Ellie Messinger-Adams is a licensed therapist, maternal mental health specialist, and childhood development expert providing in-person therapy in North County San Diego and virtually anywhere in CA.
Feel calm, confident, and connected—at every stage of motherhood.
Let’s get to the root of what’s holding you back and heal from the inside out.
Calming Your Mom Anxiety
You’re always five steps ahead, managing everything—and still wondering if it’s enough. The mental load is nonstop, and the anxiety? Just background noise now. But it doesn’t have to be.
Here, we slow down. We bring the nervous system into the room. We make space for fear without letting it lead. Whether you’re pregnant, postpartum, or deep in toddler life, this is therapy for anxious moms who are done sprinting. You get to feel calm, think clearly, and be present—with your people and yourself.
You’ve spent your life pushing, proving, performing. You used to stay late, go the extra mile. Now you’re racing home to a version of yourself who’s not sure who she is anymore. Motherhood comes with an invisible measuring stick—and you always feel like you’re falling short.
Through a relational, client-centered approach, we’ll untangle those voices, explore where they came from—perfectionism, people-pleasing, or survival strategies that no longer serve you.
You don’t need to be perfect. You just need space to be human—and still feel like enough.
Feel Confident that You Are Enough
Reconnect with Yourself After Trauma
Maybe you don’t talk about what you’ve been through—your childhood, your birth, or the weight you carry. But you feel it. In how you freeze when your child cries. In the grief at work. In the moments you barely recognize yourself.
Sometimes it starts even earlier—when imagining motherhood brings up what you haven’t had space to process.
Whether you’re planning, pregnant, or parenting, we’ll gently explore the stuck places and offer what they’ve always needed: compassion, safety, and a path forward—so you can step into motherhood feeling grounded and whole.
"I thought I was
broken—
motherhood made that feeling
even stronger."
Sound familiar? Therapy can help you build the confidence to reach out, ask for help, and start creating the kind of support you’ve always needed.
Client-Centered
Your experience is unique. Whether you’re navigating motherhood, processing your childhood, or somewhere in between, we’ll find a pace and approach that fits you—not a one-size-fits-all plan.
Somatic
Anxiety lives in the body and mind. We’ll use somatic tools to notice what’s happening inside, release tension, and help you feel more grounded day to day.
Attachment-Based Play Therapy
If you feel disconnected from your child—or want to deepen your bond—we can use play-based sessions to support co-regulation, repair, and closeness. It’s not about perfection—it’s about reconnection.
Brainspotting
When talk isn’t enough, Brainspotting helps process trauma stored deep in the nervous system. It’s especially useful for birth trauma, childhood wounds, and unnamed pain that still lingers.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
You might have parts that feel at odds: the achiever, the pleaser, the critic, the one who’s exhausted. Together, we’ll make space for all of them—so you can build more self-trust and inner calm.
Practical Parenting Support
Motherhood has no manual. Whether you’re caring for a baby, facing tantrums, or feeling distant from an older child, I offer real-world guidance to help you feel more confident and connected.