Postpartum Psychosis: What to Know as a Behavioral Health Professional, Online Self-Study

Description

Would you recognize postpartum psychosis - and know how to help a client access treatment? This psychiatric emergency requires prompt action, but the need for therapeutic support continues after acute stabilization.

This live webinar offers an opportunity to become more comfortable identifying symptoms of a disorder that remains misunderstood and stigmatized. Explore how a clearer understanding of postpartum psychosis can help you respond to immediate concerns and prepare for the work of supporting recovery.

Julia Alzoubaidi, Ph.D., PMH-C, is a licensed psychologist who brings both professional expertise and lived experience of postpartum psychosis. Her involvement with Postpartum Support International (PSI) grew from volunteering during her healing process to managing its Postpartum Psychosis Program and coordinating its Postpartum Psychosis Task Force. These perspectives connect clinical understanding with firsthand insight into the needs of people affected by the disorder.

Dr. Alzoubaidi will draw on her professional knowledge and personal experience to educate attendees on what is known about postpartum psychosis and increase comfort in identifying its symptoms. Her approach connects recognition with practical considerations for accessing immediate care while providing tools for treatment after acute stabilization.

The course examines prevalence and risk factors alongside what is known about the disorder’s etiology. You will explore symptoms and clinical course before turning to best practices for assessing risk, involving family, and connecting clients to immediate treatment. The training also addresses potential next steps in your own setting and the immediate and long-term therapeutic needs of clients who experience postpartum psychosis.

Key Takeaways:

• Recognize concerns with greater clarity: Build your understanding of symptoms and risk factors so you are better prepared to recognize possible postpartum psychosis and the need for immediate attention.
• Find direction for your next steps: Identify best practices for assessing risk and involving family while helping clients connect to immediate treatment within the context of your practice setting.
• Support recovery beyond stabilization: Clarify immediate and long-term therapeutic needs and explore tools for helping clients after the acute episode.

Why This Course?

• Professional expertise informed by lived experience: Learn from a licensed psychologist whose personal recovery and leadership in PSI’s Postpartum Psychosis Program bring complementary perspectives to the training.
• A focus on both urgency and recovery: This dedicated 2-CE webinar connects symptom recognition and immediate treatment access with therapeutic needs after stabilization, helping you consider your role across these stages of care.
• Education grounded in compassionate practice: Telehealth Certification Institute’s commitment to excellence, kindness, and professional growth supports training that helps clinicians approach challenging work with greater knowledge and care.

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.

Being prepared means having a clearer sense of what to recognize, how to respond, and where ongoing therapeutic support fits. This live webinar offers an opportunity to strengthen that readiness while deepening your understanding of the people and families affected by postpartum psychosis.

Format and Access

This is a non-interactive, self-study course that offers over 2 hours of recorded video instruction, a post-test and a course evaluation.

Course Details

Availability: 

From the time of registration, you have six months to access the coursework.

Who Should Attend: 

This course is intended for clinicians who provide behavioral health services.

Teaching Methods: 

This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Teaching methods for this course include recorded lectures, videos, a post-test, and a course evaluation.

How to Attend: 

Course access and completion instructions.

Instructor and Disclosures

Instructor

About Julia Alzoubaidi, Ph.D.

Julia Alzoubaidi, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist who worked with children and adolescents until her firstborn was six months old, when she experienced postpartum psychosis. As part of her healing process, she began volunteering with PSI in various capacities. Her involvement evolved into managing PSI’s Postpartum Psychosis Program and coordinating PSI’s Postpartum Psychosis Task Force. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and two children.

Disclosure Statement: 

The instructor(s) for this course receive compensation for their services. There are no reported conflicts of interest to disclose.

CE Hours

Credit Hours:

This course consists of 2 continuing education hours of credit.

Counselors:

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No, 6693.  Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified.  Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. 

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Mental Health Counselors. #MHC-0048.

Marriage and Family Therapists: 

Many MFT licensing boards accept our courses or one of the approvals which we have from professional associations.  You can check with your board to determine if your licensing board would accept this course.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0135, effective May 8, 2025.

Social Workers:

Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, #1609, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 05/02/2024 – 05/02/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 2 clinical continuing education credits.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Social Workers #SW-0435.

Addiction Professionals:

This course has been approved by Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits, effective 8/12/2026. NAADAC Provider #193104, Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is responsible for all aspects of the programming.

Psychologists:

Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Telehealth Certification Institute LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Psychologists #PSY-0128.

Art Therapists: 

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Creative Arts Therapists #CAT-0093.

Other Professionals:

This course qualifies for 120 minutes of instructional content as required by many national, state and local licensing boards and professional organizations.  Retain your certificate of completion and contact your board or organization for specific filing requirements.

This is a non-interactive, self-study course.

Accommodations and Policies

Close Captioning is available for live webinars and recorded video presentations.

You can click on the following links to view our policies:

• Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities.
• Cancellation Policy
• Grievance Policy
• Support Options
• Disclosure Statement