Vanessa
therapist + coach for moms of color
For the mom stuck in survival mode who’s stretched so thin she barely feels like herself
You want more than to just “get through the day.”
You want mornings that don’t start with yelling before school drop-off. Afternoons that don’t leave you foggy at your desk or snapping at your kids in the carpool line. Evenings that don’t end with you too wiped out for conversation, intimacy, or even a moment of quiet to yourself.
You want to feel steady in your body, clear in your mind, and present with the people you love.
Most of all? You want to feel like you again... energized, joyful, and rooted in both motherhood and womanhood, with your health no longer slipping through the cracks.
a peak into my sovereign selfhood
Slow mornings, time in nature, good lo-fi playlist, reading, working with my hands, and dancing.
...why it feels so hard just to make it through the day, you’re not imagining it.
It’s not that you’re lazy, ungrateful, or doing something wrong. It’s that motherhood in this culture was never designed to support your body or your becoming.
You were sent home after birth without real recovery care. You were told to “just push through” exhaustion, hormones, and depletion. You were praised for overfunctioning, while your health quietly paid the price.
So of course you’re tired. Of course you snap at the people you love. Of course you feel guilty for letting the laundry pile up or forgetting the school form again. Of course you’re too wiped at the end of the day for intimacy or even a real conversation.
It makes sense because you’re depleted, disembodied, and dysregulated. And the truth is, no amount of morning routine hacks or mindset tricks can fix that.
But with the right kind of support, you can rebuild, reconnect, and reclaim the version of you who has energy left at the end of the day, steadiness in her body, and space for joy again.
you're in the right place
if you've wondered...
I've been there too
In year two of motherhood, I was stuck in survival mode.
I was 30 pounds heavier, constantly snapping, and overwhelmed. On the outside, I looked “fine”… but inside, I was exhausted, bracing through every day, and completely disconnected from myself. More than once, my husband found me doubled over crying on the kitchen floor in total burnout.
That’s what survival mode does. It runs you ragged, erodes your health, and convinces you this is just what motherhood has to be.
I’m not saying I’ve “arrived.” I’m still human, still a mom, still living inside the same culture as you. But I’m not where I used to be.
My body no longer feels like it’s running on empty. My days have more softness — like dancing with my son in the kitchen or spending quiet mornings outside. I feel more present, more rooted, and more myself.
And that’s what I want for you: not perfection, but the steadiness and energy to live motherhood and womanhood on your own terms.
I’m Vanessa Leveille — a mom, licensed therapist, Matrescence coach, and founder of Matrescence in Color.
Phase 1: Replete
If your body is drained, nothing else works. That’s why we start here. We refill what’s been lost — nutrition, sleep, movement, hydration, and rest — so your system stops running on depletion and finally has reserves again.
The shift: your energy steadies, sleep improves, and your body starts to feel like it’s on your side again.
Phase 2: Regulate
A depleted body keeps your nervous system braced in survival mode, which makes you reactive instead of present. With replenishment in place, we expand your capacity with somatic tools, stress-pattern rewiring, and nervous system care.
The shift: you feel calmer, less snappy, and more able to handle stress without crashing.
Phase 3: Reclaim
Once your body and nervous system are resourced, you’re finally able to do the deeper identity work — without it feeling like one more demand. Here, we untangle societal conditioning, rewrite old patterns, and root you in joy, sovereignty, and selfhood beyond “just Mom.”
The shift: you feel like yourself again — grounded, confident, and free to live motherhood and womanhood on your terms.
The body-led motherhood framework
ways to work with me
Survival mode isn’t something you can mindset your way out of. To truly heal, you need to restore your body first, calm your nervous system, and reconnect with who you are.
That’s why my Body-Led Motherhood framework moves you through three phases — gently, deeply, and sustainably — so you can stop bracing and start living.
She helped me find myself beneath the chaos. Vanessa’s support was
the exhale I didn’t know I needed.
- Therapy client
getting personal
behind the therapist for moms
tea > coffee,
every time. just me?
I've ran 2 half marathons. and several short races + a Spartan race
happiest outdoors, and with nature
I love a good capsule wardrobe; especially in my early mom era
All about
lemon water, daily walks, pinterest + LTK, digital planners, traveling, psych thriller movies
NOT ABOUT
hustle culture, gossiping, small talk, long winters, mom-shaming, disorganization, small rodents + lizards
black
Favorite Color
football
Favorite Sport
taboo
Favorite Game
yaya
Favorite Nickname
fall
Favorite Season
butterfinger
Favorite Candy Bar
Favorites
my why
+ manifesto
Motherhood doesn’t fail you, it's the culture you’re mothering in that does.
You’ve been told to push through, bounce back, and be grateful. To ignore your body until it screams. To accept depletion, disembodiment, and survival mode as “normal.”
But it’s not you, sis. It’s the systems: patriarchy, racism, capitalism, medical gaps, and a culture that profits from your exhaustion.
That’s why my work goes body-first. Because the tight chest, the shallow breath, the foggy brain... they’re not personal flaws. They’re survival mode. And there’s another way.
This isn’t about coping harder. It’s about reclaiming your body, your health, your selfhood, and your sovereignty + living motherhood and womanhood on your own terms.
And I’m here to walk with you — step by embodied step.
steady energy, joy, and selfhood
You don’t have to keep bracing, pushing, or holding it all together.
If you’re ready to restore your health, reclaim your joy, and come back home to yourself with real support and a clear path forward — this is where it begins.
Because selfhood, sovereignty, and vitality aren’t luxuries. They’re the foundation of the motherhood and womanhood you deserve.
Let's find the right path for you now.
find your path