What happened to you shapes how you parent. That's not a flaw — it's a place to start.
Therapists in Oakland, California
"I swore I'd be different from my parents. Then I heard myself say the exact same thing they said to me."
+9 moreNo commitment. We'll confirm your coverage before your first session.
Virtual therapy for Oakland families
You grew up being told to be strong, and now you're six weeks postpartum and barely sleeping, and the strong-Black-mother story is not leaving room for what you're actually feeling. Oakland parents describe this tension constantly. Postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety do not yield to willpower or to the right community. Across Temescal, Rockridge, Fruitvale, Lake Merritt, and Grand Lake, the families we see are dealing with displacement pressure, rising costs, and support networks that have been disrupted by years of neighborhood change. Birth trauma is also more common than parents realize, especially after a difficult or unexpected delivery, and is rarely addressed in standard postpartum check-ins. Phoenix Health therapists hold PMH-C certification, the specialty credential in perinatal mental health, and see Oakland clients entirely by secure video. Our care is explicitly affirming across race, culture, family structure, and identity. There is no commute, no childcare puzzle, no waiting room. Reaching out is a sign of clarity, not failure.
Oakland neighborhoods: Temescal · Rockridge · Fruitvale · Lake Merritt · Grand Lake
You might benefit from therapy if…
- ✓You hear yourself say or do something your parent did and it stops you cold
- ✓You're reactive in ways with your child that don't feel like the parent you want to be
- ✓Your own childhood had abuse, neglect, addiction, mental illness, or chronic instability, and it's showing up now
- ✓You feel triggered by specific developmental stages or behaviors in your child
- ✓You're afraid of repeating what was done to you, and the fear itself is interfering
- ✓You haven't done much therapy on your past and parenting is making it impossible to ignore
Dr. Emily Guarnotta
Psychologist & Founder
From our founder
Becoming a parent is one of the most common reasons people finally do their childhood work. The patterns that ran your adult life quietly start showing up in ways you can't ignore once a small human is depending on you. The work to change them is meaningful for you, and it ripples forward into your child's life in ways you may never fully see.
What therapy looks like
Our Childhood Trauma & Parenting specialists in Oakland, California
Most Phoenix Health therapists hold PMH-C certification — the gold standard in perinatal mental health.
Analisa Velasco-Lopez
EspañolLCSW · Licensed therapist
A toddler mom herself, she helps parents heal from difficult births.
Licensed in CA
%20(1).png)
Natalia Cruz Navarro
EspañolLCSW · Licensed therapist
12+ years with families through high-risk pregnancies, fetal diagnoses, and NICU stays.
Licensed in CA
Nadine Mejia
LCSW, PMH-C · Licensed therapist
A former Army Medic and a mother herself. She also supports Veterans and their families.
Licensed in CA, SC, FL
Sailys Concepcion
EspañolLMHC, LPC, LPCC, PMH-C · Licensed therapist
Born in Cuba, raised in the U.S. She works on the role changes and identity shifts of new parenthood.
Licensed in CA, LA, WA, AZ, GA, FL
Real clients. Real relief.
What our clients say about their experience.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“"My parents weren't abusive in the ways people recognize. It was more that I never felt safe or seen as a child. Becoming a parent cracked something open in me about what that had cost me. My therapist helped me grieve the childhood I needed and didn't have, which turned out to be what let me give my son a different one."”
— parent healing
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“"I swore I would parent differently than I was parented. And I was, mostly, until I was exhausted enough that the old patterns came out. That terrified me more than anything. My therapist helped me understand the difference between breaking a pattern and never having it, and gave me tools to interrupt it before it lands."”
— mom of 2
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“"I knew I'd had a hard childhood. What I didn't know was that having my son would bring all of it back at volume. A specific tone of voice would set me off. A moment of frustration would spiral into shame I recognized from being small. My therapist helped me understand what was being triggered and gave me tools so my son doesn't have to live inside my history."”
— mom of 1
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I had done therapy years ago and thought I was fine. My son turned three and I started reacting to him in ways I hated. My therapist helped me see what age I was when my own stuff started, and we worked there. Now I can stay present with my son even when he's pushing every old button I have.”
— Hayley, mom of one
Expert care.
Covered in California.
- ✓Aetna (incl. CVS Health, First Health, & Meritain)
- ✓BCBS (incl. Anthem, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, & state plans)
- ✓Cigna / Evernorth
- ✓United Healthcare (UHC) / Optum (incl. UBH, UMR, Surest, Oscar, & Oxford)
- ✓Magellan Healthcare
Most clients pay less than $20 per session.
Accepted Insurance Networks
Ready to start Childhood Trauma & Parenting therapy? Here’s how it works.
The whole process takes about 5 minutes. We handle insurance — you just show up.
- 1
Book your free call
A quick 15-minute chat to hear what you're going through, answer your questions, and make sure we're a great fit for your needs. No cost, no commitment.
- 2
Get matched
We'll pair you with the right specialist for your specific situation. We'll also check your insurance, so you know your exact cost per session before moving forward.
- 3
Start your first session
Meet your therapist from the comfort of home. No commute, no waiting rooms, no judgment. Most clients notice a real difference within just 2 to 3 sessions.
No commitment · Most insurance accepted · Available this week
Common questions
- Yes. Trauma is not only about specific events. Chronic emotional neglect, inconsistent caregiving, parental mental illness, or growing up in a high-stress household can leave deep imprints. Many clients arrive convinced their childhood "wasn't that bad" and then discover, in the consulting room, how much of their adult life is shaped by it.
- Not necessarily. The work is about understanding what happened and how it shows up now, not about prescribing what your relationship should look like today. Some clients change boundaries with family, some don't. That's your call, made with much more clarity than you have now.
- Yes, and the fact that you're even asking the question is a strong protective factor. Parents who actively work on their own patterns are dramatically less likely to repeat them. This is exactly the kind of work that breaks cycles.
- Becoming a parent activates a lot of early material. Old attachment patterns, fears around vulnerability, identification with or fear of becoming your own parent, and body memories around caregiving all surface. Many people who never had clear trauma symptoms find they emerge in postpartum, sometimes for the first time.
- Yes. Phoenix Health provides telehealth therapy to residents of California. Sessions are conducted via secure video from your home, office, or anywhere private — no commute required. All Phoenix Health therapists are licensed and authorized to practice in California.
- PMH-C (Perinatal Mental Health Certification) is awarded by Postpartum Support International (PSI) to clinicians who have completed advanced training in perinatal mental health — covering postpartum depression, anxiety, OCD, birth trauma, and related conditions. It represents the gold standard of specialization in this field.
- If you're struggling — with your mood, your thoughts, your relationship, or just how you're coping — that's enough of a reason to talk to someone. You don't need a diagnosis. A free consultation is a low-commitment first step.
From the Phoenix Health resource center
Articles and guides about childhood trauma & parenting
Trusted by leading voices in parenting and mental health
OBs, doulas, and pediatricians refer their patients to us because we specialize in maternal mental health.
The sooner you start,
the sooner you'll
feel like yourself again.
You've been surviving. It's time to start healing.
No commitment · Covered by insurance · Available this week
Learning resources
🌳Read our Childhood Trauma & Parenting guides →Often goes alongside