Matrescence therapy covered by Ascension
"Becoming a mother has changed who I am and I don't know where I went."
+9 moreNo commitment. We'll confirm your coverage before your first session.
Using your Ascension benefits
Phoenix Health is out-of-network with Ascension, and that matters less than it sounds. You can still see a PMH-C certified perinatal specialist here; the difference is how the money moves. You pay us directly, and once a month we issue a superbill — an itemized receipt with the diagnosis and procedure codes your plan needs — which you submit to Ascension for reimbursement against your out-of-network behavioral health benefits. Ascension is a Catholic health system that sells plans mainly in the markets where it runs hospitals, and those plans tend to be narrow network, so how much comes back to you varies more than it would with a national carrier. We find out what your specific plan reimburses before your first session rather than after. Our clinicians treat postpartum depression, perinatal anxiety, birth trauma, and pregnancy loss, and sessions are FSA and HSA eligible whether or not Ascension reimburses them.
Does Ascension cover therapy for the identity shift of becoming a mother?
Insurance does not have a billing code for matrescence, and a claim describing it that way would be denied by Ascension. What is covered is the diagnosable condition underneath, which is most often an adjustment disorder -- a recognized response to a major life transition -- or a depressive or anxiety disorder. The assessment establishes which. The work itself is the same either way; the diagnosis determines how it is billed.
Phoenix Health is out-of-network with Ascension: you pay us directly and we issue a superbill once a month — not after each session — which you submit for reimbursement against your out-of-network behavioral health benefits. You pay Phoenix Health directly and we issue a superbill once a month that you submit to Ascension against your out-of-network benefits. Ascension Personalized Care plans are generally narrow-network products built around Ascension's own hospitals, so out-of-network reimbursement varies widely and some plans reimburse nothing outside the network. Confirm before you start. Sessions are FSA and HSA eligible regardless of what your plan reimburses.
Checking it yourself: Call the member services number on your Ascension card and ask: do I have out-of-network outpatient behavioral health benefits, what is my out-of-network deductible, and what share of the allowed amount is reimbursed? We run this check for you before your first session at no charge.
Your card might say any of these — all of them are Ascension:
✓ Out-of-network with superbill
You pay us directly, and we issue a superbill once a month that you submit to your plan for reimbursement.
✓ Benefits verified upfront
We confirm your copay and deductible before your first session, at no charge.
✓ Telehealth covered
Your plan covers virtual sessions at the same rate as in-person specialist visits.
You might benefit from therapy if…
- ✓You don't recognize yourself anymore, and that loss is hitting harder than you expected
- ✓You're grieving your old life, your old body, your old freedom, even though you love your baby
- ✓Your priorities, friendships, and interests have shifted and you don't know where you fit anymore
- ✓You feel guilty for missing who you used to be
- ✓You're between worlds: not the person you were, not yet the person you're becoming
- ✓Therapy with a generalist hasn't quite captured what you're going through
Dr. Emily Guarnotta
Psychologist & Founder
From our founder
Matrescence is the word that changed how I work with new mothers. So much of what we used to lump together as postpartum mood issues is actually the largest identity reorganization since adolescence, and nobody warned you. Once a client hears that, the shame tends to drop, and the real work can begin.
What therapy looks like
Our Matrescence specialists who accept Ascension
Most Phoenix Health therapists hold PMH-C certification — the gold standard in perinatal mental health.
Amanda Flowers
LPC, PMH-C · Licensed therapist
Works with perinatal OCD and neurodivergence, using body-based tools to calm the nervous system.
Licensed in TX, MT
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Natalia Cruz Navarro
EspañolLCSW · Licensed therapist
12+ years with families through high-risk pregnancies, fetal diagnoses, and NICU stays.
Licensed in CA
Lyndsay Ward
LCSW, PMH-C · Licensed therapist
An attachment theory expert who helps you unpack how your childhood shows up in your parenting.
Licensed in NY
Golda Fleischman
LMSW · Licensed therapist
A birth doula before she was a therapist, she helps you prepare for a birth or process a hard one.
Licensed in NY
Stories that may sound familiar
These are examples, not client reviews. We don't publish our clients' words. What's said in therapy stays there.
“"Nobody warned me that I would find early motherhood lonely in a way I couldn't explain. I was surrounded by people. I was loved. And I missed myself so much I couldn't breathe some days. My therapist helped me stop waiting to feel normal again and start building something that felt real."”
“"I had a career I was proud of, friendships I'd built over fifteen years, a version of myself I'd spent my whole adult life becoming. Then I had my daughter and none of it fit anymore. I felt guilty for grieving who I used to be when I was supposed to just be grateful. My therapist helped me understand that becoming a mother doesn't mean erasing yourself. It means finding out who you are now."”
“"I loved my son immediately and completely and still felt like I'd lost something I couldn't name. Everyone told me motherhood would feel natural but I kept looking in the mirror like a stranger. My therapist introduced me to the concept of matrescence and for the first time I had language for what was happening to me. I wasn't broken. I was changing."”
“For two years I thought something was wrong with me. The first session my therapist used the word matrescence and described exactly what I had been living. I cried. I had thought I was broken. I was developing.”
In-network with
Ascension.
Most clients pay less than $20 per session.
Accepted Insurance Networks
Your rights under federal parity law
Under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), your insurer cannot impose more restrictive limits on mental health coverage than on comparable medical or surgical benefits.
See full coverage map →Ready to start Matrescence therapy? Here’s how it works.
The whole process takes about 5 minutes. We handle insurance — you just show up.
- 1
Book your free call
A quick 15-minute chat to hear what you're going through, answer your questions, and make sure we're a great fit for your needs. No cost, no commitment.
- 2
Get matched
We'll pair you with the right specialist for your specific situation. We'll also check your insurance, so you know your exact cost per session before moving forward.
- 3
Start your first session
Meet your therapist from the comfort of home. No commute, no waiting rooms, no judgment. Most clients notice a real difference within just 2 to 3 sessions.
No commitment · Most insurance accepted · Available this week
Common questions
- Insurance does not have a billing code for matrescence, and a claim describing it that way would be denied by Ascension. What is covered is the diagnosable condition underneath, which is most often an adjustment disorder -- a recognized response to a major life transition -- or a depressive or anxiety disorder. The assessment establishes which. The work itself is the same either way; the diagnosis determines how it is billed. Phoenix Health is out-of-network with Ascension: you pay us directly and we issue a superbill once a month — not after each session — which you submit for reimbursement against your out-of-network behavioral health benefits. You pay Phoenix Health directly and we issue a superbill once a month that you submit to Ascension against your out-of-network benefits. Ascension Personalized Care plans are generally narrow-network products built around Ascension's own hospitals, so out-of-network reimbursement varies widely and some plans reimburse nothing outside the network. Confirm before you start. Sessions are FSA and HSA eligible regardless of what your plan reimburses.
- They can overlap, but matrescence is a developmental transition, not a disorder. Postpartum depression is a clinical condition with specific symptoms and treatment. Matrescence is the broader identity reshuffling that happens when you become a mother, with or without depression. A perinatal therapist can help you figure out what's what.
- No. Matrescence isn't a phase that ends at six weeks postpartum. It unfolds over years. Some people do their deepest matrescence work in the toddler years, when the initial survival mode lifts and the bigger identity questions surface.
- It is not wrong. Loving your child and grieving your previous self happen at the same time for almost everyone. The grief is part of how you integrate. Therapy helps you metabolize it rather than carry it as guilt.
- Not exactly. Matrescence is a one-way developmental door, like adolescence. The version of you that comes through is recognizable but new. Therapy helps you build a relationship with that new self rather than mourn the old one indefinitely.
- PMH-C (Perinatal Mental Health Certification) is awarded by Postpartum Support International (PSI) to clinicians who have completed advanced training in perinatal mental health — covering postpartum depression, anxiety, OCD, birth trauma, and related conditions. It represents the gold standard of specialization in this field.
- If you're struggling — with your mood, your thoughts, your relationship, or just how you're coping — that's enough of a reason to talk to someone. You don't need a diagnosis. A free consultation is a low-commitment first step.
From the Phoenix Health resource center
Articles and guides about matrescence
Trusted by leading voices in parenting and mental health
OBs, doulas, and pediatricians refer their patients to us because we specialize in maternal mental health.
The sooner you start,
the sooner you'll
feel like yourself again.
You've been surviving. It's time to start healing.
No commitment · Covered by insurance · Available this week
Learning resources
🦋Read our Matrescence guides →Often goes alongside