Hi, y’all!

My name is Willa Shemmassian, and I’m delighted to be the July Mom of the Month.July is a special month for me because it’s the month I became a mom. You will typically find me and my youngest son Melik (age 2) at the Balboa Park or Point Loma locations, though my older son Kami (age 5) joins us at Stroller Strides when he’s off school to “help take care of the babies.”

I was raised in New Orleans. Although I’ve lived elsewhere for many years, I still miss it dearly, and I make a mean jambalaya. After attending college and working on the East Coast, I was thrilled – and a little scared! – to move solo to Los Angeles to study clinical psychology at UCLA. I met my husband Shirag in graduate school, and when I matched for my clinical internship in San Diego, we were very excited to explore a new city together. When I’m not at work or in mom mode, I like to run, do yoga, cook, and get lost in a murder mystery audiobook.

I am one of those odd people who knew from about the age of 8 what I wanted to be professionally when I grew up… and I am grateful to work part-time as a child clinical psychologist in my own private practice. It is such a privilege to come alongside kids and their parents during challenging times as they grow in knowledge and confidence, and it’s also fun to think of new, creative approaches to help kids learn.

Of course, no one keeps me on my toes quite like my own kids! Kami and Melik are both sweet, mischievous, loving kids. I love hearing what they have to say – Kami is a future film director in the making, organizing very detailed pretend play for all of us to act out, and Melik is such a jokester! As a family, we love to go on walks exploring the neighborhood, travel, check out new coffee shops and bakeries, and play with our dog Jacques-imo (my first baby boy).

Becoming a parent was a joyful and seismic shift for me. As soon as I met that little red-headed guy, it felt like I was a whole new me! But it was also clear how important it was going to be to care for myself as I cared for my kids. One of the things I am grateful for when it comes to Fit4Mom is the way it supports not only physical but also mental health for moms. Besides a great way to get out and move in the sunshine, Fit4Mom has been a source of endless parenting wisdom (every bottle or sippy cup we’ve used has been recommended to me by a Strides mom!); validation for the tough tantrum days or times my strategies are falling flat; and openness, where my kids and I can show up the way we are (even a few minutes late…), and that’s okay. A heartfelt thank you to my fellow Fit4Moms, and if we haven’t met yet, please say hi! I’m always up for a chat and a trip to the coffee cart!