THERAPY FOR NEW & EXPECTANT DADS IN SAN DIEGO & ACROSS CALIFORNIA
Step into the role.
Stay connected to yourself.
You are trying to show up for your family, your work, and everything expected of you—but internally, something feels off. There's more pressure, less clarity, and not much space for yourself in any of it.
You don't have to keep pushing through like this.
Support for new and expectant dads navigating the early years of fatherhood: individual therapy, couples counseling for new parents, and an open, therapist-led dads group.
Becoming a dad is a real transition
You just haven't had anywhere to say that out loud. You're doing what's expected of you, but parts of your identity might feel less clear than they used to. You've been carrying this quietly. And it's been heavier than it looks.
Becoming a dad, or being in the early years of parenting, often brings new pressure and responsibility, along with shifts in identity and changes in how relationships function day to day. These changes aren't always visible from the outside, even when things look like they're going fine.
This work is about understanding those changes — how they're showing up in your thoughts, your day-to-day patterns, and your relationships — and finding practical, grounded ways to move through them.
That might mean making sense of a shift in identity, adjusting to less time and more responsibility, or finding better ways to communicate with a partner during a season that puts real strain on a relationship. The goal isn't to push through and get back to normal — normal has changed. It's to find a steady, sustainable way of showing up in this next chapter.
Making sense of the pressure—and finding your footing
HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER
Individual Therapy
A private space to make sense of what this season is asking of you.
Becoming a dad, or adjusting to the early years of parenting, brings pressure, responsibility, and shifts in identity that aren't always easy to name. This work is about understanding how that's showing up in your thoughts, your relationships, and your day to day, and finding a more grounded way forward.
Reach out for information about individual therapy, the dads group, or to decide which is the best fit for you.
Couples Therapy
for New Parents
A space to strengthen your relationship during the transition to parenthood.
Many dads find it valuable to work on their relationship alongside their own individual process. Brandon offers couples counseling specifically for new and expectant parents, with a focus on communication and connection during this season.
Brandon is a trained educator in the Gottman Institute's Bringing Baby Home program — a research-based approach to strengthening your relationship through pregnancy and the first years of parenthood.
Dads Support Group
A structured space to connect with other fathers navigating similar experiences.
This small, therapist-led group gives new and expectant dads a space for honest, thoughtful conversation — covering identity changes in fatherhood, relationships, stress, and connection with other dads.
Facilitated by Brandon Wong, who works specifically with dads and individuals navigating life transitions in San Diego and across California via telehealth.
Support for you as a dad can help you…
Make sense of the pressure you're carrying — Understand how responsibility, expectations, and stress are landing on you, instead of just pushing through.
Feel more grounded day to day — Move out of survival mode and into a way of living that feels clearer, more present, and more manageable.
Show up the way you want to as a dad — Be more engaged, patient, and connected with your family without losing yourself in the process.
Navigate identity shifts with more clarity — Understand how becoming a father is changing you, and begin to define who you want to be in this next season.
Communicate more openly — Say what's actually going on for you and stay connected in your relationships, even when things feel hard.
Feel less alone in what you're carrying — Step out of isolation and into spaces where you can be honest, understood, and supported.
About Brandon
Brandon Wong is an Associate Clinical Social Worker (ASW #136131) at Common Ground Therapy Group. A dad himself, he works with new and expectant fathers and with young adults navigating identity, pressure, and life transitions. He is a trained educator in the Gottman Institute's Bringing Baby Home program, and his approach is warm, grounded, and practical. He sees clients in person in Mission Valley, San Diego, and via telehealth across California.
Brandon Wong, ASW #136131, is supervised by Melanie Wolf, LMFT #124745.
You can reach Brandon at: brandon@commongroundtherapygroup.com or by calling 619.800.4538.
You can show up in this season without losing yourself.
The first step is a free 15-minute consultation, a chance to share what you're hoping to work on and see whether working with Brandon feels like the right fit.
FAQs
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That's more common than you might think — especially for men. You don't need to know how therapy works or what you're supposed to say. The first session is mostly about getting a sense of what's going on for you and whether this feels like a good fit. There's no script, no right answers, and no pressure to have it all figured out before you walk in. Most people feel more comfortable than they expected after the first conversation.
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Not in the fundamental sense — it's still a real, honest conversation about what's happening in your life and what you want to shift. What's different is the context.
When you're working with a therapist who specializes in this transition, you don't have to spend time explaining the particular pressures of new fatherhood, identity shifts, or what it's like to feel responsible for everyone while quietly struggling yourself. We already understand that landscape. We can get to the real work faster. -
Not necessarily — and not right away. We follow what's actually relevant to what you're navigating now. Sometimes early experiences do come up because they're shaping how you're showing up as a parent, and if that's the case we'll explore it together. But this isn't about excavating your past for its own sake. It's about understanding what's happening in your life right now and what's getting in the way of the version of yourself you're trying to be.
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It is a clinician-facilitated support group designed to provide structured reflection and shared conversation among fathers navigating early parenthood.
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No. Participation in individual therapy is not required.
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The group meets virtually via SimplePractice, with a potential in-person San Diego cohort based on demand.
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Individual sessions with Brandon are $150, the dads group is $50 per session, and couples sessions are $170. A limited number of sliding-scale spots are available, so if cost is a barrier, it's worth asking.
Common Ground Therapy Group is a private-pay practice. We don't bill insurance, but we can provide a superbill for out-of-network reimbursement, and a Good Faith Estimate is available before you begin. -
It's a relaxed 15-minute phone call. You'll share a bit about what brings you in and what you're hoping for, Brandon will describe how he works, and you'll both get a feel for whether it's a good fit. There's no obligation to continue.