Cynthia Manuel-Shah, MA, EdM, PMH-Cshe/her

If you became a mother later in life, especially after fertility struggles, a high risk pregnancy, or a NICU stay, and now feel anxious, on edge, or unlike yourself, you're not alone. Many high achieving BIPOC women who built their lives on competence and control find motherhood destabilizing in ways no one prepared them for. This isn't a performance problem. It's an identity shift.

My work moves through three stages. First we slow down and look at what you're actually carrying, what you were taught to believe about strength and about being a 'good' mother, and where that came from. Then we look at what you want to keep and what you're ready to release, while also working with your body to process what happened during pregnancy, birth, or the NICU. From there, you rebuild trust in yourself, not the version of you from before, the one who's here now.

I treat perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, including high-risk pregnancy stress, postpartum depression and anxiety, and identity-related distress in later-in-life motherhood. Treatment may include trauma processing, nervous system regulation, and exploration of cultural and intergenerational dynamics. Clients often experience increased stability, clarity, and emotional regulation.

I bring both clinical training and lived experience to this work, and I'm PMH-C certified, with over a decade of experience helping hundreds of clients work through major transitions. Sessions are virtual and I'm an out-of-network provider who offers superbills for reimbursement. If you're ready to become the mother you actually mean to be, I welcome a consultation to see if we're a good fit.