New motherhood/parenthood is no joke!! If you are feeling anxious, overwhelmed, exhausted, rage-y, resentful, ____ your feelings are valid and you deserve a safe space to process this emotional roller coaster. As a new mom myself who has taken advanced training in maternal mental health, I know all too well that many moms often feel guilty for having real human experiences and that's not okay. As a new parent, you deserve to be heard, receive help and advocate for your needs too. In therapy, I can hold a safe space for you to process what you're going through and discover what steps or tools could help you be well too. Being a parent doesn't have to mean feeling on-edge, irritable and stressed out all the time. There are many therapeutic tools for managing and improving your wellness (including mindfulness, inner-voice shifts, reparenting, increasing support, delegating, boundaries, etc..) & I can help you create a plan that works for you. Remember that you deserve care in this season too & asking for help is a really brave step. Reach out today, I would love to hold this safe space for you. If you are looking for lower-cost support, I also offer a free youtube page, an online community for new mommas & more. You can learn more at connectwithjlee.com
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
During our first intake meeting, I will be asking you questions to get to know you better. The first few meetings are focused on getting a clearer understanding of your background & experiences and creating a plan to help you meet your goals. Collaboratively, we will decide how you would like sessions to look and what skills you would like to learn. This is YOUR time and I want to make sure your preferences are included so please let me know what works and what doesn't- I won't take it personally (lol).
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
Sensitivity is my super power. I didn't always see it this way as I was always the kid who cried a little too much, but I've learned to embrace it into my adulthood. I am compassionate and love to support others on their healing journeys-especially if they are first in their families to break cycles. My identities as Chicana, first generation, and new mom have given me a unique set of experiences and insights that I bring wherever I go. I can emphasize with a wide range of struggles and am dedicated to helping other women become the best version of themselves, for themselves and their loved ones.
Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.
Women of color in early motherhood or young adulthood navigating stress, anxiety, generational trauma, adversity and more.
About Johanna Lee
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Specializes in
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Appointments
VirtualMy treatment methods
Mind-body approach
Cycles of anxiety, trauma and burnout all have ways of impacting your mindset, beliefs and nervous system. The mind-body connection is essential to help heal from the impacts in long-lasting and sustainable ways. During our work, I can help you identify the physical symptoms you feel when you are experiencing different emotions and help you discover effective coping techniques to manage your stress responses when they activate. Some techniques & tools we will explore include: polyvagal therapy, deep breathing, movement, mindfulness, meditation, music, art, grounding & other nervous system regulation skills.
Attachment-based
Our early attachments to our parents have a huge impact on how we relate to others later in life, engage in relationships, parent our own children and more. In therapy, I can help you build insight onto your attachment style and how it is manifesting today. Together we can identify ways to build your secure & safe attachments, including setting healthy boundaries, expressing your emotions in healthy ways, and processing past relational trauma. Even if you weren't raised with healthy attachments, you can build secure & safe relationships now.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
As a parent and/or young adult, you probably have a million things running through your mind. What if I told you that some of those things are making you feel worse? It's true! The thoughts that run through our mind are often unconscious and when left unchecked, can cause us to feel a wide range of emotions & act in certain ways without us even knowing why. Through the use of cognitive therapy tools including trauma-focused CBT, mindfulness based cognitive therapy & self-talk exploration, I can help you identify thought patterns and beliefs that are contributing to your anxiety, burnout or other overwhelming emotions. When you become more mindful of the thoughts swirling around, then you can better identify them and stop them before they continue to spiral.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Many of us have experiences from our childhood that have left us feeling hurt and wounded. When you become a parent, those memories and experiences can resurface and leave you feeling upset, sad or resentful. IFS tools can help you identify what "parts" of us are still hurting, how it is manifesting today, and ways to heal so that you are living from your authentic "self" and not just these hurt parts. I can help you identify areas that you may need to "reparent" yourself and guide you as you heal from the past so that you can become the adult and parent you desire.
Faith based therapy
Your beliefs and faith can be sources of strength, resilience and grounded-ness. Together we can explore what your faith and spiritual practices look like and what would be helpful to incorporate in order to live rooted in your values and priorities. If you have harmful faith-based experiences from the past (e.g. church trauma), I can be a safe space to process this with you as well.