About Cerissa Rhodes, LCSW

The mama who refused to lose herself

Licensed therapist, parent coach, and mom of two boys, twelve years apart. I help moms of anxious kids stop running the whole house around the worry.

My story

I've been the mom in the driveway

My oldest had separation anxiety from toddlerhood all the way through third grade. I'm a therapist, and I still over-reassured him. Then I'd glance at the clock, snap, and think, crap, I just undid everything I was trying to do.

So I get it. Knowing what to do and being able to do it when your kiddo is screaming at the classroom door are two very different things.

That's why I coach the mom, not just the kid. Your own history, the people-pleasing, the "I can't stand to see him upset" all show up in those moments. When you feel more regulated, he does too.

My background

Years with kids, families, and big feelings

I'm a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW). Most of my career has been with children ages 0 to 18 and their parents, mostly around anxiety and trauma.

  • Child-parent psychotherapy at a nonprofit, working with little ones and their caregivers together
  • Community mental health: in-home and outpatient work, a group home for teen boys, and managing a partial hospitalization program
  • Practice manager at a children's psychiatric hospital in Virginia
  • Clinical supervision for new LCSWs and counselors, and training interns in work with young children
  • My own private therapy practice, where I added support for moms with anxiety, perfectionism, people-pleasing and boundaries

I grew up in Washington State, raised by a single mom, got my psychology degree in Alaska and my LCSW in Hawaii, and now I live in North Carolina with my husband and our two boys. We have no family nearby, which is a big part of why I care so much about moms having real support.

How I coach

Warm, practical, and a little unfiltered

You'll get real scripts, real plans, and honesty about how hard it is. The first day of a new plan is hard. The third day is usually the hardest. I'll tell you that up front, and I'll be right there in Slack when it happens.

I won't tell you to yell, threaten, or ignore your kiddo. We're not ignoring them. We're calmly expecting them to do the hard thing, the same way we expect them to come running when it's time for ice cream.

Coaching is not therapy. If your child is missing a lot of school, not eating or sleeping, talking about hurting themselves, or stuck in habits that take over their day, that's when I want you working with a therapist, and I'll help you find one.

Let's talk about your kiddo

Watch the short video first. It walks you through what's really going on, and how to book a call with me.

Watch the free video