Virtual therapy for Californians navigating the weight of parenthood, anxiety, life transitions, and the quiet struggles that don't always have a name.
"Therapy for mothers who've had a tough start to motherhood." Clea Barahona, LMFT, PMH-C · California
About
I'm a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a Perinatal Mental Health Certified clinician based in California. I offer virtual therapy to adults throughout the state.
My work is rooted in the belief that you already have within you what you need — sometimes you just need support finding your way back to it. I help people feel more capable and confident in their ability to handle what life is asking of them.
Whether you're in the thick of fertility treatments, adjusting to a new baby, or just feeling like the weight of everything has become a little too much — you deserve a space where you don't have to explain yourself to be understood.
Specialties
Every person who comes to therapy arrives with something real. Here are some of the areas I work in — though your experience doesn't need to fit neatly into a category to belong here.
Support for the full spectrum of the perinatal period — from the hope and heartbreak of fertility struggles, through pregnancy, and into the postpartum months and beyond. I bring both my training as a PMH-C and my own lived experience as an IVF and NICU mom to this work. You shouldn't have to feel this way alone.
Grief that the world often doesn't acknowledge. The exhaustion of treatment, the isolation of loss, the uncertainty of what comes next. Here, you won't have to explain what a 2WW is or what PIO shots feel like — I already know. This is a space where all of it is welcome.
Postpartum depression, anxiety, and the identity shift that comes with becoming a mother — which can be a lot more than anyone warned you about. And when you layer in trauma — from infertility, loss, a difficult birth, or a NICU stay — everything gets more intense, more confusing, and harder to make sense of. Whatever early motherhood looks like for you, you don't have to white-knuckle it.
The worry that won't quiet down. The low that's been hanging around longer than it should. The feeling that you're functioning, but hanging by a thread. You don't have to keep pushing through alone — therapy can help you actually understand what's going on and start to feel like yourself again.
New roles, relationship shifts, career changes, loss — sometimes life piles it all on at once and you're just trying to keep up. The goal isn't to eliminate stress — life will always bring chaos. It's about building enough steadiness inside yourself that you can actually find joy in the middle of it, not just survive it.
In-laws, people pleasing, knowing what your boundaries are but struggling to actually hold them. Trying to be a good daughter while also taking care of yourself. Feeling like having kids has shifted something in your closest relationships and you're not sure how to navigate it. Individual therapy is a really useful place to untangle all of that — to understand your patterns and start showing up in your relationships in a way that actually feels like you.
My Approach
I don't believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to therapy. Every person I work with is navigating something uniquely their own, and my role is to meet you exactly where you are.
I draw heavily from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and integrate tools from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, humanistic approaches, narrative therapy, and nervous system regulation and mindfulness — weaving together what is most useful for you, not what fits a single model.
My goal is for you to leave our work together feeling more capable — not dependent on therapy, but genuinely more equipped to trust yourself and manage what comes your way.
You are the expert on your own life. I'm here to help you hear yourself more clearly, not to hand you a script.
Understanding why we feel and act the way we do sets the foundation — but insight alone isn't enough.
We use that insight to inform committed action. Something has to actually change — and together we figure out what that looks like in your real, daily life.
I'll be honest with you, in a caring way. Gentle, but not passive. I'll crack a joke, be sarcastic, and I encourage you to do the same — even the heaviest stuff doesn't have to feel heavy every single minute.
Getting Started
Fill out the contact form below. I'll get back to you within 1–2 business days to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation.
The consultation is a low-pressure conversation — a chance to share a bit about what's bringing you in and ask me anything you'd like. No commitment required.
If we're a good fit, we'll schedule your first full session. All sessions are held virtually, so you can meet with me from wherever feels comfortable.
Fees & Insurance
All new clients start with a free 15-minute consultation, held virtually or by phone. It's a low-pressure conversation — no commitment, just a chance to connect and see if we're a good fit.
Sessions are 50 minutes and the fee is $200 per session. I am private pay and do not bill insurance directly.
I can provide a superbill — a detailed receipt you can submit to your insurance provider for potential reimbursement. Not all plans cover out-of-network therapy, and reimbursement amounts vary, but it's always worth checking with your provider.
Life happens — I get it. Cancellations made more than 24 hours before a scheduled session are free of charge. Cancellations within 24 hours of the session time are charged the full session fee.
Contact
Reaching out is often the hardest part — so if you're here, that already took something. Send me a message and I'll be in touch within 1–2 business days.
All sessions are held virtually via a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform. You just need a private space and a decent wifi connection.
Virtual — serving all of California
cleabarahonalmft@gmail.com
Within 1–2 business days