Prenatal and postpartum therapists & psychiatrists in San Diego, CA

I am passionate of all things mental health! I enjoy working in crisis situations, and supporting individuals going through the ups and lows of life. My goal is to sprinkle confidence and joy into life

I provide compassionate, evidence-based mental health care in a safe, judgment-free space.

I work with adults who want to better understand themselves, strengthen emotional resilience, and create meaningful, lasting change. My style is warm, collaborative, and empowering — I believe you are the expert on your own life.

As a graduate of the University of Southern California, my training emphasized both clinical excellence and authentic human connection. I integrate CBT and DBT-informed approaches to help clients develop practical skills for managing emotions, navigating relationships, setting healthy boundaries, and shifting unhelpful thought patterns.

I was drawn to this work because I’ve seen how powerful self-awareness and skill-building can be in transforming not only how we cope, but how we experience ourselves and our relationships. I understand that seeking therapy can feel vulnerable, and I strive to create a grounded, supportive space where you feel truly seen — while also gently challenged to grow in ways that build confidence, clarity, and lasting self-trust.

Hola, Soy Christina Zapata, mi pronombre es ella. Hello, I'm Christina Zapata, my pronouns are she and her. I am bilingual (English/Spanish), bi-and pan cultural. My professional training is in clinical social work. I started out in depth-oriented psychotherapy in 2012, moved to family work with foster and adoptive families in the middle part of my career and have returned to psychodynamic, systems-oriented psychotherapy with individuals and families since 2017. I have experience working with Transgender individuals, those in current or former relationships where intimate partner violence is present, foster and adopted youth, and Spanish speaking political and economic refugees and immigrants. I am trained in EMDR. I have undertaken a three year grief training to help people stay connected to, sit with and move through pain. More recently, I am adding to my practice work around supporting individuals who are experiencing stress and confusion in their workplace.

Whether you are struggling with depression, low self-esteem, anxiety, building intimacy in relationships, responding to emotions, or the stress of being human, it is key to know that you are not alone. I offer a safe and comfortable space to explore these struggles.

Many people come to therapy carrying pain that is difficult to put into words. You may understand why you're struggling, yet still find yourself repeating the same patterns, feeling stuck in painful relationships, grieving losses, or wondering why lasting change feels out of reach. I work with adults experiencing anxiety, depression, grief and loss, relationship difficulties, infertility, trauma, stress, family concerns, maternal mental health challenges, and life transitions. Many of my clients are thoughtful, insightful people who want more than temporary relief, they want to understand themselves more deeply and create meaningful, lasting change. Together, we'll explore the experiences, relationships, and emotional patterns that have shaped your life while building greater self-awareness and self-compassion. My goal is to help you gain clarity, strengthen your relationships, and create a life that feels more connected, purposeful, and authentic.

I work with adults and parents who often feel like they’re managing a lot on the outside while internally feeling stuck in patterns that repeat across relationships, self-doubt, or emotional reactions. Many clients come in noticing that parenting, stress, or relationship dynamics bring up responses that feel bigger than the situation and are hard to make sense of. In our work, we start with what’s happening in your current life and then connect those experiences to earlier patterns so you can understand them in context rather than feel overwhelmed by them.

I work with women of color who are tired of always being the strong one. If you’re carrying old wounds that still feel fresh, stuck in patterns that don’t even feel like yours, or wondering when it’s finally your turn to be cared for; I’m here for that. You won’t have to code-switch with me. Let’s set down the masks you wear just to move through the day.

In this space, you get to be fully seen--the soft parts, the angry parts, the parts you’ve hidden just to keep the peace. All of you is welcome here. Together, we’ll make room for the messy, the painful, and the hopeful parts of your story, at a pace that feels right for you. Healing doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to start with a space where you’re safe to be real.