing, not just how the family across the border is doing. The pressure to manage everyone's needs at once begins to soften. We explore identity, binational family stress, and the emotional weight of caretaking that stretches across two countries, with sessions held virtually so distance never gets in the way.
CBT for postpartum depression is for the mother whose thoughts turn harsh whenever she cannot be everywhere her family needs her to be, on either side of the border. It works directly with that guilt instead of accepting it as truth. Progress often looks like a pause before the spiral, a moment where being unable to do it all stops meaning she is failing everyone. Many mothers describe slowly learning to trust their own limits again. Sessions work through the practical link between thought, emotion, and behavior, giving her tools that hold up whether she is here or visiting family south of the border.
The constant vigilance of managing life across two countries often settles into the body, showing up as a tight chest, shallow breathing, or a nervous system that rarely feels fully at ease. Somatic therapy meets that tension directly. Over time, many mothers describe their bodies beginning to feel like a safer place to rest in, with less bracing for the next family emergency and more room to simply exhale. Sleep starts to feel more restorative. Sessions weave grounding and body awareness practices into conversation, offered virtually so this work fits wherever a mother finds herself that week.
Postpartum depression therapy is for the mother who keeps showing up for family on both sides of the border while feeling completely disconnected from her own life underneath it all. It names the difference between exhaustion and a heaviness that will not lift. Many mothers find their first relief simply in being taken seriously rather than told to keep pushing through. From there, small returns of energy and moments of real connection with their baby tend to follow. This work holds the full weight of postpartum depression without minimizing it, offered virtually so support reaches her no matter where family obligations take her.
Therapy for Latinas is for the mother navigating family expectations from both sides of the border at once, tired of translating her reality just to be understood. Sessions can move naturally between English and Spanish, whatever feels most honest to her. Many mothers describe finally not having to simplify her binational story to fit a therapy model that assumes a single, simple life. The exhaustion of constant translation begins to ease. We talk through generational expectation, immigration related stress, and the specific weight of loving a family split across a border.
Anxiety therapy is for the mother whose mind races through border wait times, family emergencies, and her baby's needs all at once, often before she has even had her coffee. It gives that anxious energy somewhere useful to land. Relief tends to build gradually, with more space appearing between a worry and the spiral it used to trigger instantly. Many mothers describe finally noticing a calm moment instead of scanning it for what could go wrong. Sessions combine grounding tools for the moment with deeper work on what the anxiety has been trying to protect her from, held virtually so support is there no matter which side of the border she is on.

Testimonials

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I was working with a first-gen Latina client who shared that she really appreciates that I give her education and examples for different mental health concepts and this helps her think about it in her own terms throughout the week (e.g. like having a full plate and taking just a moment to set it down when we journal so that it doesn’t feel as heavy all the time).

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I helped a mom advocate for herself after experiencing workplace harassment throughout her pregnancy. She felt like she was complaining but after processing a couple sessions, she realized that this was one way she could protect herself (even if in the past she wasn’t able to). 

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I hosted a Baby & Me Parent Community Event focused on 1) donations/swap station for baby & mom items 2) sensory play stations 3) selena dance along 4) new parent mental health 101 & 5) guest speaker on financial education. I had a few moms come up to me during the event saying how helpful it was to get tangible resources and also information to help them in their current season. 

I serve women in San Diego

​​I offer virtual therapy to women across San Diego including those living near Balboa Park, North Park, Mission Valley and nearby coastal neighborhoods. You can access support from anywhere in California and meet with me from the comfort of your home.

I'm Johanna Lee, LPCC, a licensed therapist, educator, and first generation Latina mom who supports mothers throughout the South Bay navigating postpartum and new madrehood. As the daughter of a Mexican immigrant single mother, I understand binational family life from the inside, not just in theory. My work blends mindfulness, cultural validation, and radical compassion, offered virtually en Espanol o en Ingles wherever life takes you. Healing is a birthright, not a privilege.
Smiling person in a green sleeveless top, seated indoors with tattooed arms and hands resting on a pregnant belly

Frequently asked questions

  • What payment methods do you accept?

    I accept FSA/HSA, debit, or credit card for payment. I do not currently accept insurance and many clients appreciate the privacy, flexibility, and control that comes with paying directly for care (versus utilizing insurance).

  • Can I bring my baby to the session?

    Yes—babies are absolutely welcome. I know it’s not always possible to find childcare, and you shouldn’t have to put your healing on hold because of that. Whether you’re nursing, rocking, or soothing during our time together, this space is made with mamá life in mind. Come as you are—messy bun, spit-up, baby in arms and all. (ps snacks are also welcome and often encouraged lol)

  • How long is each session, and how often will we meet?

    Sessions are 55 minutes. Most clients start with weekly sessions, but we’ll collaborate to find a rhythm that fits your needs, schedule, and goals.

  • Where are you licensed to provide therapy?

    I’m licensed in California, so therapy sessions are available to clients physically located in California at the time of each session. If you're outside California, you can still join my escuelita &/or access non-clinical resources -  View here 

  • Therapy vs education disclaimer

    Participation in workshops, classes, memberships, or educational resources does not establish a therapeutic relationship. These services are for support, education, and community and are not a substitute for clinical therapy. Therapy services are only available to clients residing in California, provided through a separate intake and consent process.