Melissa Kelleher, LCSW, Joins Reproductive Medicine Associates of Connecticut to Help Patients in Fertility Treatment
Westport, CT (PRWEB) August 15, 2013 -- Reproductive Medicine Associates of Connecticut (RMACT) has hired Melissa Kelleher, LCSW, to work with fertility patients. Kelleher is available to meet with couples and individuals to help them handle loss and disappointments, as well as giving them the tools to make decisions related to their fertility challenges. Kelleher will be onsite at RMACT’s offices in Norwalk, Danbury and Trumbull.
“Bringing Melissa into the practice is essential to providing emotional support and caring for the whole patient,” says Dr. Mark Leondires, medical director for RMACT. “As we continue to grow our practice in Fairfield County, it is important that we maintain the same level of quality care for our patients that we have had for over 10 years. We have found that fertility patients benefit greatly from having someone to talk to about their feelings, especially after a pregnancy loss and when they are faced with life-changing decisions.”
Kelleher earned her Masters in Social Work from New York University and she graduated cum laude from State University of New York at Albany. She has been working as a Master Level Social Worker (MSW) since 1997, and earned her LCSW from New York State in 2006 (when it was first offered) and from Connecticut in 2013. During the past 16 years, Kelleher has worked with patients handling stress from a variety of situations, which she anticipates will give her useful perspective for fertility patients. In particular, her previous work with teens and parents of pediatric patients gives her relevant experience for many PCOS patients. Kelleher first worked with fertility patients at New England Fertility Institute as the Third Party LCSW and Coordinator, where she helped donors and recipients.
“Working with fertility patients is an opportunity to help people during one of the most stressful situations of their lives,” says Kelleher, who has been working as a social worker for 16 years. “Infertility is complicated; it involves layers of emotions and simultaneously requires patients to make decisions that will impact them for the rest of their lives. I’m honored to help these patients and to be a part of RMACT, which is unique for making the patients’ emotional well being a priority and having professional support in every office.”
RMACT supports patients through all aspects of their fertility treatments and cycles, including mental healthcare, nutrition counseling and mind-body services such as acupuncture. Kelleher, along with RMACT’s clinical psychologist Dr. Lisa Tuttle, provide an environment where patients can process emotions, communicate feelings with partners, and find help exploring options during fertility treatment.
Kelleher’s services are covered by many insurance companies; she is available for appointments or spontaneous meetings, schedule permitting. Anyone interested in making an appointment can call 800-865-5431.
About Reproductive Medicine Associates of Connecticut (RMACT)
RMACT specializes in the treatment of infertility, including assisted reproductive technologies (ART) such as intrauterine insemination (IUI), in-vitro fertilization (IVF), and Comprehensive Chromosomal Screening (CCS). RMACT, Fairfield County’s largest fertility clinic and egg donation center, is one of 11 leading In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) centers nationwide chosen by In Vitro Sciences to participate in its Centers of Excellence program. RMACT has offices in Norwalk, Danbury, Stamford and Trumbull, and affiliate New York fertility clinics serving Putnam and Dutchess counties. RMACT also offers infertility treatment financing and support services, such as nutrition counseling, massage therapy, psychological counseling, acupuncture and yoga, through RMACT Integrated Fertility and Wellness Center.
The RMACT team includes lead physicians Drs. Mark P. Leondires, Spencer S. Richlin and Joshua M. Hurwitz, as well as fertility specialists Drs. Cynthia M. Murdock and Shaun C. Williams. All physicians are Board-Certified Reproductive Endocrinologists and are members of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) and the Fairfield County and Connecticut Medical Societies. RMACT’s IVF laboratory is accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP), and CLIA; other accreditations include the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) and the American Institute for Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM). For more information visit http://www.RMACT.com or find us on Facebook.
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Tally Jacobs, Tally Jacobs, 203-292-5343, [email protected]
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