Mental Health & Gender Wellness in Obstetrics and Gynecology

Our team of psychologists, psychiatrists, marriage and family therapists, and counselors offers advanced mental health care, education, and medication consultation to people experiencing reproductive, hormonal, and gender-related mental health concerns and life transitions. 

Your appointments happen right in your women's health office — no extra trips, no separate location. 

Our expertise includes: 

• Adolescents and young adults
• Reproductive and family planning concerns
• Pregnancy and postpartum mental health
• Fertility-related emotional challenges
• Perimenopause and menopause
• Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and menstrual cycle concerns
• Anxiety disorders
• Depression and mood disorders
• Life transitions and stress management
• Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS)
• Gynecologic issues, like chronic pelvic pain and endometriosis

We welcome patients from the practices listed below. Please speak with your OB/GYN for a referral. 

Pregnancy and Postpartum Mental Health Services

We can help you manage your symptoms, understand your treatment options, and navigate the emotional changes that can occur before and after childbirth. We’ll work with your ob/gyn to provide evidence-based care that supports both parent and baby. 

We offer support for: 

• Postpartum depression
• Postpartum anxiety
• Prenatal anxiety
• Depression during pregnancy
• Obsessive-compulsive symptoms related to pregnancy or parenting
• Mood and anxiety disorders during the perinatal period
• Mental health concerns related to fertility treatment, pregnancy loss, or reproductive transitions

Menopause and Perimenopause Counseling 

Perimenopause and menopause can change how you feel emotionally, not just physically. We’ll help you understand what's happening and build a treatment plan that addresses mood, sleep, and well-being together. Support includes: 

• Menopause anxiety
• Perimenopause mood changes
• Depression during menopause
• Irritability and emotional changes
• Sleep disturbances
• Stress related to midlife transitions
• Hormone-related mental health concerns

Specialized services include: 

• Individual, couples, and family counseling: Sessions with counselors who teach you strategies for coping with stress, anxiety, and depression related to women’s health issues.
• Pain management: Behavioral management of chronic pelvic pain.
• Medication consultations: A meeting with a psychiatrist to learn about taking psychiatric medications while trying to conceive, during pregnancy, postpartum, or while breastfeeding.
• Prevention: Educational programs to support pregnant women and prevent postpartum depression.
• Collaborative care management during pregnancy: Flexible in-person or phone sessions with a mental health therapist who works with you and your OB/GYN clinician to reduce depression or anxiety during pregnancy.

Mental Health & Social Work Professionals:

• Vicky Atzl, PhD
  Psychologist
• Keshia Bell, PhD
  Psychologist
• Annmarie Grace, MFT
  Mental Health Therapist
• Anita Kirkland, LMSW
  Collaborative Care Clinician
• Ellen Poleshuck, PhD
  Psychologist and Director, Program for Mental Health and Gender Wellness
• Meghan Perschke Freeman, LMHC
  Mental Health Therapist
• Eileen Steinchen, LMHC-D
  Senior Collaborative Care Clinician
• Lindsay Sycz, PsyD
  Psychologist
• Emily Weber, LMFT
  Mental Health Therapist
• Yuanfei (Faye) Zhang, LMHC
  Mental Health Therapist
• Rachael Zoller, LMFT-D
  Senior Mental Health Therapist and Associate Director, Program for Mental Health and Gender Wellness

Women’s Initiative Supporting Health - Transitions Clinic (WISH-TC): The Women's Initiative Supporting Health - Transitions Clinic (WISH-TC) works with women recently released from Monroe County Jail or New York State Prison to help them access needed health services. The program also helps patients in need of medical care to access any needed mental health services, including counseling, psychiatric medications, and chemical dependency treatment. Patients are linked directly to these resources at Strong Memorial Hospital.

NAMI Rochester (National Alliance on Mental Illness)