Questions? Call or text anytime πŸ“ž 818-446-9627
πŸŒ™Sleep & Mental Health

You're exhausted, but your mind won't let you rest.

Therapists in Bellevue, Washington

"The baby finally sleeps and I lie there wide awake. I'm exhausted and I can't turn my brain off."
βœ“See a specialist this weekβœ“PMH-C Certified Therapistsβœ“Telehealth Β· see anyone from homeβœ“In-network in Washington
In network with
Premera Blue CrossUnitedHealthcareCVS HealthAetnaRegence BlueShield+9 more

No commitment. We'll confirm your coverage before your first session.

Virtual therapy for Bellevue families

You moved to Bellevue from Hyderabad, Beijing, or Seoul for your spouse's job in tech, you had a baby in a country where your mother could not be at the hospital, and you cannot tell your family back home how hard this has been. Postpartum depression and perinatal anxiety are especially common in this configuration, and especially under-addressed. Families across Downtown Bellevue, Crossroads, Somerset, and Issaquah include large South Asian and East Asian communities where mental health stigma can add a real layer of complexity to an already hard experience. Add in the demanding-career culture of the tech corridor, and the postpartum window becomes a lot harder than the polished surface suggests. Phoenix Health therapists hold PMH-C certification, the specialty credential in perinatal mental health, and see Eastside clients entirely by secure video. We welcome clients from every cultural background and provide nonjudgmental care across language and family-structure differences. We specialize in postpartum depression, perinatal anxiety, birth trauma, and pregnancy loss, and accept major Washington insurance plans. You deserve support that does not require explaining your culture before you can talk about your symptoms.

Bellevue neighborhoods: Downtown Bellevue Β· Crossroads Β· Somerset Β· Issaquah

You might benefit from therapy if…

  • βœ“You're exhausted but you can't fall asleep, even when the baby is finally down
  • βœ“Your brain won't turn off, especially at 3 a.m.
  • βœ“You're dreading bedtime because you know what's coming
  • βœ“You wake up at the slightest sound and can't get back down
  • βœ“Your sleep problems started in pregnancy or postpartum and haven't resolved
  • βœ“You're depressed or anxious and you think sleep is a big part of why
Dr. Emily Guarnotta

Dr. Emily Guarnotta

Psychologist & Founder

From our founder

Sleep is one of the most under-treated mental health interventions in postpartum care. Parents are told it's just part of having a baby, and meanwhile their depression and anxiety get worse and worse. CBT-I is one of the most effective tools we have, and it works even when the baby is still waking. That's the part most parents don't know.

What therapy looks like

The gold-standard treatment for insomnia is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), which has strong evidence and works for many people in 4 to 8 sessions, often faster than medication. Most Phoenix Health therapists hold PMH-C certification, and several have additional training in CBT-I or perinatal sleep. Early sessions usually involve a careful look at your actual sleep, your routines, your thoughts about sleep, and the baby's patterns. From there the work might include sleep restriction (a counterintuitive but powerful technique), stimulus control, addressing the catastrophic thoughts that fuel insomnia ("if I don't sleep I won't be able to function tomorrow"), and worry-time strategies for the 3 a.m. spiral. For some clients, the sleep issue is mostly insomnia. For others, it's the symptom of underlying anxiety, depression, or trauma, and the work addresses both. Most people see real change in 4 to 8 weeks. Improvement in sleep usually brings improvement in mood and anxiety alongside.

Your therapist

Most Phoenix Health therapists hold PMH-C certification β€” the gold standard in perinatal mental health.

Real clients. Real relief.

What our clients say about their experience.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

β€œ"I couldn't sleep when the baby slept. I'd lie down and my brain would race with everything I was supposed to be doing or worried about. Eight months in I was running on maybe three hours a night and starting to scare myself. My therapist and I figured out that the insomnia was a symptom and worked backward from there."”

β€” working mom, postpartum

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

β€œ"Sleep deprivation hit me harder than it hit my husband and I couldn't understand why. My therapist helped me see that I was wired for alertness from anxiety that predated the baby. We worked on the anxiety, which turned out to be what was keeping me awake, not my son."”

β€” first-time mom

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

β€œ"My baby started sleeping through the night at four months and I didn't. I'd lie awake listening for sounds that weren't there and check the monitor twelve times. My therapist helped me understand that my nervous system had been running on high alert for so long it didn't know how to come down even when it was safe to. Relearning how to rest was real work."”

β€” mom of 1

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

β€œI had been awake every night from 3 to 5 a.m. for four months. Not the baby, just me. CBT-I felt strange at first because some of the techniques are counterintuitive. Within six weeks I was sleeping again, and my anxiety dropped almost without me trying.”

β€” Liana, 5 months postpartum

Expert care.
Covered in Washington.

  • βœ“Aetna (incl. CVS Health, First Health, & Meritain)
  • βœ“BCBS (incl. Anthem, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, & state plans)
  • βœ“Cigna / Evernorth
  • βœ“United Healthcare (UHC) / Optum (incl. UBH, UMR, Surest, Oscar, & Oxford)

Most clients pay less than $20 per session.

Accepted Insurance Networks

Aetna
Blue Cross Blue Shield
UnitedHealthcare
Cigna
Anthem
+9 more

Ready to start Sleep & Mental Health therapy? Here’s how it works.

The whole process takes about 5 minutes. We handle insurance β€” you just show up.

  1. 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. 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. 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 Β· Most insurance accepted Β· Available this week

Common questions

  • Yes. CBT-I works even when sleep is fragmented by an external factor like a baby. The goal isn't to give you eight straight hours. It's to help you fall asleep faster when you have the chance, get back down after night feeds, and stop the insomnia that piles on top of the disruption the baby is already causing.
  • Pregnancy sleep disruption is very common, especially in the third trimester, due to physical discomfort, frequent urination, and hormonal changes. But true insomnia (difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep even when comfortable, with significant daytime impact) is different from typical pregnancy sleep changes and worth treating.
  • Some sleep aids are used in pregnancy and breastfeeding under medical supervision, but CBT-I is typically tried first because it works as well or better and doesn't involve medication. Your therapist can help you weigh options with a prescriber if needed.
  • Often both. Hypervigilance around the baby can fuel insomnia, and insomnia can amplify anxiety. Treating both at once tends to work better than treating one in isolation. A perinatal-trained therapist will look at both pieces.
  • Yes. Phoenix Health provides telehealth therapy to residents of Washington. Sessions are conducted via secure video from your home, office, or anywhere private β€” no commute required. All Phoenix Health therapists are licensed and authorized to practice in Washington.
  • PMH-C (Perinatal Mental Health Certification) is awarded by Postpartum Support International (PSI) to clinicians who have completed advanced training in perinatal mental health β€” covering postpartum depression, anxiety, OCD, birth trauma, and related conditions. It represents the gold standard of specialization in this field.
  • If you're struggling β€” with your mood, your thoughts, your relationship, or just how you're coping β€” 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 sleep & mental health

How to Talk to Your Partner When Sleep Deprivation Is Breaking You

Sleep deprivation in the newborn period is one of the most acutely destabilizing experiences of new parenthood. When you're past the threshold of coping and your partner doesn't see it, the conversation about what you need is critical β€” and harder than it should be.

Read article β†’

The Exhausted Mom's Guide: Understanding Postpartum Sleep Deprivation and Its Link to Depression

The arrival of a new baby is often heralded as a time of immense joy and profound love. However, alongside these beautiful emotions can come a wave of overwhelming challenges, including sleepless nights that seem to stretch into an eternity. While feeling tired is an expected part of new motherhood,…

Read article β†’

Nightmares After a Difficult Delivery? Understanding and Finding Your Path to Peaceful Sleep

The arrival of a new baby is often imagined as a time of pure joy, but what happens when the shadow of a difficult birth experience follows you into your nights? If you're finding yourself reliving distressing moments from your delivery through vivid nightmares, please know you are not alone, and wh…

Read article β†’

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.

  • Parents.com
  • Postpartum Support International
  • Healthline
  • HuffPost
  • Fatherly
  • Choosing Therapy

The sooner you start,
the sooner you'll
feel like yourself again.

You've been surviving. It's time to start healing.

No commitment Β· Covered by insurance Β· Available this week

Learning resources

πŸŒ™Read our Sleep & Mental Health guides β†’

Often goes alongside

πŸ’­Postpartum Anxiety🌧Postpartum DepressionπŸ”₯Parental Burnout