More Than a Mom:
A Therapy Group for Moms in Sacramento
More Than
a Mom:
Navigating the
Mental Load
Navigating the Mental Load, Overwhelm & Finding Yourself Again
An 8-week therapy group for moms in Sacramento who are tired of feeling overwhelmed, irritable, and responsible for everything.
An 8-week therapy group for moms in Sacramento who are tired of feeling overwhelmed, irritable, and responsible for everything.
Since becoming a mom, do you feel like the things that used to help you cope
just aren’t working anymore?
Maybe you’re more irritable than you used to be. Your mind is constantly running through what needs to happen next. You’re keeping track of appointments, school schedules, groceries, laundry, activities, birthdays, forms, meals, and all the things no one else seems to notice until they don’t get done.
You may find yourself snapping at your partner, losing patience with your kids, or reaching the end of the day wondering why it was so hard to actually enjoy any of it.
And somewhere underneath all of that, you may be wondering:
When did I stop feeling like me?
You’re not the only one.
More Than a Mom is a small, closed therapy group for moms who want a place to talk honestly about the mental and emotional load of motherhood—and learn new ways to navigate it.
Since becoming a mom, do you feel like the things that used to help you cope just aren’t working anymore?
Maybe you’re more irritable than you used to be. Your mind is constantly running through what needs to happen next. You’re keeping track of appointments, school schedules, groceries, laundry, activities, birthdays, forms, meals, and all the things no one else seems to notice until they don’t get done.
You may find yourself snapping at your partner, losing patience with your kids, or reaching the end of the day wondering why it was so hard to actually enjoy any of it.
And somewhere underneath all of that, you may be wondering:
When did I stop feeling like me?
You’re not the only one.
More Than a Mom is a small, closed therapy group for moms who want a place to talk honestly about the mental and emotional load of motherhood—and learn new ways to navigate it.
Thursdays
12:00–1:20 PM
Begins 9/24
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Maybe You Recognize
Yourself Here
Sacramento
Maybe You Recognize Yourself Here
You love your family. That isn’t the problem.
The problem is that you’re tired of feeling like the person who has to remember everything, anticipate everyone’s needs, and make sure life keeps moving.
Even when other people are helping, you may still feel responsible for noticing what needs to be done and making sure it happens.
It can leave you feeling exhausted, resentful, anxious, irritable, or simply checked out.
And then comes the guilt.
You wanted this life. You love your kids. So why does it sometimes feel like you’re just trying to get through the day?
There is room for both things to be true: you can deeply love being a mom and still need something to change.
More Than A Place To Vent
Sometimes just sitting with other moms who understand and hearing, “Me too,” is incredibly powerful.
But this group is about more than venting.
Over eight weeks of group therapy, we’ll slow things down enough to understand what is underneath the overwhelm. We’ll look at the patterns that aren’t working anymore and build new ways of responding that actually fit the reality of motherhood.
We’ll talk about the mental load, resentment, irritability, boundaries, relationships, guilt, asking for help, and the pressure to somehow keep everything running.
We’ll also make space for something moms often put at the very bottom of the list:
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What We’ll Work On Together
The Mental Load
Why does your brain never seem to turn off?
We’ll look at the invisible work of remembering, anticipating, planning, worrying, and managing—and what happens when you become the person carrying too much of it.
Irritability & Overwhelm
Sometimes snapping isn’t really about the shoes left on the floor or the dishes in the sink.
We’ll work on recognizing what is happening before you reach your breaking point and finding ways to respond differently when your system is overloaded.
Finding Yourself Again
You are a mom.
And you are also more than a mom.
We’ll make space to reconnect with your needs, interests, relationships, boundaries, and the parts of yourself that may have gotten quieter while you were busy taking care of everyone else.
Relationships & Resentment
Motherhood can change the way you relate to your partner, family, friends, and even yourself.
We’ll talk about resentment, communication, asking for what you need, and what happens when it feels like you're carrying more than your share.
If much of the stress is showing up between you and your partner, I also work with parenting couples who want to feel more connected and more like a team again.
Isn’t to Help You Get Better at Doing Everything
The Goal Isn’t to Help You Get Better at Doing Everything
You probably don’t need another system for becoming more efficient at carrying an impossible amount.
The goal is different.
I want you to leave this group feeling calmer and less alone. I want you to understand yourself a little better, have tools you can actually use, and feel more present in the life you’re living.
Most of all, I want you to feel more like yourself again.
Group Details
More Than a Mom:
Navigating the Mental Load
Thursdays from 12:00–1:20 p.m.
Beginning September 24, 2026
8-week closed therapy group
In person in Sacramento, convenient for moms in Sacramento and surrounding communities.
More Than a Mom:
Navigating the Mental Load
Thursdays from 12:00–1:20 p.m.
Beginning September 24, 2026
8-week closed therapy group
Sacramento, California
Because this is a closed group, the same moms will meet together throughout the eight weeks. This gives us time to build trust, get to know one another, and create a space where you can talk honestly without starting over with a new group each week.
At the end of the eight weeks, there may be an opportunity for the group to continue for moms who would like ongoing support.
Investment
$70 per week
for 8 weeks
or
$500 when paid in full before the group begins
Is This Group Right for Me?
This group may be a good fit if you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, irritable, resentful, emotionally exhausted, or disconnected from yourself. You do not have to be newly postpartum to benefit. This group is for moms at different stages who are feeling the weight of motherhood and want something to change.
Maybe you’re functioning just fine from the outside. You’re getting everyone where they need to go. You’re doing your work. You’re taking care of your family.
But inside, you know you’re running on empty.
You don’t have to wait until things get worse to ask for support.
Looking for individual support instead? Learn more about therapy for moms at every stage.
Hi, I’m Catherine O’Brien
This group may be a good fit if you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, irritable, resentful, emotionally exhausted, or disconnected from yourself.
Maybe you’re functioning just fine from the outside. You’re getting everyone where they need to go. You’re doing your work. You’re taking care of your family.
But inside, you know you’re running
on empty.
You don’t have to wait until things get worse
to ask for support.
Hi, I’m
Catherine O’Brien
I’m a licensed marriage and family therapist, mom, author, and founder of
Happy With Baby.
For more than 20 years, I’ve worked with women, parents, and couples navigating stress, relationships, identity, and the enormous transition that comes with becoming and being a parent.
One of the things I hear over and over from moms is some version of, “I don’t understand why I can’t handle things the way I used to.”
Motherhood changes the circumstances. Sometimes our old ways of coping simply aren’t enough for everything we’re
carrying now.
That doesn’t mean the answer is to
try harder.
Sometimes it means we need support, connection, and a new way forward.
I’m a licensed marriage and family therapist, mom, author, and founder
of Happy With Baby.
For more than 20 years, I’ve worked with women, parents, and couples
navigating stress, relationships, identity, and the enormous transition
that comes with becoming and being a parent.
One of the things I hear over and over from moms is some version of,
“I don’t understand why I can’t handle things the way I used to.”
Motherhood changes the circumstances. Sometimes our old ways of
coping simply aren’t enough for everything we’re carrying now.
That doesn’t mean the answer is to try harder.
Sometimes it means we need support, connection, and a new way forward.
Interested In Joining Us?
If you’re wondering whether More Than a Mom might be right for you, I offer a free consultation.
We can talk briefly about what you’re experiencing, I can answer your questions about the group, and we can decide together whether it feels like a good fit.
You spend a lot of time making sure everyone else is okay.
This can be a place where we make some room for you, too.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Not at all. More Than a Mom isn’t just for the early postpartum months. Motherhood can feel overwhelming at so many different stages. You might have a baby at home, be juggling school schedules and activities, or simply be realizing that you’ve spent a long time taking care of everyone else and have lost touch with yourself somewhere along the way. If the mental load, overwhelm, or changes in your identity and relationships feel familiar, this group may be a good fit.
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More Than a Mom is a therapy group led by Catherine O’Brien, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. You’ll absolutely find support and connection with other moms, but we’ll also go deeper than simply talking about how hard motherhood can be. We’ll look at patterns, emotions, relationships, identity, resentment, and the mental load, and work on making meaningful changes in how you’re experiencing this season of your life.
If you’re looking for a more casual, free space for connection and conversation, I also host Sacramento New Parent Connections. That group is not therapy and is open to parents who want community and support. You can learn more on Meetup.
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No. You do not need to be a current or previous Happy With Baby client to join. The first step is a free consultation so we can talk a little about what you’re looking for and make sure the group feels like a good fit for you.
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The consultation is a chance for us to briefly connect before the group begins. I’ll ask a little about what has been going on for you, what you’re hoping to get from the group, and answer any questions you have. It also gives us a chance to make sure More Than a Mom is the right kind of support for what you need right now. There’s no obligation to join just because we talk.
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More Than a Mom meets in person in Sacramento. The group is intentionally small and closed, which means the same moms meet together each week for the full eight weeks. That gives us time to get comfortable with one another and create the kind of connection that can be harder to build in a drop-in group.
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Happy With Baby is a private-pay practice and does not bill insurance directly. Depending on your plan, you may have out-of-network mental health benefits that reimburse you for part of the cost. I’m happy to provide the documentation you’ll need to submit to your insurance company. Since every plan is different, I recommend checking with your insurance provider to see whether your plan covers group therapy with an out-of-network provider.