Hi, I’m Juanita
Juanita provides in-person counseling in Parker, CO, as well as virtual sessions for clients across Colorado. Specializing in Maternal Mental Health, Adoptive/Foster Parents, and Women’s Issues, Juanita brings warmth, understanding, and a wealth of experience to her work with clients. She is passionate about supporting women and parents through life’s transitions, whether navigating the challenges of motherhood, building a family through adoption, or facing the emotional weight that can come with these experiences. Juanita offers a compassionate space for individuals to process and thrive.
The Unexpected Beginning of Motherhood
I always knew I wanted to be a mom, and yet my journey to motherhood happened faster than I expected. A few months after marrying my husband, during a routine medical appointment, my doctor informed me I was pregnant. Despite the shock, I wanted nothing more than to become a mom—it felt like my calling.
My husband, on the other hand, had hoped to wait a year or more. Through open conversation and shared humor, we reached a place of mutual excitement and anticipation.
Our first son joined our little family a month after our first wedding anniversary. During that time, my husband worked second shift, so I spent long evenings alone with a new baby. While this could have been a rocky transition into motherhood, I was fortunate to be surrounded by a strong support system of family and friends who visited, checked in on us, let me take naps, and answered my never-ending list of new mom questions. Without that support, I would have felt incredibly overwhelmed and lonely as I navigated my first experience with parenting.
Time went on, and I was loving my time bonding with my son. Motherhood was different than I had always envisioned and yet it filled me with more joy than I knew myself to be capable of.
My little family had grown, but it didn’t feel complete. While we knew we wanted more children, I couldn’t fathom how I would love another child as much as I adored my first. How could I give another child enough time and attention, and still meet all of their needs?
I wrestled with those fears of inadequacy until the day our second son was born. And then, I understood how I could love them both—it was as if my heart doubled in size, and the love for each child flowed freely. Polar opposites in every way, our boys filled our lives with adventure, a messy house, cuddles, tantrums, laughter, and many sleepless nights.
While I felt like I had thrived in pregnancy, both of my births resulted in C-Sections. I was not prepared for the looks of sympathy, the head tilts, sad eyes and “I’m sorry’s” that I received when other mothers learned I had not given birth naturally. I began to wonder if I was somehow inferior as a mother if the only way I could bring my babies into the world was through surgery. I grappled silently while portraying a confident façade to all who asked. The mask grew heavy, until I could finally say my birth stories were beautiful, even with the scars, because they were mine.In time, I reconnected with the woman I was, and others’ opinions about my births no longer held power over me.
A Growing Family Through Adoption and Foster Care
While our family had grown to four, my husband and I knew it still wasn’t complete. Through our experience parenting our two boys, we realized we had more love to give and space in our hearts for more children. Adoption became the path forward. We made the decision to grow our family through adoption rather than having another biological child.
The adoption process was thorough and informative—but also invasive and incredibly expensive. It took over a year to complete the required classes and wait to be chosen as adoptive parents. In time, we welcomed a precious newborn baby girl into our family.
From the beginning, adoption was part of our conversations with her. We shared her birth story in age-appropriate ways throughout her childhood, wanting her to know her truth. But knowing the details of adoption is not the same as accepting them. There is a deep heaviness in watching your child wrestle with fears of abandonment and rejection, while also learning to trust you to love and care for them.
In the two years following our daughter’s adoption, we knew we wanted to adopt again—but also knew we could not afford another private adoption. So, we began considering foster care through our local county agency.
A Foster Mother’s Story of Courage and Calling
Our parenting journey took a new path when we became licensed foster parents in 2000. During orientation, it was made clear that fostering was not to be used as a path to adoption. In theory, we understood that reunification with birth parents was the primary goal of foster care, and we were prepared to support that outcome. But what our minds understood and our hearts felt turned out to be very different. Nothing could have prepared us for the immense joy and heartbreaking grief we experienced over the next six years.
Foster care eventually became the avenue through which our family was completed—first with the adoption of our foster son, and later our last foster baby boy. But the years in between shaped our lives and broke our hearts in ways we couldn’t have imagined. The experience deeply impacted our children and brought us closer together, even as it turned our world upside down.
A year after our foster son joined our family, we were asked to take in a three-week-old baby girl. Although we were told she would only be with us a few weeks, she remained in our care well beyond her first birthday. During that time, we fell deeply in love with her—and she with us. Fourteen months later, we learned she would be returning to her biological family. Saying goodbye began as a slow, painful process. How do you part with a baby you brought home at three weeks old and loved as your own for fifteen months?
I still remember rocking her to sleep one final time, knowing she had no idea her world was about to change. We said our goodbyes as she left our arms and returned to her birth family. I cried uncontrollably, devastated by the emptiness in my arms and the helpless concern I felt for her future. For days and weeks afterward, I wanted nothing more than to stay in bed and let the world go on without me. While I now recognize that I was experiencing depression, at the time, all I understood was the depth of my despair.
Equally painful was the decision to tell a foster son we loved that we could not be his forever family. We entered foster parenting knowing not all placements would lead to adoption, but we never anticipated having to choose between the child we welcomed into our hearts and the safety and well-being of our other children. Love required an impossible decision. That season left me a shell of myself, consumed with anxiety, grief, and guilt. My husband later told me that our family was deeply worried about me during that time. They saw me unravel, trying to figure out how to be what this child deserved while also protecting the needs of the rest of our children.
From Surviving to Supporting: A Mother’s Journey to Becoming a Therapist
Though the support system that surrounded me after my biological children was still there, they didn’t understand what we were going through—and didn’t know how to help. I started medication for anxiety and depression. I had no appetite, and barely enough energy or attention to give to the five children in our home. I struggled with guilt over not being the mom I wanted to be or felt I should be. I remember mornings sitting on the edge of my bed, staring blankly at the wall for what felt like forever. I felt completely alone.
Eventually, my husband and I found a therapist. Each session gave us space to grieve and begin to process our pain. I cried through every appointment as we tried to figure out what was best for our foster son and came to terms with what was inevitable.
With our five children now grown, I felt called to return to school and pursue my passion for supporting others. My journey to motherhood—through pregnancy, adoption, and foster care—inspired me to earn a degree in Social Work and devote my career to walking alongside women and parents through life’s most difficult transitions.
My heart is to support women through the hard parts of life—whether that’s deciding how to grow their family, becoming a mother, navigating foster care or adoption, or getting through the everyday challenges of parenting. I want to be someone who shows up, listens, and helps women feel less alone. If you're a foster or adoptive parent—or thinking about becoming one—it would be an honor to walk that path with you. I look forward to meeting women and mothers wherever they are on their journey.
What Is It Like Working With Juanita?
This is Juanita’s Approach that she takes with women who are struggling with Postpartum Depression or Postpartum Anxiety, women who find themselves in the throes of motherhood and trauma.
Compassionate Support
Working with Juanita means receiving compassionate support tailored to the unique challenges of motherhood. Whether you’re considering motherhood, experiencing postpartum struggles, navigating life as an adoptive/foster parent or seeking guidance in parenting, Juanita, as a mental health professional, offers understanding and empathy every step of the way.
Additionally, Juanita provides convenient online therapy sessions, making it easier for new parents to seek help without the challenges of attending in-person appointments. For those wanting to see her in office, Juanita sees clients in the beautiful Parker, CO location.
Expertise In Perinatal Mental Health
Juanita’s specialized training in perinatal mood disorders through Postpartum Support International and her ongoing pursuit of PMH-C certification ensure that you’re receiving care from someone with expertise in addressing the mental health conditions associated with pregnancy and postpartum. With Juanita, you can trust that your emotional well-being is in capable hands. She understands the impact of mental health disorders, including a history of postpartum depression and provides comprehensive care accordingly. Through her experiences with foster care and adoption, Juanita can walk alongside parents as they welcome a new child into their family.
Empowerment and Self-Compassion:
Juanita's approach goes beyond addressing immediate concerns; it's about empowering you to navigate life's transitions with confidence and self-compassion. Through her guidance, you'll not only gain practical skills for managing challenges but also cultivate a deeper sense of self-awareness and resilience to thrive in your journey through motherhood.
Take Our Free Anxiety Quiz
This free quiz is designed to help you identify and understand the depth of your emotions, providing clarity even if you're not fully conscious of them.
How To Start Online Therapy
Your virtual comfort zone, just a click away… because self-care knows no boundaries. Online postpartum depression therapy can offer significant benefits to parents struggling with this condition, providing accessible and convenient support.
Schedule Your Free Consultation
Taking the first step is vital. This consult lets you connect with a therapist, gauge their approach, and decide if it aligns with your needs. It's your chance to set the foundation for healing.
Commit To The Process
Healing requires dedication. By fully engaging in therapy, you invest in your well-being. Trust the journey, your therapist, and yourself.
Find Joy…and yourself
Beyond addressing pain, therapy helps you rediscover joy and self-awareness. Embrace moments of happiness and celebrate your growth, leading to a more authentic you.
Frequently Asked Questions About Parenting Foster/Adoptive Children
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Not at all. I work with individuals and couples at all stages — whether you're considering fostering or adoption, in the middle of the process, or have been parenting for years.
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Many parents come seeking support for navigating attachment challenges, grief and loss, parenting trauma-impacted children, relationship strain, or the emotional complexities that can arise in the foster or adoption journey.
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es. The grief, guilt, and complicated emotions that come with disrupted placements or unmet expectations are real. Counseling can help process those experiences and rebuild hope.
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We’ll create a space where you can share openly — without judgment. Whether you’re processing your own story, exploring how your child’s history impacts your parenting, or navigating burnout, we’ll work at your pace to build insight, resilience, and healing.
Juanita Is Able To Work With Clients Online in Colorado and In Person in Denver, CO.
Accessible Online Therapy, built with you in mind.
