Welcome! I’m so glad you’re here. I am a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and Certified Perinatal Mental Health provider serving clients in-person in Lodi, CA and virtually throughout the state of California. I offer counseling services to individuals in the perinatal and postpartum periods who are struggling with depression, anxiety, grief/loss, birth trauma, and the process of adjusting to life as a parent. Parenting is HARD and I am here to be a source of support as you navigate this journey. Therapy is a space where we will focus on helping you feel empowered and more balanced in this role that often feels all-consuming.

Michelle Nelson
MS, LMFT, PMH-C

Building our relationship in therapy is my biggest priority. This will help you feel safe as we explore and address the challenges you’re experiencing. My style is informal, collaborative, and client-centered. I like to maintain a balance of helping you feel supported, while also challenging you to grow and reach your goals. This means making sure you feel heard and validated, and giving feedback about patterns and themes showing up in our work together. We will identify your strengths and use these to develop strategies to address your concerns. I will encourage exploration of the relationships and experiences in your history that may be contributing to current challenges, while also maintaining a focus on how to address issues in the present. We will work to identify how social, environmental, and physical factors may be playing a role in your functioning to maintain a holistic view of your concerns.

My Approach to Therapy

Therapeutic Modalities

I use a combination of theoretical approaches and interventions that are individualized for each client. This includes Brainspotting, mindfulness, self-compassion, attachment-based/relational therapy, motivational interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), family systems perspective, and psychodynamic theory. I maintain a trauma-informed lens with all clients that continuously considers the impact of any traumatic events that have been experienced.

Contact me

Follow along:
@with_mama_in_mind

Are you shoulding all over yourself? This is SO common in motherhood. You’re constantly navigating unfamiliar challenges and trying to make the ALL of the decisions to be the best mom you can be. It’s important to check in with these th
Helping your child regulate when you are feeling dysregulated yourself is HARD WORK. Checking in with your self-talk can be an important step in this process. Start by checking in with what’s happening for you physically (I.e. activation, ten
📢 Now offering: IN-PERSON therapy services! I am so excited to announce that I recently moved into an office space near downtown Lodi and can now offer in-person therapy services in addition to the virtual option. I know that many clients prefer to
If there was one predominant theme in my client sessions over the past few weeks, this was it! This season is ROUGH and can feel relentless, for parents especially 🤒 Take care of yourselves and check in with your emotions along the way 🫶🏼 #mater
Happy holidays from Michelle Nelson Counseling! Wishing you lots of mindful presence, proactive self-care, healthy boundary-setting, and moments of connection with your family this season 🎄
It can be tempting to fa-la-la-la fall into the trap of attempting to defend or justify your choices about sleep, feeding, behavior management, role sharing, etc. But usually, this ends up draining your energy and can increase feelings of frustrati
When I meet with a new client, I want to learn about these elements of their self-care because they can have a significant impact on PMAD symptoms AND often feel difficult to prioritize during postpartum and the toddler years. For areas that are negl
What kind of break do you need today? #postpartummentalhealth #maternalmentalhealth #break #selfcare #ppa #ppd #overstimulation
Looking back on times when you persisted through hard moments can help you feel more confident in your ability to get through the difficult thing that’s right in front of you. Parenting is full of firsts, and you’ve likely already overcom
Maternal Wellness Fair 2023🌻
What a night! The Maternal Wellness Fair was such a success 💗 It was an honor to share space with all of these wonderful women who support our local perinatal community. Thank you to all who joined us!! And a big thank you to @gingerbugslodi for h