Dr. Cassidy Freitas, LMFT

Dr. Cassidy Freitas, LMFT Dr. Cassidy Freitas | Holding Space for Parents Welcome! I'm Dr. Cassidy, a licensed therapist based in San Diego offering teletherapy in California.
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I'm passionate about supporting parents from pregnancy, postpartum and beyond. I host the top rated podcast Holding Space and offer digital courses and workshops for expecting and postpartum parents. In addition to my work with parents, I founded Modern Therapist Academy and offer personalized coaching for therapists in private practice.

Anger in parenting can feel alarming. It often shows up fast and loud leaving us flooded, ashamed, or unsure of how we g...
09/25/2025

Anger in parenting can feel alarming. It often shows up fast and loud leaving us flooded, ashamed, or unsure of how we got there. But what if we paused and got curious before rushing to silence or fix it?

Anger isn’t always about rage. It’s often about need. It’s the part of you waving a red flag, trying to protect something that matters. It might be asking for more support. Respect. Rest. Connection. Or even just a moment to breathe.

When we take a moment to listen instead of react, anger becomes a bridge, not a barrier. It invites us to explore what’s happening under the surface. And it helps us respond in ways that feel more aligned with who we want to be...not just how we feel in the heat of the moment.

If this resonates, you might find comfort in Episode 145 of the Holding Space Podcast, “Why Am I So Reactive?”

In it, I explore what’s underneath reactivity, how our nervous system responds in parenting, and how we can move toward regulation, compassion, and repair.

You’re not a bad parent for feeling anger.
You’re a human. With needs. And those needs deserve to be seen, too.

The goal isn’t to be unplugged all day.The goal is to be present enough in the moments that matter.Try picking just one ...
09/22/2025

The goal isn’t to be unplugged all day.
The goal is to be present enough in the moments that matter.

Try picking just one everyday activity to go phone-free today. It doesn’t need to be fancy or long:

•Snack time at the kitchen table
•Dinner time
•Bath time with bubbles and silly songs
•A walk around the block without distractions
•Reading a bedtime story, fully tuned in

It’s not about doing more. It’s about doing less to feel more.
More connection.
More calm.
More magic in the mundane.
More of the little things that actually matter.

Sometimes, it’s in those simple, undistracted moments that our relationship with our kids deepens, and that we get a little breath of peace, too.

Sometimes coming home to yourself in motherhood isn’t about doing more.It’s about remembering who you already are.The ve...
09/19/2025

Sometimes coming home to yourself in motherhood isn’t about doing more.

It’s about remembering who you already are.

The version of you who can hold space.
Who knows what matters most.
Who shows up with intention, even in the chaos.

When you reconnect with that version, through rituals, rest, reflection, or support, it becomes easier to meet the needs around you with less overwhelm and more clarity.

This isn’t about perfection. It’s about presence.

Not about detaching, but staying grounded enough to stay in it.

Which of these helped you in a recent season?

Which one do you want to return to?

After years of writing, revising, wrestling with words (and my inner critic)… I finally submitted my book manuscript. 🎉A...
09/17/2025

After years of writing, revising, wrestling with words (and my inner critic)… I finally submitted my book manuscript. 🎉

And somewhere along the way, I realized: this process felt eerily similar to parenting.

The second-guessing. The tenderness. The exhaustion. The deep desire to get it right while knowing there’s no such thing. The hope that something you’ve poured your heart into will reach someone, help someone, mean something.

Whether you’re raising children or birthing something creative (or both), you are not alone in the messiness. Your effort matters, even when it’s imperfect. Your love is landing, even if it takes time to see it. 💛

So many arguments aren’t really about dishes or dates or texts.They’re about protection...protecting ourselves from feel...
09/15/2025

So many arguments aren’t really about dishes or dates or texts.

They’re about protection...protecting ourselves from feeling hurt, unseen, out of control, or abandoned.

When a reactive cycle starts to spin, it’s easy to blame each other.

But what if you paused inside it, together?

Try asking:
“What are we both afraid of right now?”
“What is this cycle trying to protect us from?”

It doesn’t mean the behavior is okay, but understanding it gives you a chance to step out of the loop, and into something softer. Shifting the way we view the issue can allow us to break the cycle that isn’t working.

It’s easy to feel like you’re at odds when you parent differently. But often, what we’re really in conflict about……is wh...
09/15/2025

It’s easy to feel like you’re at odds when you parent differently. But often, what we’re really in conflict about…

…is what feels most vulnerable inside of us.

Old memories.
Unspoken fears.
Hopes for our children we haven’t yet named.

The cycle of disagreement doesn’t stop just because you want it to. It stops when you slow down long enough to understand:

+ What is this moment bringing up for each of us?
+ What do we both care about beneath the conflict?
+ How can we move forward with compassion and clarity?

You don’t have to be the same.
You just have to stay connected.

You’re not a bad parent. You’re a parent who had a hard moment.Sometimes that harsh inner critic is just your nervous sy...
09/04/2025

You’re not a bad parent. You’re a parent who had a hard moment.

Sometimes that harsh inner critic is just your nervous system sounding the alarm.

Instead of following the shame story, try gently asking yourself:
• What am I feeling?
• What do I need right now?
• What might repair look like for me or for my child?

There’s so much space between the pressure to be perfect and the fear that we’re failing.
Most of us are living in that in-between, and that’s where the real growth happens.

If you need the reminder: You’re doing brave, tender work. And you don’t have to do it alone.

If you’re looking for a therapist who specializes in supporting parents through breaking cycles, you can learn more about us at the link in bio! (CA + NY licensed)

In certain seasons, it’s easy to forget that you’re not just the role you’re filling.Not just the one managing the calen...
09/01/2025

In certain seasons, it’s easy to forget that you’re not just the role you’re filling.

Not just the one managing the calendar, cleaning up the crumbs, solving the problems, or showing up for everyone else.

You’re also a person.
Still becoming.
Still being.

Motherhood, career shifts, postpartum, stay-at-home seasons, caregiving, burnout...it all has the power to shape us.

Sometimes it feels like we’ve lost the thread of who we are.

But here’s the truth: you haven’t disappeared.

You may be different, softer, stronger, more stretched or more still.

But your core self is not gone. Maybe just a little buried under the noise.

Today, do one small thing that brings you closer to her.
→ A song you used to love
→ A five-minute walk with no agenda
→ A journal prompt
→ A sip of coffee in silence
→ A moment to remember what you need

This isn’t about reclaiming an old identity. It’s about reconnecting to a true one. The version of you that feels like home.

Because when you feel connected to yourself,
you parent with more presence,
partner with more clarity,
and live with more ease.

If you’re a new parent, you’ve probably heard that sleep is a luxury. That exhaustion is just part of the job. That you ...
08/29/2025

If you’re a new parent, you’ve probably heard that sleep is a luxury. That exhaustion is just part of the job. That you should power through because “this is what you signed up for.”

But here’s the truth I wish I had heard sooner:

Protecting your sleep is protecting your mental health.

It’s protecting your relationships, your ability to show up for your baby, and your connection to yourself.

In this week’s podcast episode of Holding Space, we talk about the narratives that sabotage rest and how to reclaim it.

We explore:
+ finding restorative rest no matter what feeding journey you choose
+ practical tips for getting a 4 hour stretch of sleep evennnn when your baby isn’t sleeping through the night
+ activating your support system...your partner, yours friends/family, your village
+ the impact of postpartum sleep on communication in your relationship and my framework for HOW to communicate so you both leave feeling more connected

✨ You don’t have to earn your rest. You’re allowed to need it, in fact...we desperately need it! So let’s find some real ways to protect it in this season.

👇 Comment “SLEEP” below and I’ll send you the link to Episode 147 - “How to Protect Your Postpartum Sleep (Even When Baby Isn’t Sleeping Through the Night” directly in your DMs.

I did my time…Isn’t that what early motherhood can feel like sometimes?The sleepless nights that stretch on forever.The ...
08/27/2025

I did my time…

Isn’t that what early motherhood can feel like sometimes?

The sleepless nights that stretch on forever.
The invisible mental load you carry.
The moments you lose it and wonder if you’re failing.

And yet…underneath all of it…there’s still a part of you that knows: you’re a good mom. That part deserves to be held close.

Those small wins (a four-hour stretch of sleep, a partner who shares the load, remembering your own worth) matter more than we realize.

To every mom in the thick of it: these early seasons can feel endless. But you’re not failing, you’re growing through them. And if you’re struggling, we don’t have to push through time…you deserve support.

(And joining the rest of the world with a congrats to and ! Wishing them shared loads and margins for themselves too 😉)

You don’t need to shield your child from every emotion to protect them.In fact, letting them see just a little of your i...
08/25/2025

You don’t need to shield your child from every emotion to protect them.

In fact, letting them see just a little of your inner world can be one of the greatest gifts you offer.

Think of it like cracking open a window, not flinging the door wide.

Not flooding them with your pain, your stress, or your story...

but offering a gentle glimpse into your humanity.

That might sound like:
→ “I’m feeling a little off today, so I’m moving slower.”
→ “I’m frustrated right now, and I’m taking a minute to breathe.”
→ “I had a hard moment earlier, but I’m okay and I’m taking care of myself.”

This kind of presence does two powerful things:

1.It shows them that emotions are safe and normal, not something to fear or fix.
2.It teaches self-awareness in action. You’re modeling how to name, regulate, and stay connected to yourself in real time.

You’re not asking your child to hold your experience.

You’re simply letting them witness you holding yourself. And that?
That builds trust.
That builds resilience.
That helps them learn how to hold themselves too.

Back-to-school isn’t only a milestone for your child.It’s a transition for you...your time, your rhythm, your nervous sy...
08/22/2025

Back-to-school isn’t only a milestone for your child.

It’s a transition for you...your time, your rhythm, your nervous system.

And yet, while you’re planning lunches, managing emotions, and coordinating calendars, it’s easy to forget: you’re allowed to feel the transition, too.

You’re allowed to miss summer.
You’re allowed to be relieved it’s over.
You’re allowed to feel overwhelmed by it all.

This season, support yourself as intentionally as you support your child.

You don’t have to do it all to be doing enough.
Sometimes the most supportive thing you can do, for everyone, is to soften toward yourself.

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