PSI AZ Chapter - Nonprofit Board

Viergela N. Calixte was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. She has a deep passion for women's health and pursued nursing school with the goal of becoming a nurse midwife. After earning her BSN, she discovered the challenges of entering a labor and delivery unit and spent 12 years working in Neuro, Critical Care, and Trauma units. In December 2014, she graduated with her MSN from the University of Cincinnati and became a Family Nurse Practitioner in 2015, specializing in Pain Management since then.

Viergela is a proud mother of four—three boys and one girl. Her journey into motherhood included personal challenges, including postpartum depression and anxiety following the birth of her daughter. Her daughter’s birth was an extraordinary experience, as she delivered her in a car an hour after being turned away from the hospital.

During her pregnancy with her daughter, Viergela experienced firsthand the disparities in healthcare faced by Black women. This difficult time, marked by loneliness and the challenges of navigating postpartum depression alone, motivated her to become an advocate for mothers dealing with postpartum challenges. She joined Postpartum Support International (PSI) to spread awareness, educate providers, and advocate for policies that promote inclusive and equitable healthcare for all women, particularly minority women.

Viergela is an active member of various nursing organizations and enjoys nature, hiking, cooking, fine dining, writing, and the Arts. She is passionate about serving the state of Arizona alongside her fellow PSI board members.

Bri Giles is a certified doula, mental health advocate, and Arizona native. Her passion for advocacy and outreach began in 2014 with international community work in Sonora, Mexico, South Africa, and China, where she led fundraising initiatives and awareness campaigns. After earning her Master of Science in Psychology in 2015, she channeled her efforts into mental health advocacy. 

Her personal experience with postpartum depression and a challenging birth in 2023 reinforced her commitment to raising awareness about maternal mental health and creating a safe space for families to share their stories.

Bri hopes to combine her background in psychology, online marketing, and community organizing to further the mission of PSI Arizona. With a dedication to breaking stigmas around mental health and championing family well-being, Bri strives to uplift parents through education, compassion, and advocacy.

Melissa Gummo is a licensed Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC) currently working at an outpatient community health clinic. In this setting she works with children and adults. Before becoming a PMHNP, she had past experience of prison nursing for juvenile and adult males, has worked as a RN- case manager for adult hospice patients at home, in assisted living, or nursing home environments, along with later switching over to inpatient hospice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lastly, she has worked in 2 various inpatient psychiatry units, one for adults 18+, along with a geropsychiatry unit for those 55+. 

She received her bachelor's of arts in psychology and Sociology from the University of California, Riverside. She received her bachelor's of science in Nursing from California State University, San Marcos. She received her Master's of science in nursing with PMHNP focus from Walden University.

She received her PMH-C through Postpartum Support International in 2024.

Mental health is her passion. She has lost an uncle to suicide when in grade school and a friend in college. She grew up with various traumas including the loss of her uncle, along with other abuse-related traumas through youth and early adulthood. She found herself seeking help for her anxiety in the perinatal period and had a hard time finding a provider willing to prescribe an antidepressant. She understands there is a large gap in psychiatry care for those that are pregnant, and/or breastfeeding due to a lack of knowledge and fear of causing harm to the child/children from the majority of prescribing providers. She strives to bridge this gap.

She lives in Elgin, AZ with her husband and 3 children. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, trying her hand at being a hobby rancher and making homemade goat's milk soaps and lotions and other various handmade products, and traveling/camping. 

Mallory Phelps, LAC is a dedicated psychotherapist with a passion for supporting women through the emotional and psychological challenges of the perinatal period. As an Arizona transplant from Texas, Mallory primarily works with individuals navigating infertility, pregnancy loss, grief, and birth trauma.  Mallory earned her B.S. in Biology with a concentration in Neurobiology from the University of Texas in 2015, where she developed an interest in the connection between mind and body. She then went on to pursue an M.S. in Professional Counseling at Grand Canyon University, graduating in 2019. As a Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC), Mallory is under the supervision of Kim Kriesel, a highly regarded expert in the field.

Before pursuing her career as a therapist, Mallory worked for several years in Human Resources, where she gained valuable insight into the challenges people face in both personal and professional contexts. She also holds a 200-hour yoga teacher training certification, which further enhances her ability to approach mental health in a way that considers the mind-body connection. This certification has allowed Mallory to integrate mindfulness and body-awareness techniques into her therapeutic practice, offering a holistic approach to healing and well-being.

Outside of her work, Mallory is a devoted mother of two young boys and enjoys spending her free time hiking and traveling with her family, often seeking new adventures to enrich her perspective and personal growth.

Kimberly Snyder, Psy.D., PMH-C, is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 15 years of experience and has a Certification in Perinatal Mental Health. For more than a decade, she has worked with the Department of Veterans Affairs, providing mental health psychotherapy to veterans. In addition to her clinical work, Kimberly teaches undergraduate psychology courses at Mohave Community College, where she is passionate about inspiring and educating students to apply psychological principles in their future careers.

Kimberly is dedicated to supporting women struggling with infertility and guiding families through the perinatal period. With a strong commitment to providing information, resources, and emotional support, she strives to empower parents as they navigate these life-changing experiences. As a mother of three, Kimberly has a personal understanding of the challenges and rewards of parenthood.

Megan Zimmerman (she/her) graduated from Northern Arizona University in 2005 with a BS in Exercise Science and Northwestern University in 2007 with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy.  Megan became passionate about women’s pelvic floor physical therapy following the delivery of her first child in 2016 and realized there is a substantial gap in education and guidance available to postpartum people.  She earned her PCES (pregnancy and postpartum corrective exercise certification) and has specialized training in pelvic floor physical therapy from APTA and Herman & Wallace.  Megan has been married for 11 years and has three children, a son and two daughters.  She strives to help women of all ages address common but fixable pelvic floor issues that can play a negative role in quality of life and help these clients feel strong and empowered in their bodies!