Your baby's life was fought for. So were you — and that leaves a mark.
Therapists in Rochester, New York
"I should feel grateful my baby is alive. Instead I feel traumatized and no one understands why."
+9 moreNo commitment. We'll confirm your coverage before your first session.
Virtual therapy for Rochester families
You're three months postpartum, the sun set at 4:30pm again, and you cannot tell whether what you're feeling is normal new-parent exhaustion or something more. In Rochester, the long winters and the postpartum period overlap routinely, and that combination quietly worsens postpartum depression and perinatal anxiety for a lot of families. New parents across Park Avenue, South Wedge, Brighton, and Pittsford are dealing with limited access to specialist perinatal therapists. Rochester has decent mental health infrastructure for a city its size, but wait times for the few PMH-C certified clinicians in the local market are real. Phoenix Health therapists hold PMH-C certification, the specialty credential in perinatal mental health, and see Rochester clients entirely by secure video. We specialize in postpartum depression, perinatal anxiety, birth trauma, and pregnancy loss. Sessions happen from your couch and are covered by major insurance plans. If three months in, you still do not feel like yourself, that is worth a conversation, and sooner is better than later.
Rochester neighborhoods: Park Avenue · South Wedge · Brighton · Pittsford
You might benefit from therapy if…
- ✓Your baby spent time in the NICU or you had a high-risk pregnancy, and the trauma is still with you
- ✓You can't talk about it without crying, or you can't talk about it at all
- ✓You're hypervigilant about your baby's health long after discharge, in ways that don't feel proportionate
- ✓You feel guilty for being traumatized when your baby is home and healthy
- ✓You can't imagine being pregnant again, or you're terrified at the idea
- ✓You have flashbacks, intrusive memories, or panic around hospitals and medical settings
Dr. Emily Guarnotta
Psychologist & Founder
From our founder
NICU parents often arrive in therapy minimizing what they went through. They'll tell me their baby is fine, as if that means they shouldn't still be carrying anything. I tell them the same thing every time: the outcome doesn't cancel the experience. What you lived through deserves treatment.
What therapy looks like
Our NICU & High-Risk Pregnancy specialists in Rochester, New York
Most Phoenix Health therapists hold PMH-C certification — the gold standard in perinatal mental health.
Lyndsay Ward
LCSW, PMH-C
Lyndsay is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in New York dedicated to guiding parents through the unique challenges and transitions found in every stage of the family-building journey.
Licensed in NY
Deborah Edelson
LCSW, PMH-C
With over 30 years of experience and specialized PMH-C credentials, Deborah brings deep wisdom and compassion to her work with parents navigating life's most vulnerable transitions in New York.
Licensed in NY
Jessica Rudzinski
LPC, LMHC, PMH-C
Jessica works with hopeful and current parents facing infertility, pregnancy loss, and postpartum transitions in South Carolina, New York, and Florida.
Licensed in SC, NY, FL
Alana Vicentini
LMHC, PMH-C
Alana is a bilingual licensed mental health counselor and perinatal mental health specialist who works with hopeful, expecting, and new parents across New York.
Licensed in NY
Real clients. Real relief.
What our clients say about their experience.
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“"My son came home after seven weeks in the NICU with a monitor and a feeding schedule that looked like a hospital chart. I was managing a medically complex baby while recovering from a traumatic birth, alone in our house with no nursing staff. My therapist was the only place I had to fall apart safely."”
— NICU and preemie mom
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“"I was high risk for most of my pregnancy. Every week felt conditional. When she arrived healthy, I expected relief. What I got instead was a crash: all the fear I'd been white-knuckling through finally had somewhere to go. My therapist helped me process nine months of terror that I hadn't been allowed to show."”
— high-risk pregnancy
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“"My daughter was in the NICU for nine weeks. I went home every night to an empty room and came back every morning to a baby I was afraid to love because I was terrified she'd be taken from me. My therapist helped me understand that the emotional distance I felt was protection, not failure. Slowly I let her in."”
— NICU mom
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“My son was in the NICU for 41 days. I held it together the whole time. Six months after we came home I had a panic attack at a routine pediatrician appointment. EMDR was the thing that finally moved it.”
— Bri, NICU mom
Expert care.
Covered in New York.
- ✓Aetna (incl. CVS Health, First Health, & Meritain)
- ✓BCBS (incl. Anthem, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, & state plans)
- ✓Cigna / Evernorth
- ✓United Healthcare (UHC) / Optum (incl. UBH, UMR, Surest, Oscar, & Oxford)
- ✓EmblemHealth (GHI / HIP)
- ✓Fidelis Care / Ambetter (including Medicaid)
- ✓Northwell Direct
Most clients pay less than $20 per session.
Accepted Insurance Networks
Ready to start NICU & High-Risk Pregnancy 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
- Yes. Trauma is about the experience, not the outcome. You can be deeply grateful for the outcome and deeply affected by what it took to get there. Both are true. Therapy makes space for both.
- During the NICU stay, you were in survival mode. Adrenaline, structure, and focus on the baby often delay emotional processing. When you go home, that scaffolding lifts, and the trauma can surface. This is extremely common and very treatable.
- Yes. High-risk pregnancy alone can be traumatic, especially when you spent months waiting for something to go wrong. Many of our clients experienced no NICU stay but came out of pregnancy itself with significant trauma symptoms.
- Yes, this is one of the most rewarding pieces of work. Processing the first experience before another pregnancy can dramatically change how you experience the next one. Many clients come in specifically for this.
- Yes. Phoenix Health provides telehealth therapy to residents of New York. Sessions are conducted via secure video from your home, office, or anywhere private — no commute required. All Phoenix Health therapists are licensed and authorized to practice in New York.
- 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 nicu & high-risk pregnancy
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 NICU & High-Risk Pregnancy guides →Often goes alongside