Postpartum Psychosis

Would you recognize postpartum psychosis if a client appeared lucid during an appointment? Symptoms can fluctuate and escalate quickly, making timely recognition essential. Therapeutic support remains important long after the acute emergency has passed.

For behavioral health professionals working with perinatal clients, responding effectively means recognizing concerning changes, helping clients reach immediate care, and understanding recovery. This introductory 2-CE course addresses those responsibilities while examining the stigma and uncertainty that can complicate seeking and receiving support.

Julia Alzoubaidi, Ph.D., PMH-C, is a licensed psychologist who brings professional expertise and lived experience of postpartum psychosis. She manages Postpartum Support International’s Postpartum Psychosis Program and coordinates its Postpartum Psychosis Task Force. Her work with survivors and families, including co-facilitating a support group, connects clinical understanding with firsthand insight into the challenges of recognizing the illness and rebuilding life afterward.

Distinguishing possible psychosis from other perinatal concerns requires attention to changes from a client’s usual functioning and cultural context. Dr. Alzoubaidi explores how nonjudgmental questions and family observations can clarify a complex presentation, emphasizing safety and urgent evaluation when diagnostic certainty is not yet possible.

After stabilization, clients may face depression and grief while trying to understand an experience that has disrupted their sense of self. Explore ways to help clients rebuild confidence and family relationships while acknowledging the potential trauma of psychosis and hospitalization. Practical supports and realistic expectations help clinicians respond to uncertainty about the future while making room for hope.

Key Takeaways:

• Recognize less obvious presentations: Consider how cognitive confusion, paranoia, and fluctuating symptoms can be overlooked when a client appears lucid or has difficulty describing their experience.
• Help families navigate urgent care: Explore how to communicate concrete concerns and identify local referral options while accounting for barriers to treatment and available support.
• Support recovery in daily life: Understand how psychoeducation, protected sleep, and peer connection can complement therapeutic work after acute stabilization.

Why this course?

• A focused clinical foundation: Build introductory knowledge of an often misunderstood condition while recognizing the limitations of screening and the importance of further evaluation.
• Professional expertise informed by lived experience: Learn from a psychologist whose personal recovery and work with survivors bring context to the challenges clients and families face.
• A broader view of recovery: Attention to identity and family relationships helps clinicians understand why ongoing support matters after the most visible symptoms have resolved.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the prevalence, risk factors, etiology, symptoms, and clinical course of Postpartum Psychosis (PP).
• Identify best practices for assessing risk, involving family, and connecting to immediate treatment, as well as potential next steps in their own setting.
• Describe both immediate and long-term therapeutic needs.

 Register to strengthen your understanding of postpartum psychosis and your role in helping clients access appropriate care. Develop a more informed, compassionate approach to supporting people and families through the immediate crisis and the longer process of recovery.