For Dr. Sanam Shamtobi, becoming a mother didn't change who she was—it illuminated who she was meant to be. Long before founding The Mother Hood, Shamtobi had established herself as a respected clinical psychologist. A Los Angeles native and USC graduate, and specialist in anxiety and couples therapy, she spent more than a decade helping people navigate some of life's most important transitions. After years in private practice, however, she began to feel something was missing. "I loved what I was doing, but I didn't feel fully aligned," she says. "Once I became a mother, everything started to make sense."
That redirection arrived three years ago with the birth of her son. Becoming a mother brought a deeper understanding of the women she was increasingly drawn to work with. “I realized that this was where my passion and my expertise intersected,” she says. “I loved being a mother so much, and I realized that the way I serve my children is by serving other mothers.”
Today, that idea has become the basis for The Mother Hood, a Brentwood-based therapy and coaching practice dedicated to supporting women through fertility, pregnancy, postpartum and every stage of motherhood beyond. Located on San Vicente just steps from Vicente Foods, the practice has quickly become one of the westside's most trusted resources for women—combining exceptional clinical care with something equally valuable: community.
Understanding others has always been at the center of Shamtobi's story. Raised in Beverly Hills, she was fascinated by people from an early age. After attending USC, where she studied English and Art History, she realized that psychology was the common thread. "When you're studying literature and art, you're really studying the human experience," Shamtobi says. "You're exploring relationships, identity, culture and emotion. She went on to earn her doctorate in clinical psychology and built a career helping people navigate life's most meaningful—and often most challenging—moments.
At the same time, another dream was taking shape. Shamtobi had always imagined building her life in Brentwood. "I always wanted to live here," she says. "I loved the pace of life, the sense of community and being close to the ocean." She got her first apartment, met her now-husband and eventually found a home on one of her favorite streets. Today, they are raising their two children—a three-year-old son and one-year-old daughter—just minutes from the office where Shamtobi now spends her days.
As her own family grew, so did her understanding of the women around her. Through neighborhood gatherings, friendships and school communities, she found herself having meaningful conversations with fellow moms. Some were navigating fertility treatments. Others were adjusting to new babies, balancing careers and family life or simply looking for support through a major milestone. "I kept realizing how much women needed a space that was specifically designed for them," she says. "Not just for one phase of motherhood, but for the entire journey."
One of those conversations would prove especially significant. A few houses away lived Kira Sedaka, a former teacher and mother of three. The two quickly bonded over their shared passion for supporting families and began imagining what a more holistic resource for women could look like. Together, they envisioned a place where women could access exceptional therapy, guidance and connection. It was Sedaka who suggested they call the space “The Mother Hood.” "It was perfect," Shamtobi recalls. "It's motherhood, but it's also a neighborhood. It's a community. It's people who have your back." Today, Sedaka serves as one of the practice's parent coaches, helping clients navigate everything from everyday challenges to larger developmental and family transitions.
The timing of what happened next was, by any measure, ambitious. Just two days before giving birth to her daughter, Shamtobi found the office space that would become her HQ. "I knew I wanted to be in Brentwood because this way I could serve my really local community and also go back and forth from my house," she says. "Everything is shaped around my kids." She signed the lease while recovering in the hospital and spent much of her maternity leave overseeing the renovation. “People kept telling me to slow down—that this wasn’t a good time to start a business,” she recalls. “But I truly felt this is what I was meant to do.”
When the doors opened last September, Shamtobi had created something unlike a traditional therapy office. The space feels warm, welcoming and intentionally residential. Cream-colored walls, vintage-inspired rugs and thoughtfully designed gathering areas create an environment that feels more like a chic apartment than a medical practice. Large windows overlook Brentwood Presbyterian Church Preschool, a daily reminder of the families at the heart of the practice. "I oversaw every single detail," Shamtobi says. Because the practice serves women navigating everything from fertility challenges and pregnancy loss to postpartum depression, Shamtobi was careful to design a space that felt warm without being narrowly defined by motherhood. There are no babies on the walls. Even the changing table is tucked into the kitchenette so no one in the waiting room is unexpectedly confronted. Rather than featuring a mother and child, The Mother Hood logo depicts a woman riding a lion—a symbol of strength, courage and possibility. "This is a space for women," she says. "Motherhood is part of the story, but it's not the entire story."
But perhaps the most distinctive aspect of The Mother Hood isn’t the beautiful office or even the services offered there. It’s the atmosphere. “There shouldn’t be shame around therapy,” says Shamtobi. “This should feel like a place where you want to be.” Women often linger after appointments, conversations happen organically and connections form naturally. While therapy remains at the heart of the practice, community is woven into the experience. At the same time, Shamtobi understands that every woman’s needs are different. The practice also offers virtual therapy, coaching and in-home appointments—the last of which she considers one of The Mother Hood’s most important offerings. For a woman in early postpartum who can’t imagine packing up a newborn and leaving the house, the option isn’t just convenient. Sometimes it’s the only way care actually happens. “We’ll come hold the baby so you can cry,” she says simply.
Today, The Mother Hood has grown into a multidisciplinary team of seven therapists and three coaches supporting women throughout Los Angeles. Services include individual therapy, couples counseling, fertility and IVF support, postpartum care, parenting support, executive coaching and specialized groups. What distinguishes the practice, however, is its commitment to expertise. "We are incredible therapists," says Shamtobi. "I ride my reputation on them because of how good they are." Every Wednesday morning, the entire team participates in advanced training led by specialists across the maternal health landscape. Pelvic floor therapists, lactation consultants, reproductive specialists and surrogacy experts regularly contribute to ongoing education, ensuring the practice remains at the forefront of maternal mental health care. "We can't call ourselves specialists if we don't specialize," says Shamtobi. "Our clients deserve clinicians who truly understand their world."
For Shamtobi, the work is personal in every direction. She still takes every intake call herself and wants to be the person on the other end of the line when a woman finds them at 3 a.m. and decides to click. “Anybody who’s reading these words,” she says, “know that you are allowed to give that hour to yourself. Therapy isn’t painful all the time. It’s pain with purpose. It eventually takes you somewhere really important.” And ultimately, that is the mission behind The Mother Hood. “I just want people to feel a sigh of relief when they walk through our doors,” she says. “That whatever they’re going to talk about, they’re talking about it in the right place.”
The Mother Hood
12011 San Vicente Blvd., Suite 402
310-564-6466
themotherhoodla.com
"I kept realizing how much women needed a space that was specifically designed for them. Not just for one phase of motherhood, but for the entire journey."