cognitive behavior therapy
Effective Therapy for
Postpartum Anxiety in the Bay Area
If you're searching for a specialist to support you with postpartum anxiety, you’re in the right place.
As a licensed therapist with over fifteen years of experience, I specialize in supporting new parents through the unique challenges of pregnacy and early parenthood.
Understanding Pregnancy and Postpartum Anxiety
Postpartum anxiety is a mental health condition that can affect new mothers after childbirth, characterized by excessive worry, fear, and unease. It is common to feel overwhelmed and more worried after the birth of a new baby, but postpartum anxiety is more intense and can persist for weeks or months. Symptoms may include:
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intrusive thoughts about harm coming to the baby or oneself
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a constant sense of dread
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questioning decisions and second guessing self
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difficulty sleeping
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physical symptoms like a racing heart, restlessness or muscle tension
While it’s normal for new parents to feel anxious at times, postpartum anxiety becomes a concern when it interferes with daily functioning and the ability to bond with the baby.
This condition is distinct from postpartum depression but can often occur alongside it. The causes of postpartum anxiety are multifactorial, involving hormonal changes, a history of anxiety or depression, and the stress of adjusting to new parenthood.
Therapy can provide relief from the constant cycle of anxiety and intrusive thoughts associated with postpartum anxiety. I use evidence-based approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) to help clients manage their stress around parenthood.
Signs of Pregnancy and Postpartum Anxiety
1. Excessive Worry
While it’s common for new parents to worry about their baby’s health or well-being, postpartum anxiety involves constant and irrational worry, often about things that are unlikely to happen, such as extreme fear of the baby being harmed or the parent making a mistake. This worry is disproportionate and overwhelming, impacting daily life.
2. Intrusive Thoughts
Postpartum anxiety often includes intrusive, disturbing thoughts about harm coming to the baby, such as imagining accidents or disasters. These thoughts are distressing and hard to control, unlike the more typical occasional worries new parents may have during the adjustment period.
3. Physical Symptoms
Physical signs of postpartum anxiety can include racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness, and muscle tension. While some physical discomfort is normal with sleep deprivation, these symptoms are more severe and persistent with postpartum anxiety, unlike the more manageable physical responses of typical early parenthood anxiety.
4. Difficulty Bonding with Your Baby
A mother with postpartum anxiety may feel disconnected or unable to fully bond with her baby due to the overwhelming fear and stress she’s experiencing. This is different from the common tiredness and mild concerns new parents may feel, as the anxiety itself can create a barrier to enjoying early interactions with the baby.
5. Hypervigilance
Women with postpartum anxiety may become excessively alert to any potential danger to their baby, constantly checking on them or avoiding any activity they perceive as risky. This level of vigilance goes beyond typical concern, and it can interfere with the mother's ability to relax or take care of herself.
Recovery from Postpartum Anxiety
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1 / How do I make an appointment?Complete the Potential Client Form and I will be in touch with you within 24 hours to set up a consultation call. If we are a fit, we will will book an intake session from there. After our initial meeting, most clients meet with me weekly for 45-minute sessions, ideally at the same day and a time each week. We will meet more or less depending on your needs. If you need to change your appointment time or cancel, I require 48 hours notice to avoid a full session charge.
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2 / How much does therapy cost and do you take insurance?My fees are $340 per 60 minute initial assessment session and $255 per 45-minute therapy session. I am an out-of-network provider for all insurance panels. If you have a PPO you may be eligible for out of network benefits and I will submit electronic claims on your behalf so that you may be partially reimbursed for your CBT sessions. You can contact your insurance company directly to find out more information about your out of network coverage.
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3 / Do you offer in-person/face -to-face sessions?YES! It has been so good to be back in the office! I offer both in person and online therapy. My in person office is in Campbell, CA, serving the Silicon Valley region. I can provide online therapy to residents throughout California.
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4 / Do you work with children and teens?Most of my therapy clients are adults, young adults and older teenagers. I don’t often work with children under age 11 but if you feel your child could be a good fit for me I am happy to speak with you. I also offer Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) treatment for parents seeking to help their children with anxiety disorders and OCD.
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5 / What will our sessions be like?CBT is more structured than other types of therapy. We will start by setting an agenda and intention for the session. Then the majority of our session time will be spent on discussing your problems and applying CBT interventions. We will end with an action plan for you to take into your week. CBT, is at its core, flexible and collaborative so we will tailor our sessions to your needs.
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6 / How long does therapy take?It truth is that treatment length varies a lot! The severity of your symptoms and how long you've had them , your motivation to work outside of session, and your life circumstances will all factor in to treatment length. Most clients start to feel some noticeable relief within three months and may achieve their goals by six months. For others it can take a year or more.
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7 / What is a Good Faith Estimate?You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical and mental health care will cost. Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the expected charges for medical services, including psychotherapy services. You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency healthcare services, including psychotherapy services. You can ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate. For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.
About CAITLYN
I am a licensed marriage and family therapist with a master’s degree in clinical psychology. I have been working as a therapist since 2009, specializing in Cognitive Behavior Therapy for anxiety disorders and obsessive compulsive disorders. Before starting my own practice in 2021 I worked at a specialty anxiety/OCD group practice for many years, as well as community mental health, and school settings.
My practice is located in Campbell, CA in the South SF Bay Area, near San Jose, Los Gatos, Saratoga, Los Altos, Mountain View, Sunnyvale and Cupertino.
I have been working primarily with clients struggling with anxiety since 2012. Read more about my speciality training here.
My approach to anxiety and OCD treatment is compassionate and personalized. This work is challenging but we will go at your pace and focus on the symptoms that are getting in the way of your life.
Ready to get started or have more questions?
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1 / How do I make an appointment?Complete the Potential Client Form and I will be in touch with you within 24 hours to set up a consultation call. If we are a fit, we will will book an intake session from there. After our initial meeting, most clients meet with me weekly for 45-minute sessions, ideally at the same day and a time each week. We will meet more or less depending on your needs. If you need to change your appointment time or cancel, I require 48 hours notice to avoid a full session charge.
-
2 / How much does therapy cost and do you take insurance?My fees are $340 per 60 minute initial assessment session and $255 per 45-minute therapy session. I am an out-of-network provider for all insurance panels. If you have a PPO you may be eligible for out of network benefits and I will submit electronic claims on your behalf so that you may be partially reimbursed for your CBT sessions. You can contact your insurance company directly to find out more information about your out of network coverage.
-
3 / Do you offer in-person/face -to-face sessions?YES! It has been so good to be back in the office! I offer both in person and online therapy. My in person office is in Campbell, CA, serving the Silicon Valley region. I can provide online therapy to residents throughout California.
-
4 / Do you work with children and teens?Most of my therapy clients are adults, young adults and older teenagers. I don’t often work with children under age 11 but if you feel your child could be a good fit for me I am happy to speak with you. I also offer Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) treatment for parents seeking to help their children with anxiety disorders and OCD.
-
5 / What will our sessions be like?CBT is more structured than other types of therapy. We will start by setting an agenda and intention for the session. Then the majority of our session time will be spent on discussing your problems and applying CBT interventions. We will end with an action plan for you to take into your week. CBT, is at its core, flexible and collaborative so we will tailor our sessions to your needs.
-
6 / How long does therapy take?It truth is that treatment length varies a lot! The severity of your symptoms and how long you've had them , your motivation to work outside of session, and your life circumstances will all factor in to treatment length. Most clients start to feel some noticeable relief within three months and may achieve their goals by six months. For others it can take a year or more.
-
7 / What is a Good Faith Estimate?You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical and mental health care will cost. Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the expected charges for medical services, including psychotherapy services. You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency healthcare services, including psychotherapy services. You can ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate. For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.