Carlsbad or Online
Dr. Julia Avila
Licensed Psychologist | Maternal Mental Health & Teen Therapy | she/her
Becoming a mother changes everything, and so does growing up. I help women through pregnancy, postpartum, and the long unfolding of matrescence, and I work with teens finding their footing in who they’re becoming. Both are transitions that deserve depth-oriented care that takes the whole experience seriously.
A short introduction
About Dr. Avila
Dr. Julia Avila is a licensed psychologist at Coastal Therapy Group’s Carlsbad office whose practice centers on two groups close to her heart: women navigating maternal mental health (pregnancy, postpartum, birth trauma, perinatal anxiety and depression, identity shifts, and the broader transition into motherhood) and teens and young adults finding their way through the transitions of adolescence. She also sees younger children when it’s a good fit. She holds a doctorate from Rosemead School of Psychology at Biola University and completed her APA-accredited internship through the University of Texas Health San Antonio’s Child & Family track. She is currently pursuing Perinatal Mental Health Certification (PMH-C) through Postpartum Support International. Dr. Avila brings both extensive clinical training in attachment, family systems, and developmental psychology and her own lived experience of early motherhood to this work. She sees clients in person in Carlsbad and online throughout California.
In her own words
Therapy that takes motherhood seriously
I am also deeply passionate about supporting mothers through the challenges of pregnancy, postpartum, and the transition into parenthood. Maternal mental health is a vital aspect of family well-being and I am attentive to the unique challenges that can arise during pregnancy and postpartum, including anxiety, depression, birth trauma, identity shifts, guilt, the maternal mental load, and attachment concerns. I personally experienced how profoundly the early challenges of motherhood can shake one’s sense of stability, and receiving therapeutic support that truly understood the complexity of my situation was life-changing. It allowed me to care for myself with greater compassion and to show up more fully and presently as a mother. I believe (and deeply know) that when mothers feel supported, understood, and seen, the entire family system benefits.
How she works
Depth-oriented care for the whole transition
A sense of safety is at the heart of meaningful therapeutic work. My goal is to create a warm, secure environment where you can explore what’s actually happening for you, without rushing past the hard parts or being told you should just be grateful. I work psychodynamically, which means we’re not just managing symptoms. We’re paying attention to the deeper patterns, the relationships that shaped you, and how your sense of self is shifting through this transition.
Whether you’re navigating pregnancy anxiety, processing a difficult birth, struggling with postpartum depression, or a teenager working out who you are and who you want to become, therapy can be the place where the whole experience gets to be witnessed, held, and slowly worked through.
Teens & young adults
Walking alongside teens and young adults
Adolescence is its own kind of becoming. I work with teens and young adults navigating identity questions, relationships, anxiety, depression, and the work of figuring out who they’re turning into. My training was grounded in developmental psychology, which means I take seriously how earlier experiences shape the way we show up now.
So much of this work is the relationship itself: building the kind of trust where the hard things can actually be said, and a teen feels met rather than managed. I also see younger children when it’s the right fit, meeting them at their developmental level through play and connection.
Ways to work together
Formats to fit the season you’re in
Alongside weekly therapy, Dr. Avila offers several focused, time-limited ways to work together, useful when you want meaningful help within a defined stretch of time.
The foundation. Weekly individual sessions, in person in Carlsbad or online throughout California.
A structured psychological consultation (intake, brief assessment, and a feedback session) for clarity and direction without committing to ongoing therapy.
About Insight Sessions →Credentials as a Psychologist
- Licensed Psychologist, PSY36725
- Perinatal Mental Health Certification (PMH-C), Postpartum Support International (in progress)
- Post-doctoral Fellowship, Coastal Therapy Group
- Pre-doctoral Internship, University of Texas Health at San Antonio (Child & Family Track) (APA Accredited)
- Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (PhD), Rosemead School of Psychology, Biola University (APA Accredited)
- Masters of Arts in Clinical Psychology (MA), Rosemead School of Psychology, Biola University (APA Accredited)
- Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Spanish Studies (BA), Seattle Pacific University, WA
Areas of Specialized Experience
- Maternal Mental Health
- Teen & Adolescent Therapy
- Identity & Young Adult Transitions
- Matrescence & Identity in Motherhood
- Perinatal Anxiety & Depression
- Postpartum Depression & Anxiety
- Birth Trauma
- Anxiety & Depression
- Pregnancy Loss & Reproductive Grief
- Child Therapy
- Parenting Support & Attachment Work
Before you reach out
Questions clients tend to ask first
When is the right time to start therapy: during pregnancy, postpartum, or later?
Any of those is the right time. Some women come in during pregnancy because they want to feel grounded before the baby arrives, especially if they have a history of anxiety, depression, or trauma. Others come in during the early postpartum months when something shifts and they don't feel like themselves. And many come in months or years later, once the immediate fog clears and they realize something hasn't fully resolved. None of those is too early or too late.
I don’t know if what I’m experiencing is “bad enough” to need a psychologist. Am I in the right place?
Probably yes. Most of the women who reach out to me aren't in crisis. They're tired, overwhelmed, not feeling like themselves, struggling with the gap between who they were and who they're becoming. You don't need a diagnosis to come in. If something about this transition feels harder than you expected, that's a reason to come in.
What does therapy with you actually look like?
I work psychodynamically, which means we're not just learning coping skills. We're paying attention to what's underneath. Your history, your relationships, the early templates you carry with you, the way your sense of self is taking shape right now. Sessions are weekly, 45 minutes. Some clients want a deep, exploratory space. Others want help making sense of a specific event like a birth, a postpartum crisis, or a hard stretch of adolescence. We figure out the rhythm that fits.
Do I have to bring my baby to sessions?
You don't have to, and most clients prefer not to so they have space to focus on themselves. That said, online sessions can give you flexibility if your baby is napping or being held by someone else. We work out what's realistic for your stage of life.
I had a traumatic birth and I’m not ready to talk about it in detail. Is that okay?
Yes. Birth trauma work doesn't start by walking through the worst moments. It starts with how you're feeling now, what's been hard to put down, and what you're noticing in your body and your relationships. We move at the pace that feels safe. The story comes when you're ready, not on a schedule.
Do you work with partners or just the mother?
My primary work is one-on-one with mothers, but I sometimes incorporate partner sessions when it would help, particularly around birth trauma processing, parenting alignment, or when relationship strain is part of what's coming up. We'd talk about whether that makes sense for your situation.
Do you work with teenagers, or mainly younger kids?
Both, though teens and adolescents are a big part of my practice. I love the work of walking with a teenager through the messy, important years of figuring out who they are. I also see younger children when play-based, developmentally attuned therapy is the right fit.
My teen is reluctant to try therapy. Is that a problem?
Not at all. It's one of the most normal places to start. A lot of my early work is simply earning a teen's trust: showing them this is their space, not a place they're being fixed or reported on. Once that foundation is there, the harder conversations tend to follow on their own.
Where do sessions take place?
In person in Carlsbad and online throughout California. Many of my postpartum clients start fully online (leaving the house with a baby is a lot) and shift to in-person later when it gets easier. Teens and adults often do a mix of both. Whatever works for the season you're in.
What’s the first step?
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation. We talk through what you’re navigating and whether we’re a good fit. From there we can book a first full session, usually within a week.