Treatment
Deciding when to seek help can be scary. However, when left untreated, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) can negatively affect all members of a family unit. But there is hope. PMADs are very treatable, and recovery is attainable. Do not suffer alone…let us meet you where you are.

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Meet Our Team Members

All our psychiatric providers are expertly trained to care for the unique needs of the perinatal and postnatal populations in addition to providing pre-conception counseling regarding appropriate medication choices.

Executive Leadership Team

Stephanie Chirco, PMHNP-BC, PMH-C
Director of Perinatal Clinical Services
Joshua Leslie, PA-C
President and CEO, Ascend Telehealth

Clinical Team

Rani Patel, PA-C
Psychiatric Prescriber
Christina Delano, LCSW
Therapy Provider
Rheanna Schmidt, LAC, PMH-C
Therapy Provider

Medication

Choosing whether to take medication can be a deeply personal and at times overwhelming decision. The weight of this decision is often compounded when pregnant or breastfeeding.

At Ascend Perinatal, we provide the most up-to-date research on medication safety and therapeutic modalities during the preconception, perinatal, postpartum, and breastfeeding periods.

We do NOT push. We educate, advocate, and support your very personal and individual treatment decisions.

Therapy

There is no “one size fits all” model to treatment, especially in the highly specialized field of perinatal mental health. Driven by our passion to promote individual wellness we offer a variety of therapeutic treatment options including psychotherapy and family support services.

Our seasoned therapy providers are trained in a multitude of therapeutic modalities including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy (ERP).  This is not your typical “you talk, we listen” therapy session.

At Ascend Perinatal we value results. Therefore, our therapists are selectively chosen based on their ability to proactively help you achieve your therapeutic goals. Compassionately providing you with guidance and insight, we’re here to meet you where you’re at.

Stephanie Chirco PMHNP, PMH-C

Director of Perinatal Clinical Services

Stephanie is a board certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner specializing in reproductive psychiatry with a background in obstetrics and midwifery support. She spent over a decade serving the birth community as a labor and delivery nurse across the Arizona valley. As the founder of Ascend Perinatal and PMAD survivor, Stephanie helps individuals and families navigate through a variety of mental health conditions during the period including preconception through postpartum and breastfeeding. Stephanie provides both prescriptive and consulting services to the perinatal community, in addition to overseeing the day-to-day clinical operations of Ascend Perinatal.

Stephanie believes that employee job satisfaction is the key to providing patients with the highest quality psychiatric care. Therefore, she is a strong proponent of creating a safe, supportive, and healthy work environment which is reflected in the dedication and nurturing character of the Ascend Perinatal team.

Stephanie is a board certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner specializing in reproductive psychiatry with a background in obstetrics and midwifery support. She spent over a decade serving the birth community as a labor and delivery nurse across the Arizona valley. As the founder of Ascend Perinatal and PMAD survivor, Stephanie helps individuals and families navigate through a variety of mental health conditions during the period including preconception through postpartum and breastfeeding. Stephanie provides both prescriptive and consulting services to the perinatal community, in addition to overseeing the day-to-day clinical operations of Ascend Perinatal.

Stephanie believes that employee job satisfaction is the key to providing patients with the highest quality psychiatric care. Therefore, she is a strong proponent of creating a safe, supportive, and healthy work environment which is reflected in the dedication and nurturing character of the Ascend Perinatal team.