Our perinatal mental health specialists have the experience and expertise to help as you journey through preconception, pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Cathy Araos, MA.Ed., LPC
Therapist
Our perinatal mental health specialists have the experience and expertise to help as you journey through preconception, pregnancy and the postpartum period.
The postpartum period is a time of profound transition. As you recover from birth and adjust to life with a newborn, you may find yourself experiencing a mix of emotions—joy, exhaustion, love, uncertainty, and even overwhelm. While many expect this to be a time of happiness, it is also a time of significant emotional and physical change. At Cherry Hill Counseling, we provide compassionate support for new mothers and families navigating the challenges of postpartum recovery, maternal-infant bonding, and the shifting dynamics of parenthood.
Our experienced therapists offer support for:
✔ Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) – Managing feelings of sadness, anxiety, panic, or emotional numbness.
✔ Birth Recovery and Emotional Healing – Processing difficult or unexpected birth experiences.
✔ Maternal-Infant Bonding – Supporting the emotional connection between mother and baby.
✔ Identity Shifts and Self-Care – Adjusting to the new role of motherhood while maintaining personal well-being.
✔ Relationship and Couples Support – Strengthening communication and connection as partners navigate new parenthood together.
✔ EMDR Therapy for Birth Trauma – Utilizing Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to help process distressing emotions related to childbirth or early parenting experiences.
Adjusting to life postpartum can be overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone. With the right support, you can recover, bond with your baby, and move through this season with confidence and care.
These members of our practice specialize in perinatal mental health:
I’ve had the honor of working closely with diverse groups of children, adolescents, and their families. My clients span a wide spectrum, including children as well as expectant and new mothers. My expertise extends to aiding individuals facing a variety of obstacles, such as depression, anxiety, academic hurdles, social and emotional difficulties, and refining cognitive abilities within educational settings. Understanding the distinctiveness of each person, I emphasize the need for personalized approaches in therapy rather than relying on a standardized method. I’m genuinely enthusiastic about the opportunity to join you on this journey of transformation.
When working with expectant mothers, perinatal therapy provides vital support to women during the demanding stages of pregnancy and postpartum, addressing concerns like anxiety, depression, and the adjustment to motherhood. This support ultimately fosters healthier family dynamics and improves maternal mental health.
Education/Certifications
I see it as a privilege to walk with others through the challenges and transitions that life brings. While life isn’t easy, I believe there is hope to be found through connection and support. In my own life, I have found this to be true. I continue to be in awe of the courage and truth found in the counseling relationships built, and I am passionate about joining others on their journey of healing and growth.
I work with adults and older teens. I have a special place in my heart for those going through life transitions: young adults launching into new seasons of life, women experiencing challenges changing/adding roles, and anyone aware of needing support to make life changes.
My approach begins with listening, joining my clients in the process of learning, growing, and healing. Many times we stumble over our self-defeating ways, ignoring our defenses and bad habits. But with a look at the ways we think, believe and act, we can find a new sense of hope and purpose.
My counseling approach uses evidenced based practices while also engaging with grace, compassion and enthusiasm. I believe in being present with each person, giving attention and value to them, listening with patience, and understanding their context of struggles and stage of life. As clients receive encouragement and become aware of their strengths, they are able to overcome obstacles and begin to think, feel and act in ways that are more conducive to peace and purposeful living.
Education/Certifications
Thanks to my clinical experience working in intensive outpatient therapy settings, I have enhanced my ability to connect with and understand the diversity of experiences of those who seek therapy.
I continue to work with individuals struggling with addiction in their lives and am a strong advocate for the recovery community (12-Step, CR, Dharma, SMART Recovery, etc.). I also work with teens (11+), college students, young adults, and those affected by perinatal issues, including fathers who are impacted as well.
Education/Certifications
I work with high school teens and adults of all ages, individually or as couples, families, or groups.
Education/Certifications
I enjoy working with adolescents ages 16 and older, as well as adults of all ages. I have experience in private practice as well as community mental health settings. I have a strong clinical background and I’m confident and comfortable addressing a variety of issues including but not limited to: anxiety, depression, family and relationship issues, perinatal/postpartum mental health and the transition to parenthood, sexual abuse issues, eating disorders, addictions, trauma recovery, couples and individuals going through divorce, unexpected life transitions, etc.
Emotional wellness is something we each strive for. I look forward to taking this wellness journey with each of my clients, knowing that the first steps can sometimes feel challenging. It’s my privilege to accompany you as you choose to move forward in your life.
Education/Certifications
I provide services to people from all walks of life, but I do have a special place in my heart for adolescents and their parents, those who are grieving, and those with depression & anxiety. My care for these groups springs from my own life experiences and a desire to pay it forward due to the care I have received from helping professionals in my journey to achieve wellness.
I approach each client with an open mind, ready to learn about the life experiences that have brought them to the moment of entering therapy. Every individual faces unique challenges and needs the freedom to work and grow at their own pace. My mission is to accompany my clients on their own distinct healing journey, celebrating the success of small efforts repeated day after day that will lead to a life of peace and self-discovery. In our work together, I strive to help my clients heal, grow, and achieve balance in their lives.
Education/Certifications
I provide services for individuals (ages 12+), couples, and families. Whether you are experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression or stress within your partnership and family relationships, I would be happy to hear from you. I especially enjoy working with adults recovering from childhood trauma and with couples experiencing conflict or disconnection in their relationship.
I take a holistic approach to trauma recovery, believing that our mind, body, and spirit are all important parts in the healing process. I have experience working with adult survivors of childhood emotional abuse and neglect, childhood physical and sexual abuse, and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD).
My work with couples includes helping partners to identify patterns of relating which leave them feeling stuck and isolated. I then work to provide both partners with the safety needed to explore the emotional experience beneath their roles in the pattern and share this experience with each other in more helpful ways. I am passionate about helping couples find new ways of relating which lead to more positive feelings towards self and a deeper, more satisfying bond.
Education/Certifications
People are hurt in relationships and they are healed within relationships. As a therapist, my job is to connect with you right where you are and help you heal and grow in the directions of your choice. You are the expert in your life but I can bring new frameworks and help you hear what may be lingering below the surface of your life. As a cancer survivor and single mom familiar with the world of special needs, my experience and training help me walk in productive ways with my clients.
I use an evidence-based, Adlerian approach to counseling. This flexible and integrative approach allows me to tailor the counseling process to each individual client. I implement a variety of cognitive, behavioral, emotion focused, and experiential interventions based on each client’s needs.
Education/Certification:
I mainly operate out of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), facilitating deep emotional experiences, which studies show predict more positive outcomes in therapy. To complement this, I sample techniques from several different theories based on the client’s unique personality, needs, and goals. We may uncover unhelpful thought patterns through Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy or process things unresolved through Gestalt simulations. We may learn how to better connect with our bodies through mindfulness practices or go on a journey through a guided visualization to heal the inner child inside us—to name a few examples.
I firmly believe that “comfort is the enemy to progress,” and clients will be challenged at a pace with which they feel safe.
Education/Certifications
I work with individuals and families, and I work with children, adolescents, and adults. I have previous experience working with individuals and families that are involved with DCFS and the family court system.
Education/Certifications
My passion is working with women who are seeking support, healing, and insight. I have a heart for women’s individual needs throughout their lifetime, especially given my own life journey. Women can face multiple changes, whether physically due to hormones, or circumstantially such as becoming a stay-at-home mom, when returning to work, or having an empty nest.
Education/Certifications
I am passionate about working with couples, adults, and individuals going through life transitions.
Education/Certifications
I am passionate about walking with others through the challenges that life can hold. In my own life journey I have discovered the value and importance of secure relationships in the healing process. Fear, shame, or wounds frequently become life-dominating issues that are difficult to process alone. I love to create an environment in the counseling relationship that is marked by high levels of trust, grace, and acceptance that I refer to as “hospitality of the heart.” It is my sacred honor and privilege to share an experience with clients through the counseling relationship where they heal, learn, explore, and grow, experiencing new levels of peace and freedom.
I work with adults, couples, teens, families and groups. I have a special heart for working with women through life transitions and other issues unique to women’s reproductive events such as infertility, pregnancy loss, abortion grief/shame, peripartum and perimenopausal mood disorders, and adjustment to parenting and maternal/infant bonding. To support this specialization I have an advanced certification in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C) through Postpartum Support International. Additionally, I have training in the application of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy with perinatal trauma. Through my previous work and life experiences I also know that parenting can be tough at times and I love to support individuals and couples on the journey of parenting. Fathers/birthing-partners are often overlooked in care settings which I believe is a flaw in the support of families during this transition. I aim to have a partner-inclusive practice in my treatment philosophy for the perinatal population, because I believe it is the best model for the flourishing of babies, mothers, fathers, and the couple’s relationship.
I’m passionate about working with couples to create healthier and more secure marital relationships, both emotionally and physically. My approach with couples is to work to understand the perspective of each partner, creating a strong therapeutic alliance with both, and then to assist couples with exploring, understanding, and changing relational patterns through increased empathy, vulnerability, and trust.
My theoretical approach is tailored to the individual needs of my clients but is firmly grounded on the foundation of a secure client-therapist alliance. Once a strong therapeutic relationship is established, interventions are selected based on current empirically supported treatment options and the unique needs of the individual client(s). When working with couples or families, my primary treatment approach is Emotionally Focused Therapy. Faith-based counseling is an additional layer that I provide for clients that desire this as a part of their counseling experience.
Education/Certification:
