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🌙Sleep & Mental Health

Sleep & Mental Health therapy covered by Fidelis Care

"The baby finally sleeps and I lie there wide awake. I'm exhausted and I can't turn my brain off."
See a specialist this weekPMH-C Certified TherapistsTelehealth · see anyone from homeAccepts Fidelis Care
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No commitment. We'll confirm your coverage before your first session.

Using your Fidelis Care benefits

Phoenix Health is in-network with Fidelis Care in New York, a Catholic health plan that primarily serves Medicaid, Child Health Plus, and Qualified Health Plan members across New York State. Fidelis is one of the largest Medicaid managed care organizations in New York, and it covers mental health as an essential benefit. Our PMH-C certified therapists work with Fidelis members on postpartum depression, perinatal anxiety, birth trauma, and other perinatal mental health concerns. If you have Fidelis through Medicaid, your outpatient therapy visits are typically covered with little or no copay. Behavioral health is a required benefit under New York's Medicaid program, and New York's mental health parity law is among the strongest in the country. For Marketplace (QHP) Fidelis members, mental health coverage follows the ACA essential benefits structure with a deductible and copay. Some Fidelis plans require a referral or prior authorization for specialty mental health services. Before your first session, we verify your specific Fidelis benefits and handle any prior authorization requirements on your behalf. New York State also has strong telehealth parity law, which means video therapy sessions must be covered the same as in-person visits. If you have questions about your Fidelis coverage, call member services at the number on your card and ask about outpatient behavioral health and telehealth benefits specifically.

Does Fidelis Care cover therapy for sleep problems after a baby?

Yes. CBT-I, the first-line treatment for insomnia, is delivered by a therapist and billed under your Fidelis Care behavioral health benefit -- either against an insomnia diagnosis or against the mood or anxiety disorder it accompanies, which in the postpartum period it usually does. This is separate from a sleep study, which runs through your medical benefit.

Phoenix Health is in-network with Fidelis Care in New York, so we bill the plan directly and you pay only your copay or coinsurance. Fidelis Medicaid and Child Health Plus members typically pay little or nothing for outpatient therapy. Essential Plan members pay a small fixed copay. Marketplace (QHP) members follow the standard ACA deductible-then-copay structure. New York's parity law is among the strongest in the country and its telehealth parity statute means a video session must be covered on the same terms as an in-person one.

Checking it yourself: Call the behavioral health number on the back of your card and ask three questions: is this provider in-network for outpatient behavioral health, what is my specialist copay, and has my deductible been met? We do this verification for you before your first session at no charge.

Your card might say any of these — all of them are Fidelis Care:

Fidelis CareFidelis Care New YorkCenteneAmbetterChild Health PlusFidelis Essential Plan

In-network coverage

Your benefits apply directly — no superbills or out-of-network claims.

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're exhausted but you can't fall asleep, even when the baby is finally down
  • Your brain won't turn off, especially at 3 a.m.
  • You're dreading bedtime because you know what's coming
  • You wake up at the slightest sound and can't get back down
  • Your sleep problems started in pregnancy or postpartum and haven't resolved
  • You're depressed or anxious and you think sleep is a big part of why
Dr. Emily Guarnotta

Dr. Emily Guarnotta

Psychologist & Founder

From our founder

Sleep is one of the most under-treated mental health interventions in postpartum care. Parents are told it's just part of having a baby, and meanwhile their depression and anxiety get worse and worse. CBT-I is one of the most effective tools we have, and it works even when the baby is still waking. That's the part most parents don't know.

What therapy looks like

The gold-standard treatment for insomnia is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), which has strong evidence and works for many people in 4 to 8 sessions, often faster than medication. Most Phoenix Health therapists hold PMH-C certification, and several have additional training in CBT-I or perinatal sleep. Early sessions usually involve a careful look at your actual sleep, your routines, your thoughts about sleep, and the baby's patterns. From there the work might include sleep restriction (a counterintuitive but powerful technique), stimulus control, addressing the catastrophic thoughts that fuel insomnia ("if I don't sleep I won't be able to function tomorrow"), and worry-time strategies for the 3 a.m. spiral. For some clients, the sleep issue is mostly insomnia. For others, it's the symptom of underlying anxiety, depression, or trauma, and the work addresses both. Most people see real change in 4 to 8 weeks. Improvement in sleep usually brings improvement in mood and anxiety alongside.

Our Sleep & Mental Health specialists who accept Fidelis Care

Most Phoenix Health therapists hold PMH-C certification — the gold standard in perinatal mental health.

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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.

"I couldn't sleep when the baby slept. I'd lie down and my brain would race with everything I was supposed to be doing or worried about. Eight months in I was running on maybe three hours a night and starting to scare myself. My therapist and I figured out that the insomnia was a symptom and worked backward from there."

"Sleep deprivation hit me harder than it hit my husband and I couldn't understand why. My therapist helped me see that I was wired for alertness from anxiety that predated the baby. We worked on the anxiety, which turned out to be what was keeping me awake, not my son."

"My baby started sleeping through the night at four months and I didn't. I'd lie awake listening for sounds that weren't there and check the monitor twelve times. My therapist helped me understand that my nervous system had been running on high alert for so long it didn't know how to come down even when it was safe to. Relearning how to rest was real work."

I had been awake every night from 3 to 5 a.m. for four months. Not the baby, just me. CBT-I felt strange at first because some of the techniques are counterintuitive. Within six weeks I was sleeping again, and my anxiety dropped almost without me trying.

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In-network with
Fidelis Care.

Most clients pay less than $20 per session.

Accepted Insurance Networks

Fidelis Care
Aetna
Blue Cross Blue Shield
UnitedHealthcare
Cigna

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 Sleep & Mental Health therapy? Here’s how it works.

The whole process takes about 5 minutes. We handle insurance — you just show up.

  1. 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. 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. 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.

Book your free call

No commitment · Most insurance accepted · Available this week

Common questions

  • Yes. CBT-I, the first-line treatment for insomnia, is delivered by a therapist and billed under your Fidelis Care behavioral health benefit -- either against an insomnia diagnosis or against the mood or anxiety disorder it accompanies, which in the postpartum period it usually does. This is separate from a sleep study, which runs through your medical benefit. Phoenix Health is in-network with Fidelis Care in New York, so we bill the plan directly and you pay only your copay or coinsurance. Fidelis Medicaid and Child Health Plus members typically pay little or nothing for outpatient therapy. Essential Plan members pay a small fixed copay. Marketplace (QHP) members follow the standard ACA deductible-then-copay structure. New York's parity law is among the strongest in the country and its telehealth parity statute means a video session must be covered on the same terms as an in-person one.
  • Yes. CBT-I works even when sleep is fragmented by an external factor like a baby. The goal isn't to give you eight straight hours. It's to help you fall asleep faster when you have the chance, get back down after night feeds, and stop the insomnia that piles on top of the disruption the baby is already causing.
  • Pregnancy sleep disruption is very common, especially in the third trimester, due to physical discomfort, frequent urination, and hormonal changes. But true insomnia (difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep even when comfortable, with significant daytime impact) is different from typical pregnancy sleep changes and worth treating.
  • Some sleep aids are used in pregnancy and breastfeeding under medical supervision, but CBT-I is typically tried first because it works as well or better and doesn't involve medication. Your therapist can help you weigh options with a prescriber if needed.
  • Often both. Hypervigilance around the baby can fuel insomnia, and insomnia can amplify anxiety. Treating both at once tends to work better than treating one in isolation. A perinatal-trained therapist will look at both pieces.
  • 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 sleep & mental health

Is Sleep Deprivation Just Part of Parenting — or a Reason to Get Help?

Everyone tells you this is normal. Sometimes it is. But some new parents develop sleep problems that respond to treatment, and knowing the difference is worth understanding.

Read article →

Too Tired to Get Help for Your Sleep Problems? That's the Catch-22.

You need help for your sleep. But you're too depleted to research therapists, make calls, or explain yourself to a provider. This is the catch-22, and there's a way through it.

Read article →

How Sleep Deprivation and Postpartum Depression Feed Each Other

Sleep deprivation makes postpartum depression worse. Postpartum depression makes sleep worse. Understanding how these two interact is the first step toward breaking the cycle.

Read article →

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.

  • Parents.com
  • Postpartum Support International
  • Healthline
  • HuffPost
  • Fatherly
  • Choosing Therapy

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 Sleep & Mental Health guides →

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