Inspiring Conversations with Molly Vasa Bertolucci of Poppy Therapy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Molly Vasa Bertolucci.

Hi Molly, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’m a licensed clinical social worker and a perinatal mental health therapist. I’m the founder of Poppy Therapy in Long Beach, where I help moms in postpartum and early parenting. I became a therapist because I love helping people see the big picture. I’m an encourager and naturally look for and find progress and strengths. I have always been curious about the meaning of life, seeking out stories of how people get through and thrive and how we are all connected – to ourselves and to each other. I believe strongly in the healing that comes from allowing ourselves to feel, emote, and share our stories. Safety, connection, authenticity, and peace are central to what I seek to provide as a therapist.

I earned a Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California and trained as a clinician in Los Angeles schools and in community mental health, specializing in treating trauma. My own experience with a traumatic birth and postpartum anxiety changed my life and altered my career, leading me to pursue a perinatal mental health certification and focus on supporting mothers in postpartum and early parenting.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. My first child was born in June 2020 – early COVID days. The impact this had on my ability to find childcare and therefore on my ability to work continues to have a ripple effect in my life to this day. Like so many parents, I worked from home full-time while trying to be a parent full-time, and a brand new parent at that.

That ever-elusive work/life balance has become even more elusive as an entrepreneur. Private practice had always been a dream in the back of my mind for “someday” – when my second daughter was born, I found myself on maternity leave working on a website while she napped and gathering information about the nuts and bolts of starting a business. My ambition started to look different than before becoming a mom and I had a vision in my mind of a private practice giving me tons of flexibility to be both a mom and a therapist. It does! But there’s also no off button; there’s no clocking out. I love what I do and I have to be mindful about creating boundaries. I love the freedom that owning my own business gives me to be creative and try new things, but sometimes I need to reign it in because there are only so many hours in the day (and only so much energy to give, especially when you have young children).

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I started Poppy Therapy to focus on working exclusively with moms in postpartum and early parenting. Becoming a mother is a hugely transformative life experience and I work one-on-one with new moms, postpartum women, and moms who want to find meaning and courage in all the big emotions, decisions, and new experiences that come with motherhood.

1 in 7 new mothers experience depression or anxiety during pregnancy or postpartum. That’s a massive number of women needing support. And these numbers aren’t surprising considering the lack of paid leave in the US, an ongoing childcare crisis, and household and family responsibilities falling more on mothers in 2023 than even at the height of the pandemic. Mental health concerns now beat out finances, children’s health, and marriage as moms’ biggest worry. I’ve made it my mission to shout it from the rooftops that moms are not alone in their struggles and there is help and support.

There’s been huge progress in the normalization of seeking mental health support, but there is a stigma around therapy. Society puts so much pressure on women to buy into the cult of “perfect motherhood” – to be a certain way, to lose yourself in motherhood, to do it all on your own, and most of all to put yourself and your own needs last. It’s not easy to reach out for help and support – I’m honored to be invited into sacred, vulnerable spaces with my clients. As a social worker, I know that change can’t happen just on an individual level and that the systems we exist in influence and shape our experiences. Beyond supporting individuals directly as a therapist, I train and support couples and groups through coaching and workshops as a Certified Fair Play Facilitator. I provide thought leadership on mental health and wellness through speaking engagements and as a contributor for mental health and motherhood-focused publications. I am an advocate for systemic changes, including national paid family leave, safe and affordable childcare, and protection of reproductive rights.

Poppy Therapy is my dream realized. I love doing therapy and I love getting to support moms in the thick of postpartum and early parenting. My clients describe me as warm, understanding, and open and this work has brought me so much inspiration and optimism.

I host a weekly podcast, Our First Year, where I interview moms about their experiences in the first year of motherhood. This has been a really fun way to create connections and hold space for mothers to tell their stories.

I also send out a weekly email, This Made Me Think of You, which is a Friday round-up of musings, videos, poems, articles, podcast episodes, links, and a mindfulness exercise to give readers 5 minutes of calm to send them off into their weekend.

What matters most to you? Why?
My core values are beauty, peace, growth, connection, and playfulness. I think all of this comes out through my work – the therapeutic services I offer, the workshops and groups, and the podcast and weekly emails, too. That’s the beauty of creating and building a business; I get to make it what I want it to be and serve those I’m best positioned to serve.

All of my offerings through Poppy Therapy aim to inspire confidence, calm, and connection in motherhood. My ultimate goal is for mothers to feel seen and understood, empowered, and hopeful – that they are not alone and that motherhood can be full of challenges AND joy and fun, often at the same time. I do this work because I know that going through motherhood in doubt, chaos, and isolation is not it. When moms have support, families are happier, healthier, and stronger.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.poppy-therapy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppy.therapy/
• Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/our-first-year/id1682326725

Image Credits
Blossom Blue Photography