Cultivating Mental Health Support: Meet Mackenzie Sodestrom of Cultivate Therapy Group

Interview by Heather Anderson

Mackenzie Sodestrom is the founder of Cultivate Therapy Group, a Bay Area-based practice specializing in anxiety, trauma, and life transitions for teens, 20-somethings, and adults. What began as a solo private practice has evolved into a growing group of clinicians—each with unique specialties and a shared commitment to supporting clients who often look like they have it all together on the outside, but are quietly struggling. In this conversation, Mackenzie opens up about the origins of her practice, her team’s fresh take on mental health, and the very real pressures today’s high-performing youth face.

What first drew you to the field of therapy? Was there a specific moment that shaped your path?

In college I went to therapy for the first time and experienced my own personal healing and growth as a client. Seeing personally how helpful therapy can be really fueled my intellectual curiosity to hone my people skills.

After college, I worked for a psychologist, got my MFT degree, and eventually launched my private practice. Fun fact: I started it when my daughter was just nine months old. It was a little wild, but the flexibility made it work.

“Therapy isn’t just sitting and reflecting—it’s digging into the soil of our lives, tending to what’s there, planting new things, pulling weeds.”
— Mackenzie Sodestrom

Why did you choose the name "Cultivate" for your group practice?

Naming the practice was harder than I expected! I worked with a friend who has a marketing background to clarify what I wanted the brand to reflect.

"Cultivate" felt right because it captures this balance between nurturing and taking action. Therapy isn’t just sitting and reflecting—it’s digging into the soil of our lives, tending to what’s there, planting new things, pulling weeds. It’s also about the ripple effect: a healthy individual creates healthier relationships, families, and communities.

Your practice works with a lot of teens and young adults who don’t "look" like they’re struggling. What are some signs of hidden anxiety parents might overlook?

Anxiety is so common in our teens and young adults these days. For many kids, this intense pressure feels normal. They often don’t realize how anxious they really are. They may think it’s normal to cry from panic weekly or be used to the mental scripts of anxious thoughts. Anxiety shows up really physically - stomachaches, shakiness, fatigue, fast heart rate, sweaty palms, GI issues, appetite changes. Anxiety often shows up in a lot of self-criticism or what we call negative self-talk—like beating themselves up over a B+ or melting down when they don’t get something perfect the first time. Teens with anxiety may cry frequently or really want to avoid places or situations where they tend to feel anxious. Unfortunately this avoidance typically makes the anxiety stronger in the long run.

Burnout can also be common for high achieving folks. It’s just not sustainable to continue overworking in packed schedules and intense pressure with a “I’ve got it” facade, meanwhile stuffing feelings down. Eventually that mask cracks, and exhaustion takes over. 

When burnout hits, we see symptoms like isolating, emotional numbness, loss of interest in doing things they used to love doing. Kids might start spending more time alone or pull back from friendships.  Maybe they’re not playing music anymore or skipping activities they used to love.

What’s your take on the rise of self-diagnosis culture, especially with mental health content on social media?

It’s a double-edged sword. On one hand, I’m grateful that therapy and mental health are less stigmatized. On the other hand, we’re seeing a flood of misinformation—especially on TikTok. I came across a recent analysis of mental health related videos on TikTok, and their findings suggested more than 80% of mental health advice on TikTok was misleading or inaccurate, with only 9% of TikTokers having the right credentials to offer any mental health advice.

We see clients who come in convinced they have certain diagnoses because of what they’ve seen online, and we often have to pull out the DSM and go through it together. There’s value in curiosity and self-reflection, but we have to be careful. Feeling anxious sometimes is human; labeling yourself with a diagnosis based on a 30-second video can be harmful.

Your practice is developing a preventative mental health support group for teens. What inspired that, and what do you hope it offers?

Mental health issues for teens are skyrocketing, especially anxiety. I was really inspired by reading The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, outlining the correlation and impact of smart phone use (especially social media use) on our mental health, attention, relationships, and attention. Teens are especially vulnerable to these impacts. There are changes we need to make as a society much bigger than I can personally offer, but I kept thinking that as therapists we have tools and skills to pass along to teens that can make a meaningful difference in their well being and relationships. 

We are offering a 4-week group for teens focused on understanding anxiety and learning basic skills to manage stress and anxiety. The group will cover the basics of what anxiety is, coping skills 101, self-compassion and self-esteem, and the intersection of social issues and anxiety. For most teens, smart phones are woven into most hours of the day, so we’ll include conversations around the intersection of mental health and phone use. We’re seeing so many teens affected by what they consume online, often without realizing it. I think many of them want to explore this, but need the right environment.

Our hope is to create a space where teens can talk honestly about their anxiety, build emotional resilience, and learn real tools for managing stress.

What are some of the biggest emotional challenges teens face as they prepare to leave home? And what’s one way parents can support them?

Leaving home is a big milestone, and while it’s often painted as the “best time of your life,” it’s also disorienting. Teens have to adjust to new relationships, advocate for their needs with roommates, figure out how to take feedback, manage pressure, and deal with the loneliness that often catches them off guard.

Parents can help by normalizing that making mistakes is part of growing up. If your kid changes their major, struggles socially, or even transfers schools, that doesn’t mean they’ve failed. Also, shifting to a posture of nonjudgmental support is huge. You want your kid to feel safe coming to you—not just when things are going well, but when they’re hard.

Can you tell us more about your team and the kinds of clients each of you works with?

Sure! I specialize in trauma work using EMDR and IFS, betrayal trauma, infertility support, and faith integration. I’m a mix of practical and depth-oriented. I want clients to walk away with tools they can use right now, but I’m also curious about the roots of their patterns. If we can clear out today’s overwhelm, we often have more resilience to go deeper. I think that’s the magic sauce that creates lasting change.

Allie Kaelin, LMFT, APCC is phenomenal with 20-somethings. That age can be super disorienting—your career might be taking off, but your relationships are a mess, or vice versa. Allie brings this great blend of warmth and directness. She’ll laugh with you, remember your concert recaps, but also lovingly call you out when you’re stuck in a pattern. Her sweet spot is anxiety and identity work with clients in their 20s and 30s.

Gentry Vest, AMFT is our teen whisperer. She has those coveted evening time slots and works with high-achieving kids who are often silently struggling under pressure. She’s incredibly skilled at helping teens identify burnout, reframe their thinking, and build coping tools. Teens open up to her quickly because she gets it, and she’s got the practical skills to help them move forward.

What kind of free resources are you offering for parents and young adults?

We’re rolling out two free guides:

  • One for parents of 20-somethings who are in that in-between stage—maybe their kid moved back home, maybe they’re financially dependent but trying to launch. This guide helps parents navigate that shift from parenting a minor to supporting an adult child.

  • The second guide is for parents of high-achieving teens. It outlines signs of overachievement anxiety and burnout, plus when to consider therapy and how to talk about it without shame.

For someone struggling with anxiety right now, what’s one small shift that could help?

Start by rating your anxiety on a scale from 1 to 10, 1 being no anxiety, 10 is panic. Most people don’t realize that what they consider “normal” might actually be a 6 or 7. If you can learn to recognize when your anxiety is rising, you can apply the right tools earlier.

At a 4 or 5, reframing thoughts or checking in with someone might help. At a 7 or 8, you need grounding techniques or deep breathing before you can even attempt to reframe your thoughts. That awareness can make a big difference in how quickly you recover from a wave of anxiety.

Ready to take the next step or explore therapy with Mackenzie and her team?

You can also find Mackenzie Sodestrom on The M List, The Mamahood’s searchable database of mom-recommended resources, or connect and collaborate with her inside The Club membership for women Founders.

Heather Anderson