Tessa Jacques
I'm a licensed therapist with 13+ years of experience specializing in maternal mental health. I work with women navigating pregnancy and postpartum — the full range, from adjustment and exhaustion to genuine clinical concerns that need real attention. My practice is telehealth-only, which lets me offer consistent, focused sessions without the added stress of a commute for clients who are often already stretched thin.
First session
Your first session is about getting oriented, not diving into everything at once. We'll talk through what brought you in, what's been going on, and what you're hoping therapy can help with. I'll ask direct questions, including ones you might not expect, because getting an accurate picture early on matters more than easing in slowly. By the end, you'll have a sense of what we're working on and what the first few weeks will likely look like.
Strengths
I won't hand you a diagnosis you don't need. A lot of what mothers carry is a sane response to an unsustainable amount of invisible labor, not a disorder — and naming that correctly is part of the work. But I take real symptoms seriously too, including the ones clients are afraid to say out loud, and thirteen years in this specialty means I know how to tell the difference. I'm also direct. If I notice something you're avoiding, I'll ask about it, because most of the women I work with are capable of handling an honest conversation — and being treated that way is often part of what actually helps.
Ideal clients
My ideal client is a woman somewhere in the pregnancy-through-postpartum window who's noticing that things feel harder, heavier, or different than expected, and isn't sure whether that's normal or something more. She might be anxious, exhausted, resentful, disconnected, or just off in a way she can't quite name. She wants a therapist who won't over-pathologize her experience, but also won't miss something real.
Treatment methods
Integrative
I use a combination of modalities to help you gain perspective in your current situation and empower you to make change to move forward toward the life you choose.
Location
Virtual sessions