Pregnancy, Postpartum, & Motherhood Therapy in California
Specialized, evidence-based care for pregnancy, postpartum, infertility, pregnancy loss, and the transition to motherhood.
Does this sound like you?
✓ You’re trying to conceive, experiencing infertility, or navigating pregnancy loss and wondering if becoming a parent will ever happen for you.
✓ You’re pregnant or postpartum and feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or consumed by intrusive thoughts about your baby’s safety.
✓ Motherhood feels much harder than you expected—you’re exhausted, overstimulated, touched out, and sometimes struggling with guilt, anger, or self-doubt.
You deserve support. You don’t have to navigate this season of life alone.
Therapy can offer a space where you feel deeply understood while developing practical tools for the challenges you're facing. Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), I help women make space for difficult thoughts and emotions without allowing anxiety, fear, grief, or overwhelm to take over.
Together, we'll build mindfulness, self-compassion, and greater trust in yourself so you can feel more present and connected to the life and relationships that matter to you.
Imagine if you could experience difficult thoughts and emotions without feeling controlled by them.
IMAGINE IF:
✓ You could move through infertility, pregnancy, postpartum, or loss with greater self-compassion and support.
✓ You could feel more present with your baby, your partner, and the life you’re building.
✓ You could trust yourself more and feel less pressure to be the “perfect” mother.
✓ You could build a life within motherhood that feels meaningful, connected, and aligned with your values.
INTRODUCING…
Specialized Therapy for Perinatal & Reproductive Mental Health
Individual therapy with me offers a compassionate, supportive space to navigate the emotional complexities of of fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, loss, and motherhood.
“Free is not free from feelings, but free to feel each one and let it move on, unafraid of the movement of life.”
— Jack Kornfield
Why work with me:
Specialized Expertise
I focus exclusively on perinatal and reproductive mental health, supporting women who are struggling with depression, anxiety, intrusive thoughts, overwhelm, infertility, pregnancy loss, pregnancy after loss, birth trauma, or the many unexpected challenges that can arise during pregnancy and postpartum.
Advanced Training
I am Perinatal Mental Health Certified (PMH-C) and have advanced training in perinatal mental health psychotherapy as well as additional training in pregnancy and infant loss through Postpartum Support International (PSI), along with mental health certification through the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).
Evidence-Based Approach
My work is grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a research-supported approach that helps people develop practical skills for navigating difficult thoughts and emotions. I help women cultivate greater psychological flexibility so they can move through life’s challenges with more resilience, self-trust, and clarity. Rather than trying to eliminate pain entirely, our work focuses on helping you build a life that feels meaningful, connected, and aligned with what matters most to you—even during life’s most tender and uncertain seasons.
Compassionate, Nonjudgmental Support
Therapy with me is a space where you can feel understood, supported, and empowered to navigate this season of life with greater resilience and self-compassion.
Here’s How It Works
ONE
Reach Out for a Call
Begin by scheduling a consultation through my contact form. This gives us a chance to briefly connect, discuss what you’re experiencing, and determine whether we feel like a good fit to work together.
TWO
Begin Therapy
We will meet for 50-minute individual therapy sessions. Together we will explore what you’re going through while developing practical skills through Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
THREE
Build a Path Forward
Over time, therapy will help you relate differently to difficult thoughts and emotions while reconnecting with what matters most to you. We will meet at a cadence that meets your needs and preferences to help you move through this season with greater self-compassion.
“You are the sky. Everything else is just the weather.”
— Pema Chödrön
The Benefits:
◇ Develop practical tools to manage anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and overwhelming emotions.
◇ Learn how to relate to difficult thoughts and feelings with greater awareness, compassion, and flexibility.
◇ Feel more confident and grounded as you navigate pregnancy, postpartum, infertility, or pregnancy loss.
◇ Reduce the pressure to be a “perfect” mother and reconnect with self-trust.
Kind Words from Peers & Colleagues
I’m Dr. Carissa Gustafson, a clinical psychologist helping women bring presence to pain and find peace throughout pregnancy, postpartum, and the transition to motherhood.
I am a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in perinatal mental health, pregnancy and reproductive loss, and the transition to motherhood. With advanced certifications through Postpartum Support International (PMH-C) and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, I provide compassionate, evidence-based support for individuals and families navigating fertility, pregnancy, postpartum challenges, grief, and parenthood.
As both a psychologist and a mother who has experienced pregnancy loss, I bring professional expertise and personal understanding to this work. It is a privilege to walk alongside clients during some of life's most vulnerable and transformative seasons.
“There are two kinds of suffering, the suffering you run away from, which follows you everywhere. And there is the suffering you face directly, and in doing so become free.”
— Thich Nhat Hanh
Real results I’ve helped my clients achieve:
✓ Mothers now feel more grounded and able to navigate difficult thoughts and emotions without feeling overwhelmed by them.
✓ Women have moved through pregnancy, postpartum, and grief with greater self-compassion.
✓ Women now feel more present with their baby, partner, and the life they are building.
✓ Mothers have learned to trust themselves more and feel less pressure to be the “perfect” mother.
✓ Women now have practical tools to manage anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and moments of overwhelm.
✓ Mothers have built a life within motherhood that feels meaningful, connected, and aligned with what matters most to them.
Frequently Asked Questions
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I provide in-person therapy in Santa Monica at WUUM, a multidisciplinary women's mental health and wellness practice, and offer virtual therapy to clients throughout California.
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We start off by scheduling a free 15-minute consultation and will discuss the per session cost at that time.
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My practice is primarily private pay, allowing me to provide highly personalized care without the limitations imposed by insurance companies. I provide superbills for clients seeking possible out-of-network reimbursement. Clients may also use Health Savings Accounts (HSA) or Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) to help make therapy more affordable. Some clients may be able to access care through employer-sponsored mental health benefits, integrated health plan arrangements, or insurance coverage through select plans available via third-party billing partners. If you have questions about fees or coverage, I am happy to help you explore your options.
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My practice is best suited for women navigating pregnancy, postpartum, infertility, pregnancy loss, and the emotional complexities of motherhood who are looking for compassionate, evidence-based support.
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My work is grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), an evidence-based approach that helps people develop skills to navigate difficult thoughts and emotions while building lives aligned with their values.
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Most clients begin with weekly sessions, though the frequency can be adjusted based on your needs and goals.
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Some clients seek short-term support during a specific transition, such as pregnancy, the fourth trimester, or the first year postpartum, while others engage in longer-term therapy from preconception through parenthood
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You can begin by reaching out through my contact page to schedule a consultation. From there we can discuss what you’re looking for and determine whether working together feels like a good fit.
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You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate”: explaining how much your medical 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 bill for medical items and services.
You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees.
Make sure your health care provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or 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 or call (800) 368-1019.