break free from survival mode
break free from survival mode
Motherhood wasn’t meant to feel like this—running on empty, snapping at the people you love, feeling ragged, and mind racing all the time. Whether you’re in the thick of postpartum recovery or years past it but still stuck in survival mode, your body is telling you it’s time.
This is therapy for millennial moms of color, across Massachusetts, who want more than “just pushing through.” Together, we’ll restore your energy, steady your nervous system, and help you reclaim joy, connection, and a sense of self that feels like yours again.
Online therapy for moms of color in boston, and across massachusetts
get my calm back
for the one carrying it all
You’ve been holding it together for everyone else, for years. But inside? Your body’s waving the white flag.
Survival mode shows up in a hundred little ways: snapping at your kids, then crying in the bathroom because the guilt is too heavy. Lying awake at 2am with your mind racing through tomorrow’s to-do list. Feeling your chest tighten every time your phone buzzes, because you know it’s another ask you don’t have the energy to meet.
You keep telling yourself you’ll slow down once things “settle.” But the truth? Things never settle. And the cost keeps climbing... your health, your patience, your joy, your sense of who you are outside of motherhood.
That’s the trap of survival mode: it convinces you to push through one more week, one more season, one more year—until “fine” is all you ever feel.
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Imagine mornings that don't start with a deep sign or a groan, but with energy to face the day. Evenings where you don't collapse and fall asleep on the couch feeling like you've given every last drop away. And your health finally getting a break.
Picture yourself with the patience to listen without snapping, to be present with your partner, the freedom to laugh without exhaustion weighing it down, and the clarity to decide what matters to you without second-guessing yourself.
Whether you're in Boston, Somerville, Brockton, Springfield, or anywhere in Massachusetts— this is therapy for womanhood and motherhood on your terms.
This isn't about becoming a new person, but about reclaiming the woman you already are, and your joy, your health, your relationships, and your sense of self from survival mode.
What if survival mode wasn't running the show anymore?
The cost of survival mode is bigger than you think.
Chronic survival mode doesn’t just show up in your mood. It disrupts digestion, sleep cycles, hormones, memory, and even your cardiovascular health. Left unchecked, it chips away at your wellness, relationships, your joy, and your sense of self.
And yet—you’re told to cope better, hustle more, or just be grateful. What's worse is that most postpartum and motherhood support skips supporting your through the depletion, dysregulation, and disembodiment you endure when you become a mom, and mother within our modern motherhood systems.
Therapy helps you address what’s really underneath: replenishing what’s been drained, regulating a fried nervous system, and reclaiming the woman you are beyond motherhood.
“Black women report the highest levels of chronic stress compared to other groups of women in the U.S.” —American Psychological Association
my clients come to me when...
In her health:
“I feel like I’ve aged 10 years since having kids, my body just isn’t bouncing back.”
“My back and shoulders are always tense, like I’m carrying a weight I can’t put down.”
“My hormones feel all over the place—one week I’m fine, the next I’m irritable.”
“No matter how much coffee I drink, I can’t shake the fog.”
“I’ve gained weight I can’t seem to lose, and it feels like my body isn’t mine anymore.”
“I can’t remember the last time I felt rested or good.”
In her identity:
“I don’t even know who I am anymore besides being a mom.”
“I miss the woman I was before kids, but I don’t know how to get her back.”
“I don’t make decisions for myself anymore, just for everyone else.”
“I used to have hobbies and passions, now I can’t even remember what I enjoy.”
“I can’t tell if I’m making choices because I want to or because it’s what’s expected of me.”
“I feel like I’ve lost control of my own time, my own body, my own life.”
In her motherhood:
“I hate that I don’t have the patience I thought I would as a mom.”
“I’m always rushing with school drop-off, work, dinner... and it feels like I’m failing at all of it.”
“I want to enjoy time with my kids, but I’m too exhausted to play.”
“I feel like I’m doing this alone, even when I’m not.”
“I miss intimacy, but by the end of the day I’m too touched out and drained.”
“I feel guilty no matter what. If I work, if I rest, if I say no, if I snap.”
“I thought motherhood would feel fulfilling, but instead I feel like I’m not really enjoying it.”
See how i help
Here's what this means for you:
We'll work on your body, your mind, and the parts of you beyond "just mom".
You can work with me two ways:
- Weekly therapy: steady sessions to help you untangle survival mode and find your footing week by week.
- Therapy Intensives: a 3-hour deep dive with a custom plan + experience if you need clarity and relief, fast.
Either way, you'll walk away with tools and support that work in your real life.
Support for the whole you, not just your symptoms or diagnosis.
Real therapy that fits
see the support
weekly therapy
A 1:1 weekly or bi-weekly container where we rebuild you from the inside out, layer by layer.
Weekly therapy sessions to:
Starting at: $200 p/session
Best for moms who want weekly ongoing therapy sessions, not just a reset.
book a consult
Rebuild your body’s reserves: restore energy, fuel your body, stabilize sleep, and support your hormones so you’re not running on empty.
Calm your nervous system: ease the tension in your body, quiet the racing thoughts, and feel steady instead of reactive.
Reconnect with yourself: uncover what you want and need beyond survival, and live motherhood and womanhood on your own terms.
This isn’t about coping better. It’s about rebuilding your health, your joy, and your sense of self so you can show up calm, steady, and whole in every part of your life — motherhood, relationships, work, and womanhood.
therapy intensives
A 3-hour private intensive for when you’re so done pretending you’re fine — and you need real relief, now.
starting at: $1000
Best for moms who need relief fast and want a reset + roadmap.
For when you’re too tired to keep pushing, and you need clarity now. Unearthed is your permission to pause — to stop pretending you’re fine, unload what’s been weighing on you, and finally see the path forward.
In this 3-hour deep dive, we’ll:
Pinpoint what’s actually keeping you stuck — why you’re exhausted, snappy, or foggy no matter how hard you try.
Get clear on what your body and mind need right now so you stop spinning your wheels on self-care hacks that don’t work.
Leave with a simple, doable plan you can follow without burnout — so you feel relief now and clarity about what’s next.
learn more here
She helped me find myself beneath the chaos. Vanessa’s support was
the exhale I didn’t know I needed.
- Therapy client
I’m a licensed therapist, Matrescence coach, and founder of Matrescence in Color, originally from Boston and serving moms of color across Massachusetts. For nearly 15 years, I’ve helped women process pain, rewrite patterns, and reclaim their power.
But nothing cracked me open like becoming a mom.
When I saw how shallow postpartum recovery and traditional therapy could be, I knew moms deserved more. So I pieced together my experience, the education and tools missing from standard care—root-cause, trauma-informed, Matrescence-centered, and body-led.
Now, I help moms of color regulate their nervous systems, feel rooted in their bodies, and stop carrying motherhood like it’s a crisis. Together, we unlearn the patriarchal BS and build a life that actually feels like yours.
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1k+
Women and moms of color supported through therapy and coaching
14
Years of clinical experience helping women thrive
90%
Of my clients say they feel more regulated, resourced, and seen after our first session
Years of becoming and being a mother myself; learning and unlearning
4
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. This framework is the backbone to my work with clients.
I bring together what traditional therapy often leaves out. My approach pulls from motherhood studies, neuroscience, psychology, sociology, integrative health coaching, and somatic therapies to give moms whole-person care that actually fits the realities of modern motherhood.
My Specialties
what she said:
real results
feeling seen and supported
“Thank you for introducing me to myself.”
Before working with Vanessa, I thought I was just overwhelmed. But I didn’t realize how much I had burned myself out trying to be everything for everyone. Her work didn’t give me just coping tools, it gave me clarity, language, and an actual connection to my body again. I rave about her all the time. I truly believe every mom needs this work.
- therapy client
Here's how we'll get started
Schedule Your Consultation
Book a 60-minute call so we can talk about what you’re carrying right now and what kind of support you’re looking for.
Create Your Care Plan
We'll meet to talk about your current struggles, your goals, and see if we’re a good fit. This is your chance to ask any questions and get a feel for how I can help you. You’ll leave knowing exactly what to expect.
Begin Your Support
We’ll start working together to calm your nervous system, support your postpartum recovery, and help you move out of survival mode into steadier ground.
book my consultation
Are the therapy offers online or in person?
Both offers are held online via secure video, so you can receive deep, personalized support without having to leave your house. As a mom and therapist who works from home, I’ve found that virtual weekly therapy and therapy intensives for moms in Massachusetts are not only convenient, but just as impactful, especially for moms juggling work, kids, and everything in between. That said, for the intensives specifically, you get to choose how you experience it. Some of my clients stay home and cozy up on the couch with tea. Others arrange childcare, take the day off, book a hotel, or even travel for the weekend to turn their intensive into a full retreat.
some faqs before we get started
Do I really need therapy, or is this just motherhood being hard?
Motherhood is hard, yes — but you don’t have to live stuck in survival mode. If you’re snapping more than you want to, exhausted no matter how much you sleep, or feel like you’ve lost yourself, that’s not “just how it is.” Those are signs your body is depleted and dysregulated. Therapy gives you the space and support to recover, reconnect with yourself, and feel steady again.
Can I use my health insurance to cover the costs?
Many insurance companies (typically PPOs) reimburse a portion of the cost of psychotherapy. For insurance purposes, I am considered an out-of-network provider. I recommend calling your insurance to determine the exact details of your policy, including what benefits are available regarding out-of-network providers and how your insurance will reimburse several hours of therapy.
I can also provide you with a Superbill for possible reimbursement for the times we meet. Please know that the insurance company requires a diagnosis code as a reason for treatment. I’m happy to provide more information to help with this process.
Do you only work with moms of color?
I specialize in working with moms of color because our experiences of motherhood are shaped by culture, community, and systemic stress. But if my approach speaks to you and you feel like this is the right space for your healing, you are welcome here.
What results can I expect from working with you?
Here’s what changes:
- Physically: more steady energy, deeper rest, fewer stress-driven aches, pains, and health flare-ups. Your body feels less like it’s betraying you, more like it’s on your side again.
- Emotionally: less snapping, guilt, and overwhelm. More joy in the everyday moments—whether that’s laughing with your kids, sharing intimacy with your partner, or simply feeling lighter in your own body.
- Psychologically: the fog lifts. You feel clearer, calmer, more focused, and less scattered. Decisions come easier. You’re not bracing for the next meltdown—you’re actually present.
- Identity & Selfhood: you stop living only as “mom” and reconnect with yourself as a woman. You make choices that feel like yours, not ones handed to you by culture, guilt, or grind. You get to mother and live on your own terms.
Most of all—you reclaim the life you worked too damn hard for. You dreamed of motherhood, or you deeply love being a mom, but not like this; not stuck in survival mode. Together, we help you step into health, joy, and selfhood, so you feel rooted in who you are and free to enjoy the family and life you’ve built.
I still have questions. Can I talk to someone?
Absolutely. You can send an email to me directly at vanessa@matrescenceincolor.com or DM me on Instagram @matrescenceincolor and I’ll help you figure out if this is the right fit for you. And that's what the free 60-min consultation is for too; so you can ask all the questions you have. You can click here to book a consultation. Zero pressure, just real support.
I’ve tried therapy before, and it didn’t help. How is this different?
Many of my clients have said the same thing. Traditional talk therapy often gives coping tools, but if your body is still depleted and your nervous system on edge, those tools don’t stick. In our work, we restore your energy, regulate your system, rebuild your body's capacity for stress, and create safety in the body, and then move into deeper self-work so you actually feel changes in your day-to-day life. This is the difference. I blend 15 years of experience as a therapist and coach, lived experience as a mom, and years of studying different modalities to build a comprehensive, integrative, root-cause approach to fill the gaps in maternal mental health to best support the moms I serve.
What’s the difference between weekly therapy and an intensive? How do I know which is right for me?
Weekly therapy gives you steady, ongoing support. It’s great if you want space to process and build change slowly over time. Intensives are different—they’re a deep dive. In one curated experience, we get clear on your goals, create a personalized plan, and give you tools you can use right away. Many moms start with an intensive and then continue with weekly therapy if they want more long-term support.
Do you only work with postpartum moms, or can I see you even years into motherhood?
I work with both. In the first two years, therapy often focuses on postpartum recovery and adjusting to motherhood. Beyond that, I help moms who feel stuck in survival mode years later—depleted, dysregulated, or disconnected from themselves. Whether you’re weeks into motherhood or a decade in, this work can meet you where you are.
I don’t have much time—how will I fit therapy into my life?
I get it—your plate is already full. That’s why sessions are online, and designed to give you relief that fits into real life. Weekly sessions are just 60 minutes, and intensives condense months of progress into a few hours. You’ll leave with tools that make life feel easier, not another to-do list.
Therapy feels expensive. How do I know it’s worth the investment?
Think about what survival mode has already cost you. It's already cost you your health, your patience, your joy, maybe even your relationships. Therapy is an investment in getting those back. You’ve probably spent money on quick fixes, self-care hacks, wellness stuff, or programs that didn’t last. This is different. Therapy with me is designed to create real, lasting change in your body, your mind, and your motherhood.
Snapping when you don’t mean to, dragging through your days, and wondering if this is just “how motherhood is.” But it’s not. And it doesn’t have to stay this way.
Imagine instead: energy that lasts past noon, moments of joy with your kids that aren’t clouded by guilt, a body that finally feels like home again, and a life that feels like yours.
That’s the shift therapy makes possible. Not someday. Not when things “settle down.” But now.
Your nervous system is asking for relief. Your body is asking for repair. Your whole life is asking for more than survival.
You’ve carried survival mode long enough.
It’s Now or Later. But Your Body’s Asking for Now.
Let's get started today
