Pregnancy, Prenatal, Postpartum Therapists in Austin, TX

There are times in life when you may find yourself panicking, full of rage or tearful, not knowing why you are experiencing these difficult emotions. Big life events such as relationship endings and beginnings, pregnancy , experiencing losses and becoming a parent, are times that can bring about many different feelings. You might be wondering how you can get through anxiety, depression, or conflict with loved ones. Negative thoughts can make the past, present and future a scary place. I want you to know, there is nothing wrong with you.

Accepting New Clients! Open Heart Counseling of Austin PLLC (OHCA) is a group practice founded by Lacey Castilleja Fisher. Lacey wanted to create a practice that is all inclusive so the community can have a safe space to come and share their stories as they find healing after they have experienced trauma. Survivors of trauma often feel worried that they cannot share their experiences with others because it is too difficult to hear. Our therapists are able to sit with you to hear your story as many times as you need to tell it. When you are ready, we are here to hold hope for you as you begin your healing journey.

I believe all of us have to nurture our emotional health. Everyone goes through challenging life situations, and while you may have successfully navigated through other life challenges you've faced, sometimes we need extra support.

Life is beautiful and life is also difficult. I support people who are experiencing perinatal mood disorders; processing a traumatic birth, pregnancy loss, and infant loss; and infertility. My clients are diverse in race and ethnicity, spiritual practices, and socioeconomic levels.

Being a parent is hard and you don’t have to do it alone! The journey of pregnancy through motherhood can be joyous, overwhelming, fun and draining; it is emotionally and physically exhausting and everyone needs help or support at times. Are you experiencing infertility, pregnancy loss or complications, a NICU stay, or postpartum mood and anxiety disorders? Focusing on your own needs and healing for a short time each week can help improve your ability to care for yourself, your children and family.

The focus for my practice is reproductive counseling. I help clients facing struggles with infertility, pregnancy and infant loss, and perinatal mood disorders. I work to form a strong relationship with clients to help them understand the many transitions and some loss that accompanies new parenthood or expanding families. I also see clients who have moved on from having children and are now facing the changes that come with peri-menopausal syndrome and menopause. My approach to this work is through a relational approach with some cognitive behavioral and mindfulness strategies.

Welcome to my practice! I work with a wide range of client concerns including depression, anxiety, self esteem, life transitions, grief, relationship concerns and identity development. I have specialized training in reproductive psychology on issues including pregnancy , postpartum , fertility, and pregnancy /infant loss. I work to foster a safe and non-judgmental environment where my clients can feel heard and understood. I am sensitive to diversity and treat my clients as individuals based on the uniqueness of their experiences. I believe self-awareness is essential to change and I encourage this process through emotional exploration and behavioral and relational awareness.

Sometimes anxiety, stress, pain and uncomfortable feelings run our lives. My passion lies in helping you to find freedom and movement from these uncomfortable feelings rather than stagnation and suffering. Together, we will explore how you respond to uncomfortable feelings and find healthier, more productive and more genuine ways of responding that fit with your values and move you closer to your full potential in all areas of your life.

Are you struggling? My job as a therapist is to listen and provide feedback and tools that can help clients cope with life's challenges in a healthier way. I also work collaboratively with clients to identify and adapt unhealthy thinking patterns and behaviors. I strongly believe things can improve no matter what your circumstances or mental health diagnosis. No one should have to suffer alone or in silence.

The experience of pregnancy and postpartum is as unique and complex as the individual. Yet, we so often see only a singular narrative: that of a joyous, blissful mother. As we work together, I hope to create a warm and welcoming environment that allows you to shed your preconceived notions of parenthood and to come to know your own story. I draw from a background working with families in the profoundly intimate space of the first few days postpartum , and my training as a full-spectrum doula. I have come to understand the inherent vulnerability of postpartum and the complex and varied experiences of new families.

You knew having a baby was going to change your life, but this is way more adjustment than you had expected. You feel like you can’t do anything you want to do anymore; every minute revolves around the baby. Even going back to work is up in the air because paying for the baby to go to daycare costs so much. Life used to be engaging and interesting and now you are just trying to make it from feeding to feeding with barely time to think about anything captivating. The days are running together and this is just not how it was supposed to be.

Reaching out to begin counseling takes strength, courage and vulnerability. It represents a desire for understanding and a hope for change to take place. As a counselor, I work with adolescents, adults and couples. I hope to enrich the lives of the clients that I serve by working alongside each individual while offering guidance, support and empathy. My goal is to help my clients figure out how to use their unique strengths to work through a challenging time in their lives by developing new coping skills to deal with previous roadblocks.

Often it can feel like everyone is doing better than you are. You may be looking around, comparing yourself to others and wonder, “Why am I not as happy as everyone else? What am I doing wrong? Is there someone to blame? Am I to blame? Am I not good enough? Is my body broken, my mind, or my heart?” By engaging in therapy, my intention is to align with you and co-create a space where you can feel safe to be curious about who you are and make changes to become fully and authentically you.

***NOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS*** As a recovering perfectionist and people pleaser, I often work with women who struggle with the same things. These tendencies can be so helpful in life, but they can also get in the way of how you truly want to live your life. The clients I see often have difficulty with boundaries, experience a lot of self-doubt and uncertainty, and feel disconnected from their true authentic selves. Rather than giving my clients answers, I help guide them to discover the truth and courage that lies within them, but is often covered up by their own adaptations to life and trauma.

Are you a new mom, dad, or partner, struggling with anxiety/depression or scary thoughts? Perhaps you have just been given a new health diagnosis and are struggling to come to terms with it? Or maybe you are a caregiver of someone who is sick or dying. My clients are looking for a deeply compassionate person to help them learn new ways to cope with life's big curveballs.

Deciding to speak to a therapist is a step in the direction of health - mental, emotional, and sometimes physical. My clients usually come to me after they have tried all they can think of - I feel honored to be their next step and honor the steps they've already taken. Whether a client's concerns pertain to parenting or becoming a parent, perinatal mental health, life transitions, ADHD, or general mental health, I enjoy working together with my clients to determine the best next steps for them.

I am a doctoral-level psychologist specializing in trauma resolution, attachment-related issues, relationship problems, and postpartum mood disorders. I facilitate healing by helping people connect deeply to themselves and others. People tend to seek me out when they feel stuck with their suffering and difficult feelings, and I imagine this is the case with you too. You've tried lots of things to move forward from the residuals of disappointing relationships, traumas, or depression and anxiety, but it isn't happening. Relief has been only temporary at best.

I enjoy and have experience working with a variety of issues and populations. I specialize in working with emerging and young adults navigating through anxiety, depression, life transitions, family of origin issues, identity exploration, and healing from trauma. I am also passionate about working with clients experiencing issues in pregnancy , postpartum , and parenting. I am LGBTQIA affirming, trauma-informed, diversity aware, and inclusive. In our collaborative work together, you will find a compassionate, open-minded, honest and intentional therapist.

"ITS OKAY TO BE SCARED, BEING SCARED MEANS YOU'RE ABOUT TO DO SOMETHING REALLY, REALLY BRAVE." Mandy Hale. Sometimes people struggle with the idea of going to see a therapist and finding the one that is right for them. Having rapport with your counselor is the most important thing. Once there is rapport with your counselor, the conversations will not feel forced/coerced ...you get to be in the present and work on why you came to therapy to begin with. Each person is unique, so I will use a variety of techniques to meet your presenting issue.