Postpartum Anxiety & Depression Therapy in Marin County & San Francisco Bay Area | Tamara Pancoe, LMFT, PMH-C
Postpartum anxiety and depression can make the early days of motherhood feel overwhelming in ways most people don’t see. You may be caring deeply for your baby while quietly holding fear, worry, intrusive thoughts, sadness, exhaustion, or a sense of disconnection from yourself. Postpartum therapy offers a calm, grounded space to understand what’s happening inside you, soften the pressure you’ve been carrying, and reconnect with who you are during this tender season of early motherhood.
What is postpartum anxiety and depression therapy?
Postpartum anxiety and depression therapy supports women experiencing a mix of emotional overwhelm, intrusive thoughts, persistent sadness, fear, irritability, or emotional numbness after giving birth. Instead of pushing through or hiding your symptoms, we slow down to understand why your mind and body feel so heightened or shut down. Together, we make sense of your emotional experience, support your nervous system, and create space for steadiness, connection, and relief. Postpartum anxiety and depression are very common and highly treatable. You don’t have to go through this alone.
Most common signs of postpartum anxiety and depression
Postpartum anxiety and depression can show up in many ways, including:
- Persistent worry about your baby’s safety or health
- Feeling hypervigilant or constantly “on edge”
- Racing thoughts or intrusive thoughts that feel scary or unwanted
- Difficulty resting even when the baby is asleep
- Tightness in the chest, knots in the stomach, or trouble breathing
- Sadness, heaviness, or emotional numbness
- Intense feelings of anger or rage
- Loss of interest in things you usually enjoy
- Feeling disconnected from yourself or emotionally overwhelmed
- Fear of making mistakes or not being a “good enough” mother
- Irritability or frustration that feels out of character
- Difficulty bonding with your baby or feeling present
If any of these resonate, postpartum therapy can help you find clarity, relief, and steadiness.
How do I know if I need postpartum anxiety and depression therapy?
You may benefit from postpartum therapy if you notice yourself wondering:
- Do I feel constantly on alert, afraid something bad might happen?
- Are my worries or intrusive thoughts taking over my days?
- Do I feel unusually sad, numb, or disconnected from myself or my baby?
- Do I feel ashamed of my thoughts and afraid to say them out loud?
- Is my anxiety or sadness making it hard to bond, rest, or feel like myself?
- Do I feel like I have to hold everything together for everyone?
- Postpartum should not feel like constant survival mode. Support can make a meaningful difference.
How I support postpartum anxiety and depression in Anxiety Marin County & San Francisco Bay Area
My approach to postpartum anxiety and depression therapy is gentle, warm, and grounded in emotional and nervous system regulation. Together, we will:
- Slow down the pace so you can breathe again
- Explore the roots of your worry, sadness, or emotional shutdown
- Make sense of intrusive thoughts and reduce their intensity
- Support your mind and body during this season of transition
- Build tools to help you feel more present, steady, and confident
- Create space for your needs, not only the needs of others
Therapy becomes a soft landing place where you don’t have to perform or hide your feelings.
What topics can we talk about in postpartum anxiety therapy?
- Understanding intrusive thoughts and reducing their impact
- Navigating constant worry or fear about your baby’s safety
- Exploring sadness, numbness, or emotional heaviness
- Coping with overstimulation, hypervigilance, and sleeplessness
- The emotional transition into motherhood and shifting identity
- Postpartum guilt, resentment, or confusion about your feelings
- Relationship changes after baby and how to communicate your needs
- Boundary-setting during early motherhood
- Nervous system regulation techniques to calm your body
- Reconnecting with your intuition, joy, and sense of self
How it works
Setting the Foundation
This step helps us create a supportive framework that reflects your needs and intentions.
Building Awareness and Understanding
Together, we will explore where certain reactions come from and begin to understand what has been keeping you stuck.
Creating Change and Cultivating Growth
As therapy progresses, we will focus on developing practical tools and new ways of responding that align with your goals.
Postpartum anxiety and depression specialist in Anxiety Marin County & San Francisco Bay Area
As a therapist specializing in postpartum anxiety and depression, I support women throughout Marin County & the San Francisco Bay Area who are navigating the emotional intensity of early motherhood. Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed, fearful, sad, disconnected, or unsure how to manage your thoughts, therapy gives you a grounded space to recover your steadiness and reconnect with who you are.
Tips & resources for coping with postpartum anxiety
Here are grounding tools you can begin using alongside therapy:
- Practice grounding while holding or feeding your baby: Feel your feet on the floor, lengthen your breath, and notice a few gentle details around you. This helps calm anxious thoughts and offers your body a sense of safety.
- Limit overstimulation in your environment: Soft lighting, reduced noise, and intentional pauses throughout the day can ease the intensity of feeling “on alert” or emotionally overwhelmed.
- Create micro-moments of rest: Even thirty seconds of slow breathing, stretching your shoulders, or placing a hand on your chest can support your nervous system and soften both anxiety and heaviness.
- Talk to someone you trust: Sharing what you’re carrying lightens the emotional load and reduces the isolation that often appears in early motherhood, especially when both worry and sadness are present.
- Give yourself permission to move slowly: When sadness, fear, or overstimulation rises, slowing the pace helps your body regulate and invites a sense of steadiness and relief.
Hi, I’m Tamara. I’m so glad you’ve found your way here.
I am a licensed therapist dedicated to helping my clients heal and find hope while navigating the waves of life.
Therapy investment
I help women who feel anxious, depleted, or emotionally stretched thin find steadiness, clarity, and a deeper sense of self-trust.
Whether you’re navigating anxiety, a major life change, or simply trying to keep up with the demands of daily life, therapy with me offers a soft place to land and feel supported.
$200 per 50 minute session
FAQ
How long does postpartum anxiety last?
Postpartum anxiety varies widely. Some mothers feel improvement within a few months, while others notice symptoms lasting longer. With the right support, most women see their anxiety decrease significantly over time.
Are intrusive thoughts common after having a baby?
Yes. Intrusive thoughts are very common in postpartum anxiety and do not reflect your character or intentions. Therapy helps you understand why they happen and how to reduce their power.
Is postpartum anxiety the same as postpartum depression?
Not exactly. While they can overlap, postpartum anxiety is marked by fear, worry, and hypervigilance, while postpartum depression often involves sadness, numbness, or disconnection. Therapy can help clarify what you’re experiencing.
Can postpartum anxiety go away without therapy?
Some women improve naturally over time, but many find that therapy provides faster, safer, and more sustainable relief, especially when symptoms are intense or intrusive.
How do I know if I have postpartum depression instead of “normal” sadness?
Postpartum depression feels different from the temporary sadness or emotional fluctuations that often happen after birth. It may show up as persistent heaviness, numbness, a loss of interest in things you usually enjoy, difficulty bonding with your baby, or a sense of disconnection from yourself or others. If these feelings last more than two weeks or feel increasingly intense, postpartum therapy can help you understand what’s happening and support you in feeling like yourself again.
