PSI AZ Chapter - Our Team

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.

Megan Hoovler is a Registered Dietitian and works as a Research Project Coordinator at her alma mater, Arizona State University, where she earned both her Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in nutrition as well as a certificate of leadership and ethics. Her graduate thesis examined the postpartum experiences of birthing women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Megan currently lives in Gilbert, AZ with her 2 cats, 2 dogs, and husband. She enjoys all things Rupaul’s Drag Race, Brené Brown, and baking.

Venessa De La Cruz is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and trauma therapist based in Gilbert, Arizona. She specializes in grief, complex developmental trauma, and the intersection of motherhood, identity, chronic illness and mental health. She is a Certified EMDR therapist and Consultant with advanced training in Brainspotting and Internal Family Systems (IFS). Venessa integrates these modalities to support healing from complex trauma and to foster deeper self-awareness, resilience, and connection in her clients’ lives.

As the founder of Hope Unscripted Therapy, Venessa is passionate about supporting women navigating motherhood, perimenopause, and burnout while balancing careers and family life. Her work centers on helping parents understand their emotional triggers, nurture self-compassion, and break generational patterns.

Venessa’s own parenting journey has shaped her deeply personal approach to this work. After experiencing infertility, she grew her family through adoption, giving her a unique perspective on the complexities of parenthood, attachment, and identity.

Outside of her clinical practice, Venessa serves as the Director of Community Connections and an Assisting Faculty Member with Precision EMDR Academy, where she supports and mentors clinicians in learning EMDR therapy and integrating trauma-informed principles into their practice.

She brings both professional expertise and lived experience to her role on the PSI–AZ board and is dedicated to expanding trauma-informed, compassionate care for perinatal and maternal mental health across Arizona.

Mariel Enríquez owns Hummingbird Counseling Services, a small private practice in Tucson, Arizona. As a native Tucsonan, attending the University of Arizona was a no-brainer. She earned a master’s degree in counseling with an emphasis in Rehabilitation and Clinical Mental Health. Her love for counseling was sparked in her earlier career as a Spanish teacher where she found herself engaged in conversations with students about their anxieties as they prepared to transition from high school students to graduates.

Although the experience of guiding her students through their worries was an inspiring factor in becoming a therapist, it was Mariel’s own experience with postpartum anxiety that fueled her passion to train in perinatal mental health. Constantly feeling like something was wrong and not knowing why was very concerning, yet the stigma of saying something made it even more frightening. Thankfully, her personal experience has served to approach the care of her perinatal clients with more compassion, empathy and understanding. 

In her practice, Mariel works with very diverse ages and populations, ranging from children and teenagers to individuals and couples. Mariel loves working with a variety of issues like perinatal concerns, relationship problems, anxiety, stress, educational concerns, life transitions, and sexual issues, among others. She is also passionate about doing trauma work and has received EMDR training to help clients process and heal. 

Mariel is a life-long learner with plans to begin a certification program through the University of Michigan in Sex Therapy, followed shortly by embarking on her journey to earn a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision. Her love of learning is encouraged by her husband of 23 years and their three daughters. 

Breeona is a registered nurse and community advocate committed to improving postpartum and mental health outcomes for families. Her work centers on creating safe and inclusive spaces where every parent feels seen, supported, and heard. Drawing on her background in nursing, lactation, and family wellness, she works to bridge the gap between clinical care and community. Breeona believes that healing and equity begin with access and representation. She continues to advocate for systems that honor the cultural and emotional needs of parents while uplifting families through personalized care and support.