Prenatal and postpartum therapists & psychiatrists in La Mesa, CA

When life feels heavier than it should—when your relationship is strained, the path to parenthood feels painful, parenting feels overwhelming, divorce leaves you untethered, or success at work still leaves you feeling stuck—you don’t have to sort through it alone. In addition to working with couples and individuals, I work with startup founders/executives/corporate professionals to drive better outcomes in their professional and personal lives. I offer a warm, collaborative space to help you heal, grow, and create meaningful change. I also support women who are going through infertility.

I'm Holly, a board-certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with 23 years of clinical experience in psychiatric care and maternal-child health. This dual background has shaped how I see mental health: not as something separate from the rest of your life, but deeply woven into every transition, relationship, and challenge you face. My work taught me that women's mental health—especially during pregnancy, postpartum, and hormonal transitions—requires specialized understanding and individualized care.

I provide comprehensive psychiatric treatment for adults across a broad spectrum of conditions: perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, OCD, PTSD and trauma-related disorders, personality disorders, depression, anxiety, panic disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia spectrum conditions. I have particular expertise in women's mental health throughout the reproductive years, though I welcome anyone seeking compassionate, evidence-based care.

My approach is straightforward: effective treatment should fit your real life. I combine psychiatric interventions—including medication management when appropriate—with practical therapeutic strategies and lifestyle modifications that actually work for you. I'll help you understand what's happening, why it's happening, and what options make sense for your unique situation.

What matters most to me is seeing you as a whole person—not just a diagnosis. You have strengths, values, relationships, and goals that deserve attention alongside your symptoms. Whether you're managing a long-standing condition, processing trauma, navigating major life changes, or simply seeking better balance, you deserve a provider who recognizes your potential and partners with you toward sustainable wellness.

You may be feeling anxious, low, overwhelmed, or emotionally stuck - functioning on the outside while struggling internally. I work with children, adolescents, and adults dealing with depression, anxiety, PTSD, day to day stressors or the effects of past or ongoing stress and trauma. Many clients are thoughtful and capable but feel on edge, emotionally shut down, reactive, or unsure why things feel so hard. Parents often seek support when their child is struggling with big emotions, anxiety, mood changes, or behavior that feels confusing or concerning. Clients want relief, clarity, and to feel more steady and in control again.

I have over 12 years working with children, teens, and adults in the mental healthcare space. I have worked in numerous areas including community clinics, foster care, court systems, residential facilities, and more. I am licensed in both CA and TX and hold many certifications for therapy models.

My wide scope of practice supports children, adolescents, and adults with trauma and PTSD, anxiety, depression, and stress-related concerns. I also help clients manage everyday overwhelm, emotional reactivity, and burnout—not just major diagnoses. I work with individuals, couples, and families navigating grief, anger, relationship conflict, life transitions, and behavioral or emotional challenges.

I am a dedicated mental health professional who supports children and adults through life’s challenges. I currently provide individual therapy only and do not offer couples counseling. My background in behavioral health and social services, along with hands-on community experience, has shaped my practical, compassionate, and solution-focused approach.

I have worked with individuals involved in the justice system, people living with serious mental illness, children in foster care, and families navigating behavioral or developmental concerns. My experience includes case management, crisis support, employment readiness, behavioral coaching, and coordinating care with medical providers, mental health facilities, and community programs to ensure consistent, long-term support.

I help clients facing depression, anxiety, trauma, life transitions, behavioral challenges in children and teens, parenting and co-parenting concerns, and reintegration after legal involvement. My approach is strengths-based, trauma-informed, and client-centered. I believe everyone has resilience and the ability to grow with the right support.

My style is warm, honest, and structured. I value accountability while always leading with empathy and respect. I focus on building coping skills, improving communication, setting clear goals, and developing practical strategies that support emotional balance and independence.

There's a version of getting through life that looks completely fine from the outside and feels exhausting on the inside. I work with teens, young adults, and adults who are carrying more than it shows: anxiety, the aftereffects of trauma, major life transitions, or relationship patterns that keep repeating in ways that are hard to explain. I have a particular focus on trauma and attachment wounds and work with many clients who've spent years managing symptoms without ever addressing what's underneath them. My practice is warm and genuinely collaborative. I'll show up as a real partner in your growth, not a distant presence behind a notepad.