Therapist in San Diego CA | CBT for postpartum depression & bilingual therapy
I offer postpartum and new madrehood therapy for Latina, first generation, and BIPOC mothers who are quietly holding more than anyone realizes. I built this practice from my own experience as a first gen daughter of a Mexican immigrant mother, and I bring that lived understanding into every session. My work centers cultural truth, emotional honesty, and the belief that healing after birth should never feel like a luxury reserved for a few.
I hold sessions virtually for mothers throughout the region, from the working class blocks of Barrio Logan and Chicano Park to the family neighborhoods of City Heights, National City, and Southeast San Diego, and out toward San Ysidro near the border where so many mixed status and immigrant households live day to day. Students and young families connected to San Diego State University and UC San Diego also find their way to me, often during the exact season when school, work, and a new baby collide. This is a city shaped by generations of Mexican and Latin American families, and that cultural fabric runs through the way I offer care.
Many mothers in this region were raised to be la fuerte, the strong one who holds the family together without complaint, and that expectation does not disappear once a baby arrives. Postpartum anxiety, identity loss, and the quiet grief of losing time with extended family can feel especially heavy in a border city where immigration status, generational trauma, and economic pressure often shape daily life. Mothers choose to work with me because I never ask anyone to translate her experience or soften her culture to be understood.

How it works

I believe postpartum struggle is not a personal failure but often the result of systems, expectations, and silence that were never built to hold mothers of color. My sessions blend clinical training with ancestral wisdom, mindfulness, and radical compassion, so healing feels like it belongs to you rather than something imposed on you. I will never ask you to abandon your culture in order to get better.
A philosophy built on cultural truth
Before any real work begins, we have a soft, unhurried conversation where you can share what you have been carrying and what you actually need, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. This is not a checklist or a form to fill out. It is a chance to be heard fully, often for the first time in a long time, and to decide together whether this space feels like the right fit.
A gentle first conversation
From there, sessions unfold at a pace that matches your real life rather than a rigid program, drawing on tools rooted in cultural validation, nervous system support, and self compassion. Over time, you begin to name what has shifted, feel steadier in your own voice, and leave with a rhythm of support you can return to long after our formal sessions end.
Ongoing support that grows with you

EXPLORE MY SERVICES

Postpartum therapy is for you if a version of yourself went missing the moment you became a parent, even while you love your baby fiercely. It holds space for your exhaustion, your guilt, and the quiet ache of missing who you used to be, without rushing you toward gratitude you do not yet feel. In session, you often find relief simply in being witnessed without judgment, and many mothers notice the pressure to perform strength begin to soften within the first few weeks. Anxiety that once felt constant starts to have room to breathe, and self criticism starts to lose its grip. We explore identity, cultural expectation, and the emotional weight of caretaking, and I offer these sessions virtually so you can access care from wherever you are in San Diego and the surrounding areas.
CBT for postpartum depression is for you if your thoughts have turned sharp and unforgiving, where self talk like I am failing or I should be handling this better plays on a loop. It is for you if you feel emotionally flat, on edge, or trapped in cycles of guilt you cannot quite name. Relief tends to show up gradually, as rigid thought patterns loosen and you start to notice the difference between a hard moment and a hard identity. Many mothers describe feeling steadier, less reactive, and more able to trust their own perspective again. Together we untangle the connection between your thoughts, emotions, and behavior in a way that feels practical rather than clinical, always grounded in compassion instead of correction.
Somatic therapy is for you if your body is holding stress that words alone have not been able to release, the tight chest, the clenched jaw, the exhaustion that sleep does not seem to fix. It meets your nervous system directly, rather than only working through thought. Over time, your body can begin to feel like a safer place to live in again, with less bracing, less startle, and more capacity to actually rest when rest is finally available. Breath returns to being something automatic instead of something to manage. Sessions may include grounding, movement, and body awareness practices alongside conversation, offered virtually in a way that still allows your body to feel guided and held.
Postpartum depression therapy is for you if you are carrying a heaviness that goes beyond typical exhaustion, a sadness or numbness that makes even small tasks feel enormous. It is for you if you are quietly wondering whether what you feel is normal or something more. Many mothers describe the first shift as simply not feeling so alone in it, followed by small returns of energy, appetite, and the ability to feel something close to joy again. Hopelessness tends to loosen its hold before it disappears completely, and that loosening matters. I hold space for the full weight of what postpartum depression brings, without minimizing it or rushing you toward positivity, and I offer these sessions virtually for mothers across the region.
Therapy for Latinas is for you if you are tired of translating your culture just to be understood, or softening your Spanish, your spirituality, or your family dynamics to fit into a therapy model that was not built with you in mind. Sessions can move naturally between English and Spanish, en Spanglish, whatever feels most honest to you. Relief often comes from finally being able to speak in full sentences, culturally and emotionally, without stopping to explain what marianismo means or why family loyalty feels complicated. Many mothers describe feeling less like a guest in their own healing. We explore generational expectation, immigration related stress, and the pull between honoring family and choosing something different, all held virtually and rooted in lived cultural understanding.
Anxiety therapy is for you if your mind will not stop scanning for the next thing that could go wrong, even in ordinary, safe moments with your baby. It is for the racing thoughts at two in the morning and the tightness that shows up before you can name why. Many mothers notice their nervous system beginning to settle before the anxious thoughts themselves fully quiet, with more moments of actual presence appearing in between the worry. Sleep, appetite, and patience often begin to return in small, noticeable ways. I offer practical tools for calming an overactive mind alongside deeper work on what your anxiety is protecting, and I hold these sessions virtually for mothers throughout San Diego and nearby communities.

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, mental health educator, and first generation Latina mom who supports mothers navigating postpartum and new madrehood. I bring both clinical training and lived experience to this work, having grown up as the daughter of a Mexican immigrant single mother in Black and Brown communities. My approach blends cultural validation, mindfulness, and radical compassion, and I work virtually with mothers across San Diego and the surrounding region. 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.