From Pregnancy to Postpartum

Maternal mental health disorders are common, affecting approximately 1 in 5 people who give birth. Despite this prevalence, most cases go undiagnosed and untreated. Therapists across disciplines are uniquely positioned to identify clients suffering from these disorders and respond appropriately and in a timely manner.

For clinicians seeking to build their foundational knowledge of perinatal mental health, this training is geared toward any clinician wanting to increase their understanding of the perinatal period - the timeframe throughout pregnancy and postpartum - and the unique considerations that challenge clients’ mental health during this transitional period.

Dr. Rachel Diamond, LMFT, PMH-C brings years of specialized experience in perinatal mental health to this training. In her clinical practice, she focuses on working with individuals and couples navigating the challenges of transitioning to parenthood. Her clinical experience combined with her background as a university professor and published researcher informs an approach grounded in evidence-based clinical practice.

Rather than treating pregnancy and postpartum as simply another clinical context, this training considers how the perinatal period can shape the presentation, assessment, and conceptualization of mental health concerns. Participants will be guided through clinical examples to have opportunities to apply course concepts, with attention to screening and referral resources specific to pregnant and postpartum clients.

The training covers the perinatal period and its unique clinical considerations, including the distinction between normative adjustment and clinically significant mental health concerns. Participants will learn to recognize common perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), including depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and psychosis. Special attention will be given to prevalence, risk factors, and the unique clinical presentation during the perinatal period to aid in participants' ability to identify and differentiate between disorders. This training will additionally explore tailored conceptual frameworks for clinical conceptualization, assessment, and the overall support of clinical care. Finally, participants will be introduced to perinatal-specific screening tools and resources to aid in their clinical work with pregnant and postpartum clients.

Key Takeaways:

• Clinical discernment: Recognize the unique constraints and mental health considerations associated with pregnancy and postpartum.
• Differential Diagnosis: Distinguish normative adjustment from clinically significant concerns and differentiate among PMADs.
• Clinical practice: Apply perinatal conceptual frameworks and identify appropriate screening, referral, and resource options.

Why this course?

• Practical Relevance: Understanding the unique contextual considerations of the perinatal period can help clinicians more accurately recognize and respond to maternal mental health concerns.
• Specialized expertise: This training is led by an expert in perinatal mental health whose credentials, research, and teaching experience bring both authority and clinical depth to a highly nuanced topic.
• Aligned with quality care: Offered by Telehealth Certification Institute, an organization committed to excellence, integrity, innovation, and collaboration, this webinar is designed to equip helping professionals with meaningful continuing education that supports high-quality, ethical behavioral health care.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify unique constraints and considerations for pregnant and postpartum clients.
• Differentiate between normative adjustments during pregnancy and postpartum from clinically significant mental health concerns.
• Differentiate between the range of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) that present throughout pregnancy and postpartum.
• Apply conceptual frameworks tailored to working with perinatal clients to effectively identify and organize relevant clinical information with pregnant and postpartum clients.
• Describe screening, referral, and resource options for pregnant and postpartum clients.

When clinicians understand the unique contextual considerations for the perinatal period, they are better equipped to recognize concerns that might otherwise be overlooked or misunderstood. This training offers an opportunity to strengthen your clinical foundation for working with pregnant and postpartum clients.