Dr. Sandra Konja, Psy.D., PMH-C: The Mommy Psychologist | New Beginnings Coaching -

Rachel Kau'i

I am so incredibly grateful for Dr. Sandra and the New Beginnings program. As a new mom struggling with navigating motherhood and my career/professional life in addition to postpartum depression and anxiety, I was confused and in desperate need of guidance and direction. I was at a loss on how to navigate being a mom while working, and wasn’t sure what I needed or even wanted. I felt very stuck and helpless. Through this program, I was able to connect with and relate to other moms navigating similar challenges in a safe space. Dr. Sandra and the other mamas in this group validated my thoughts and experiences, while also gently challenging me to step outside of my comfort zone and better myself. Dr. Sandra, through both the weekly exercises and group sessions, helped me gain clarity on my values and what is ultimately important to me. I have been able to set goals that align with those values rather than just feeling like I was on a never ending hamster wheel. I came into this group thinking I was going to get help navigating my professional life, but it truly helped me in all aspects of my life! The support system in itself has been invaluable, as I feel like I have gained amazing mama friends in addition to the helpful tools Dr. Sandra provided. I feel more confident and empowered, and I have much more clarity. I feel much more excited rather than apprehensive about the future. I would absolutely recommend Dr. Sandra and this New Beginnings program to any mama looking for extra support on navigating this motherhood journey!

Megan Conrad

I participated in a maternal mental health group- New Beginnings- with Dr Sandra and I am so happy I did. I started the group a few months after returning to work, when I was feeling completely lost. I had no idea how to balance work with new motherhood and I felt I was failing at both. Dr. Sandra’s group helped me to find my identity in both of these parts of my life. She encouraged us, via group and through weekly homework, to dig deep and truly identify our struggles, our priorities, our goals and values, and build a plan for how to achieve them. The group itself was invaluable. We worked through Dr Sandra’s curriculum as a group, thinking and processing and supporting each other. And when one of us had something else we needed to work through, Dr Sandra made the time and effort to talk about our individual needs as well. I aways left group feeling stronger, more supported, with more clarity, and lifted up by the support and friendship. I’ve made friends with some of the women in my group and now I have moms in my corner outside of group time as well. Dr. Sandra’s group gave me the power and confidence to continue my motherhood journey with my head held high. It is the best thing I’ve done for myself since becoming a mom, and I highly recommend Dr Sandra to anyone!

Itzel Figueroa

As a new mom navigating through motherhood can be extremely difficult. Especially when you try to be wonder woman and feel you can do it all on your own. The New Beginnings program has been a life changing experience for me. Dr. Sandra has helped me navigate through difficult topics that I was normally not comfortable talking about. Learning how to set boundaries at work and with family as a new mom has been a challenge for me. As a working mom I’ve had to adjust to my “new norm” which includes work life balance, asking for help from my partner/family/friends, and accepting that not everything is going to be perfect and that’s okay. The guilt of not always being present at home or at times, work would weight heavy on me. Dr. Sandra created a safe space for not only me but other mamas in my group. I have enjoyed learning from other moms and most importantly not feeling like I’m alone with my thoughts and feelings, other moms go through similar experiences. If you resonate with anything I have written, I highly recommend the New Beginnings program with Dr. Sandra, she is amazing!

Jennifer Malone

Motherhood is often isolating. It’s a sentence I wouldn’t have believed four years ago before I was a mom. There are millions of moms in the world. How could we ever feel isolated? But we do.

Opportunities like Dr. Sandra’s New Beginnings program are essential for moms, whether you’re a seasoned vet with a 4 year old or a new mom elbows deep in diapers for the first time. We need each other. We need voices outside of our head telling us that we’re doing great. And we all need those people in our life teaching us how to tell ourselves we’re doing great.

The last 12 weeks have had a greater impact on my life than I believed possible. From Dr. Sandra pushing me out of my comfort zone of self-hatred to the weekly group sessions with other moms who can relate to my struggles - I couldn’t have asked for more.

This incredibly diverse group of women, living far from one another, from different backgrounds, different journeys to become parents, we all have that three letter word in common - mom. And we are all better when we’re vulnerable together, under the perceptive eye and caring guidance of Dr. Sandra.

I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything. I’m so grateful to share my experience, and I would recommend this to literally every mom I know. Thank you.

Lindsey Barrera

Navigating the many changes that came with being a new mom resulted in many challenges for me. I had been struggling with postpartum depression and anxiety, and not knowing how to reacclimate to being a career mom even 1 year after returning to work. I had discovered Dr. Sandra’s New Beginnings 12 week program and it was exactly what I had been searching for. I had never been in a group therapy type setting so I was not sure how we would all have an opportunity to work out our stuff, but Dr. Sandra structured it so well. Not only did we all have the opportunity to voice our feedback/thoughts/struggles, we all really related with and understood one another. It was a beautiful thing not feeling lonely or isolated in a new mom struggle. Even though we weren’t in the same room, it felt like we were. Dr. Sandra made it a safe and welcoming environment. Her style was so perfect for the burdened, down and out mama (ME!). It was really refreshing. She also structured the topics so appropriately and I felt for the first time like I was able to work through things I had been frozen with for so long. I was in a deep deep depression and so lost leading up to New Beginnings. I feel so much lighter, more free, and like the cloud has lifted. Most importantly I feel much more capable because I now have tools to work through the heavy issues and know how to process them. I cannot recommend this program enough! Every new mom needs this resource. It’s been life changing for me. Thank you Dr. Sandra for giving me the tools I desperately needed. I am on the road to being a healed and well wife and mama, and I feel Capable - this in itself is a miracle. I hope my this feedback on experience helps other struggling mamas make the life changing decision to work with you and join the program.