Therapist in Sacramento CA | CBT for postpartum depression & bilingual therapy
So much of a mother's labor here happens quietly, behind the scenes of a household or a state office building, rarely acknowledged the way it should be. My practice offers postpartum and new madrehood therapy for Latina, first generation, and BIPOC mothers who are used to being the ones holding everything steady. My own experience as a first gen daughter of a Mexican immigrant mother informs how I show up in this work, so your labor never has to go unnamed here.
Sacramento carries the weight and pride of being California's capital, but its heart lives in neighborhoods like Oak Park, South Sacramento, and the Meadowview area, where generations of Mexican, Black, and immigrant families have built deep community roots. Families connected to Sacramento State and Sacramento City College often balance coursework with jobs tied to the surrounding delta farmland and the region's government offices. This blend of civic identity and working class roots shapes what mothers here actually need from care.
Living in a city defined by public service can quietly teach a mother that her own needs come last, after every agency, every form, and every family member she supports. Postpartum anxiety and identity loss can feel especially heavy when a mother has spent years being the reliable one for everyone but herself. What brings mothers to this practice is a space where her own care finally gets to matter too.

How it works

My work starts from the belief that a mother who spends her days caring for others deserves the same steadiness in return. Sessions bring together clinical training, ancestral wisdom, mindfulness, and radical compassion, so support here does not ask anything of you the way the rest of your day does. This is one of the few spaces where you are not the one holding it all together.
A philosophy centered on being cared for too
We start with an easy, unhurried conversation about what has been weighing on you, with nothing to prepare and nothing to coordinate beforehand. This is simply a chance to be heard without needing to hold the space for anyone else. By the end, you will know whether this feels like the right fit.
A first conversation with nothing to manage
From there, sessions unfold using tools rooted in nervous system support, boundary setting, and cultural validation, shaped around your real responsibilities rather than a generic plan. Over time, many mothers describe finally feeling like their own needs belong somewhere on the list. What you build here tends to stay useful long after our sessions end.
Support that finally centers you

EXPLORE MY SERVICES

Postpartum therapy holds space for the mother who manages everyone else's schedule and forgets to check in on her own wellbeing entirely. It welcomes grief for who she used to be alongside genuine love for her child, without asking her to choose between them. Many mothers first notice relief in simply being asked what she needs, a question she rarely hears directed at herself. The pressure to remain endlessly capable begins to soften. We explore identity, caretaking fatigue, and the emotional labor of being everyone's steady point, with sessions held virtually so a full calendar never has to compete with support.
CBT for postpartum depression is for the mother whose thoughts turn critical the second she cannot hold everything together perfectly. It works directly with that inner voice instead of accepting it as fact. Progress often looks like a pause before the spiral, a moment where a hard day stops meaning she has failed everyone who depends on her. Many mothers describe slowly learning to trust their own read of a situation again. Sessions work through the practical link between thought, emotion, and behavior, giving her tools that hold up at work and at home alike.
Years of holding steady for everyone else often settle into the body as a tight chest, shallow breathing, or a body that rarely feels permission to fully relax. Somatic therapy works with that tension directly instead of only talking around it. Over time, many mothers describe their bodies beginning to feel like a safer place to rest, with less bracing for the next request and more room to simply exhale. Sleep starts to feel restorative again. Sessions weave grounding and body awareness practices into conversation, offered virtually so this work fits into whatever quiet moment the day allows.
Postpartum depression therapy is for the mother who keeps showing up for everyone else's needs while feeling completely disconnected from her own life underneath it all. It names the difference between ordinary tiredness 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 even during her busiest weeks.
Therapy for Latinas is for the mother who has spent years being the dependable one for her family and community, tired of translating her culture just to be understood. Sessions can move naturally between English and Spanish, whatever feels most honest. Many mothers describe finally not having to simplify their story to fit a therapy model that was never built with caretaking mothers like her in mind. The exhaustion of constant translation begins to ease. We talk through generational expectation, immigration related stress, and the specific weight of being the one everyone else leans on.
Anxiety therapy is for the mother whose mind runs through everyone else's needs before she has even thought about her own, checking on the baby, the bills, and the family all at once. 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 fits around a demanding schedule.

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 works with mothers throughout Sacramento navigating postpartum and new madrehood. As the daughter of a Mexican immigrant single mother, I understand what it means to hold a family together while rarely being asked how you are doing. My work blends mindfulness, cultural validation, and radical compassion, offered virtually so a busy schedule never has to delay care. 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.