What We Treat
Maternal Mental Health
If pregnancy or new parenthood has brought feelings you didn't expect and can't shake, you're in the right place. Maternal mental health is one of the conditions we treat, and you don't need a name for what you're feeling before you reach out.
In a crisis?
Call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), or call 911. This website is not monitored for emergencies.
Does this sound familiar?
Struggles with mental health can begin during pregnancy or anytime after a baby arrives, and they rarely look the way people expect. Some of what parents carry has familiar names, like postpartum depression or postpartum anxiety. Some of it doesn't fit a name at all.
- You expected this to be one of the happiest times of your life, and mostly you feel exhausted, numb, or on edge. Then you feel guilty for feeling that way.
- The worry won't switch off. You check the baby's breathing again at 3 a.m., replay the day for mistakes, brace for something to go wrong.
- You cry more than you can explain, or snap at the people you love, and it doesn't feel like you.
- You feel far away from your baby, your partner, or the person you used to be, and you're afraid to say so out loud.
- Everyone asks how the baby is doing. Almost no one asks how you are.
If some of this sounds like you, that's reason enough to reach out. You don't need to be sure what it is first, and you don't need to wait until it gets worse. And if you're having thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, please don't wait at all: call or text 988, or call 911, now.
What maternal mental health means
Pregnancy and the first years of parenthood change almost everything at once: your body, your sleep, your relationships, your sense of who you are. For many parents, those changes stir up more than tiredness. Feeling depressed, anxious, or unlike yourself during pregnancy or after birth is common, it is nobody's fault, and it is not a measure of how much you love your child.
Here's what we want you to know: struggling does not make you a bad parent, and you don't have to push through alone until your child is older. Support exists, and therapy is one of the main ways parents get it. Asking for help isn't a failure of parenthood — it's a way of caring for your family that includes you.
How we help with maternal mental health
There's no single door into this kind of care at Nabi.
Individual therapy
one-on-one space that is only about you: the feelings, the identity shift, the things you haven't said to anyone yet.
Couples therapy
when a new baby has changed how you and your partner talk, share the load, or find each other at the end of the day.
Family therapy
when a new arrival is reshaping the whole household, including older kids, and everyone is adjusting at once.
We take time to match you with a therapist who fits, including language.
Who you'll work with
Nabi Family Therapy is a group practice of experienced therapists across four California offices. Our team includes licensed therapists and supervised associate therapists, and children, teens, and whole families are who we work with most. Some of our therapists focus on maternal mental health, supporting parents during pregnancy and after birth.
What to expect
Reaching out with a newborn in your arms can feel like one task too many, so we've kept it short.
- 1
Reach out
Fill out our short contact form or call us. Tell us about why you're here, in your own words. "I haven't felt like myself since the baby came" is plenty. Do you have a preferred therapist? You can tell us that too.
- 2
We coordinate for you
A care coordinator, not a therapist, follows up to talk through therapist fit, language preferences, availability, and cost, including any insurance questions, before you commit to anything.
- 3
Meet your therapist
A consultation is available first, so you can see whether the fit feels right.
- 4
Begin
Early sessions are about your therapist getting to know you and what you're carrying. The pace is set with you, not for you.
- Where: In person at our offices in Manhattan Beach, Arcadia, Irvine, and Burbank, California.
- Telehealth: Online sessions are available for clients who are physically in California or Oregon at the time of the session.
Questions
Common questions
How do I know if what I'm feeling is serious enough for therapy?+
You don't have to know, and you don't need a diagnosis in hand. If the way you've been feeling is making pregnancy or new parenthood harder than it already is, that's reason enough. Sorting out what's going on is something you and a therapist can do together — you don't have to figure it out first, alone, before you're allowed to ask.
I'm having thoughts that scare me. Can I even say that in therapy?+
Yes. Upsetting, unwanted thoughts are something many new parents experience, and saying one out loud to someone trained to hear it matters. You will not be judged for being honest. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or your baby right now, call or text 988, or call 911, first.
Can you help me decide about medication during pregnancy or breastfeeding?+
Decisions about medication belong with your doctor, OB, or another prescribing provider. Our therapists do not prescribe, and we won't offer medical advice about what is safe for you or your baby. What therapy can hold is the rest of it: the feelings, the pressure, the decisions ahead. Many people are in therapy alongside care they receive elsewhere.
My partner is struggling too. Is there room for them?+
Yes. A new baby lands on the whole household, not just one parent. Some couples come in together through couples therapy, and individual therapy is open to any parent, not only the one who gave birth.
How much does it cost?+
Cost depends on the therapist you're matched with and whether insurance applies. Our care coordinator will go over the numbers with you before your first session, so there are no surprises.
New parenthood can be lonely in ways nobody warns you about.
You don't have to carry this part alone, and you don't need the right words to start. Reach out and tell us about why you're here. Our care team will take it from there. This is a place to belong, exactly as you are right now.
Medically reviewed by Soo Jin Lee, LMFT (118366), Clinical Director at Nabi Family Therapy. Last reviewed August 26, 2026. This page is general information, not a diagnosis or a substitute for care from a licensed professional. If you're wondering about your own mental health during pregnancy or after birth, please reach out.