Pregnancy therapy in Marin County & the San Francisco Bay Area | Tamara Pancoe, LMFT, PMH-C
Pregnancy can be a tender, overwhelming, and emotionally complex season. Even when you’re grateful or excited, you may also feel anxious, unsettled, or unlike yourself. If you’re navigating fear, mood changes, physical discomfort, or the pressure to “hold it all together,” you’re not alone. Pregnancy therapy offers a grounded, compassionate space to slow down, understand what you’re feeling, and support your mind and body during this transition into motherhood.
What is pregnancy therapy?
Pregnancy therapy is a supportive space designed to help you navigate the emotional, psychological, and physical changes of pregnancy. Instead of trying to manage everything on your own, therapy helps you understand your nervous system responses, explore fears or worries, process identity shifts, and make sense of the internal changes that often surface during this time. The goal is to help you feel steadier, more connected, and more supported as you move through it.
Common emotional challenges during pregnancy
Pregnancy brings up many layers, including:
- Heightened anxiety or worry about your health or your baby
- Fear of birth or fear of the unknown
- Emotional ups and downs, irritability, or unexpected sadness
- Stress from medical decisions or complications
- Shifting identity and uncertainty about becoming a parent
- Feeling overwhelmed by responsibilities, expectations, or physical symptoms
- Relationship strain or difficulty communicating your needs
These experiences are common and therapy helps you understand and regulate them with compassion.
How do I know if I need pregnancy therapy?
You may benefit from pregnancy therapy if you’ve been asking yourself:
- Why does this pregnancy feel emotionally heavier than I expected?
- Why am I so anxious about everything, my body, the future, my baby?
- Is it normal to feel scared, sad, or disconnected?
- Why does my mood shift so quickly?
- Am I losing myself in the middle of this change?
Pregnancy therapy helps you understand these experiences and supports you in finding steadiness and clarity during this transition.
How I support pregnancy therapy in Marin County & the San Francisco Bay Area
My approach is gentle, warm, and attentive to your nervous system. Together, we will:
- Explore the emotional layers of pregnancy with compassion
- Understand what your anxiety or fears are trying to communicate
- Regulate overwhelm through grounding and somatic tools
- Support identity changes and emotional vulnerability
- Navigate stress, uncertainty, and shifting relationships
- Create space for your needs not only the needs of others
- Pregnancy therapy becomes a place where you can breathe, slow down, and feel supported through every stage of this chapter.
Topics we can explore together in pregnancy therapy
- Anxiety related to pregnancy, birth, or the future
- Emotional reactivity, sadness, or irritability
- Identity changes and preparing for motherhood
- Stress from medical decisions or complications
- Relationship strain and communication challenges
- Fear of labor or postpartum
- Nervous system regulation tools for anxiety and overwhelm
- Building emotional readiness for the transition into parenthood
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.
Pregnancy therapy specialist in Marin County & the San Francisco Bay Area
As a therapist with a Perinatal Mental Health Certification (PMH-C) from Postpartum Support International, , I support women experiencing anxiety, emotional shifts, fear, overwhelm, or identity changes during pregnancy. Whether this season feels joyful, confusing, heavy, or all of the above, therapy offers a grounded space to understand what you’re feeling and move through this transition with clarity and compassion.
Tips & resources for navigating pregnancy
Here are supportive tools you can begin using alongside therapy:
- Practice grounding when anxiety rises: place a hand on your body and breathe slowly to remind your nervous system you’re safe.
- Create moments of rest: even two minutes of stillness helps your system recalibrate.
- Name your feelings without judgment: clarity softens overwhelm.
- Limit overstimulation: reduce noise, lighting, or multitasking to support emotional steadiness.
- Reach out for connection: building your community and sharing your experience reduces isolation and pressure.
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
Is it normal to feel anxious or sad during pregnancy?
Yes. Emotional shifts during pregnancy are very common and can feel confusing or overwhelming. Your hormones, identity, and sense of safety are all adjusting. Therapy helps you understand these changes with compassion and feel more supported through them.
Can pregnancy therapy help with fear of birth?
Absolutely. Fear of birth is incredibly common, even in wanted pregnancies. In therapy, we explore what feels unknown or scary and give your body tools to feel grounded and prepared. You do not have to navigate these fears alone.
What if I feel disconnected from my pregnancy?
This experience is more common than people admit. Disconnection does not mean something is wrong with you or your bond. Therapy helps you explore what is underneath these feelings and reconnect with yourself and your pregnancy at a gentle, safe pace.
What if I am having relationship stress while pregnant?
Pregnancy can intensify challenging relationship dynamics. Therapy offers support for communication, boundaries, and understanding each other’s needs during this transition. It helps you feel more grounded and less alone as you navigate relationship stress.
How soon should I start pregnancy therapy?
There is no right time. Some women begin early; others start when emotions or fears become harder to manage. You can begin at any stage of pregnancy. Therapy meets you where you are and supports you through whatever you are feeling.
