Dads and partners struggle too. That's worth talking about.
Therapists in Irving, Texas
"Nobody asks how the dad is doing. But I'm struggling too."
+9 moreNo commitment. We'll confirm your coverage before your first session.
Virtual therapy for Irving families
The planes come in low over Las Colinas every few minutes, and you have started to notice them the way only someone home all day with a newborn does. You moved to Irving for a job, or your partner did, and the people who would have filled your kitchen in the first weeks after birth are a flight or a time zone away. Irving is a city built around DFW Airport and the constant motion it creates. Nearly one in seven residents lived somewhere else a year ago, well above the regional norm. For an expecting or new mother, that often means facing the hardest months of your life without your family, your old friends, or the doctor you trusted before you arrived. Irving holds two very different cities inside its borders. In Las Colinas, Valley Ranch, Cottonwood Valley, and Hackberry Creek, relocated corporate families and South Asian professionals often arrive with good benefits but no one nearby, and a quiet expectation to keep any struggle private. In the older, south-central parts of the city like Heritage Crossing, many working-class families have no coverage at all, and the county safety-net clinics can take months to schedule a first mental health visit. More than one in five Irving residents is uninsured, which for a new mother can decide whether help comes this week or not at all. Phoenix Health therapists hold PMH-C certification, the specialty credential in perinatal mental health, and typically see clients within one week of intake, by secure video. There is no commute, no parking, no extra logistics between you and a session. We accept most major insurance plans and verify your benefits before the first appointment.
Irving neighborhoods: Las Colinas · Valley Ranch · Cottonwood Valley · Hackberry Creek · Heritage Crossing
You might benefit from therapy if…
- ✓You're irritable, snapping at your partner, or losing patience in ways that aren't you
- ✓You feel useless, in the way, or like you can't do anything right at home
- ✓You're working more, drinking more, or pulling away because home feels heavy
- ✓You're worried about your partner and trying to hold everything else together
- ✓You feel left out of the baby relationship and ashamed of feeling that way
- ✓Nobody has asked how you're doing in months
Dr. Emily Guarnotta
Psychologist & Founder
From our founder
Partners and dads get left out of perinatal mental health conversations constantly, and it costs families. I built Phoenix Health to include the whole household, because if you're the partner who is white-knuckling through this, you matter too, and the help available to you is real.
What therapy looks like
Our Paternal Mental Health specialists in Irving, Texas
Most Phoenix Health therapists hold PMH-C certification — the gold standard in perinatal mental health.
%20(1).png)
Tiara Okoruwa
PhD, LCSW
Tiara is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Texas specializing in perinatal mental health, supporting expecting and new parents through anxiety, grief, and the transition to parenthood using a trauma-informed, integrative approach.
Licensed in TX
Amanda Flowers
LPC, PMH-C
Amanda is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Texas and a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Montana specializing in perinatal mental health, supporting clients through pregnancy, postpartum, and infertility using a collaborative, trauma-informed, and mind-body approach.
Licensed in TX, MT
Ashlyn Parides
PHD, PMH-C
Dr. Ashlyn is a licensed psychologist and certified perinatal mental health provider (PMH-C) in Texas, licensed to practice in over 40 states through PsyPact.
PsyPact provider — 40+ states
Real clients. Real relief.
What our clients say about their experience.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“"I threw myself into being useful because that was the one thing I could control. I fixed things. I handled logistics. I was the one who held it together. And six months in, my wife noticed I hadn't laughed in weeks. My therapist helped me understand that caregiving without receiving care is its own kind of crisis. I didn't know I was allowed to need something."”
— dad of 2
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Everyone was focused on my wife (which made sense, she'd just given birth). But I was drowning too and there was nowhere to put it. I couldn't tell anyone I wasn't okay because I was supposed to be the stable one. My therapist helped me see that my mental health wasn't separate from my family's wellbeing. It was directly connected.”
— new dad
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I thought dads didn't get this. I was wrong. I was short-tempered, disconnected, going through the motions. I wasn't sleeping, but not because of the baby. I just couldn't. My wife saw it before I did. My therapist helped me understand it was depression, not weakness, and that getting help was the most present thing I could do for my family.”
— dad of 1
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I had been working late on purpose for six months. I told myself I was supporting the family. My therapist helped me see I was avoiding home because I felt useless there. Once I addressed that, my relationship with both my wife and my son changed.”
— James, dad of one
Expert care.
Covered in Texas.
- ✓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)
Most clients pay less than $20 per session.
Accepted Insurance Networks
Ready to start Paternal Mental Health 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. Roughly 1 in 10 fathers and non-birthing partners experience perinatal depression or anxiety. It often presents as irritability, withdrawal, or anger rather than the classic sadness, which is part of why it gets missed.
- Both of you matter, and the research is clear that when one partner is struggling, the other's well-being directly affects family outcomes. Getting your own support is not taking away from her. It's adding to the resources the family has.
- It's common, especially in the early months when the birthing parent often has more of the physiological bond. Disconnection often improves with intentional time together, less competition with your partner over caregiving, and sometimes therapy to address what's underneath the disconnection.
- Therapy is confidential. You decide what to share and when. Many partners eventually choose to share what they're working on, which can deepen the relationship, but that's your call.
- Yes. Phoenix Health provides telehealth therapy to residents of Texas. 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 Texas.
- 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 paternal mental health
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 Paternal Mental Health guides →Often goes alongside