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WORK WITH CYNTHIA

Perinatal therapy for the season you are actually in.

Stop performing.

Let's get real with where you are at and how things really are.

You’ve spent your whole life exceeding expectations.

 

Outperforming.

 

Over-delivering.

 

Being the one everyone counts on — at work, at home, in your family.

And then you became a mom.

 

Not just any mom. A mom later in life, after building an entire identity around being excellent at everything you do.

 

And now that same woman — the one who always had a plan — is up at 2am wondering why she can’t make this feel manageable and feeling strapped for sleep.

You don’t need to be fixed.

 

You need a space to land, and hold you while you recalibrate.

That’s what this is.

What therapy will look like

  • I offer 1:1 virtual therapy for high-achieving mothers across California.

  • Sessions are 60 minutes. We meet weekly or biweekly over secure video. You can show up from home, from your car, from your office with the door closed — wherever your day already has you.

  • This is not the kind of therapy where I hand you a worksheet and send you on your way.

  • This is not just coping skills.

  • This is work is deep.

  • We go beneath the surface — into the beliefs, the conditioning, the cultural scripts that are keeping you stuck in push-through mode.

  • We take notice of where you actually are, clear out what’s no longer serving you, check in with your real capacity, and build you up for the season you’re in.

  • You’re a woman who has handled plenty of hard things. But mothering? New lane, new skills, and another human is involved (your child).

  • We’re just going to make sure you can do it sustainably — with safety in your body and support around you.

  • Together we move through what I would like to name as  Heal. Calibrate. Integrate. — a process built for women who are ready to stop performing strength and start coming home to themselves so they can be present with the miracle they created.

Image by Ron McClenny

The details...

Format

1:1 virtual therapy via secure video

 

Session length

60 minutes

Frequency

Weekly or biweekly

Investment

$250 per session

 

Insurance

I am an out-of-network provider. I provide a superbill you can submit for potential reimbursement.

 

Location

I see clients throughout California via telehealth.

Take the next step

1. Book a free consultation

This is a 15-minute call — just you and me. You tell me what’s going on. I listen. We see if it feels right. No pressure, no sales pitch.

2. We schedule your first session

If it’s a good fit, we get your first full session on the calendar and I send you some simple intake paperwork.

3. You show up

We slow down. And we start building the emotional, internal, and yes external support you’ve been doing ALL of this without.

Image by Jei Lee

FAQ

What happens on the free consultation call?

It is a 15-minute conversation. I ask what brought you to therapy and what you are hoping for. You can ask me anything. By the end, we both have a sense of whether this is the right fit.

Can I use my insurance?

I am out-of-network, meaning I do not bill insurance directly. I provide a superbill — a receipt you can submit to your insurance for potential reimbursement. Many PPO plans offer partial reimbursement.

Is virtual therapy effective for postpartum support?

Yes. Research supports virtual therapy for perinatal mental health. For many mothers, virtual sessions are more accessible — no commute, no childcare logistics, and the ability to attend from wherever feels comfortable.

What if I need to cancel?

I ask for 24 hours notice. Life with a baby is unpredictable, and I understand that.

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Cynthia Manuel-Shah, LMFT, PMHC

Perinatal Mental Health Therapist 

For the Older Millennial Mom with a little at home

Virtual therapy  |  San Francisco Bay Area and California

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© 2026  Cynthia Manuel-Shah, LMFT #79289.    All rights reserved.            

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