Postpartum Depression & Related Disorders: Clinical Strategies to Identify and Treat Parents Who Are Suffering in Silence

CPD

Planning Committee Disclosure - No relevant relationships

All members of the PESI, Inc. planning committee have provided disclosures of financial relationships with ineligible organizations and any relevant non-financial relationships prior to planning content for this activity. None of the committee members had relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies or other potentially biasing relationships to disclose to learners.  For speaker disclosures, please see the faculty biography.

Handouts

Speaker

Hilary Waller, MS, LPC Related seminars and products

The Postpartum Stress Center

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Hilary Waller, MS, LPC, is a psychotherapist who specializes in the treatment of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. She is the director of education and programming at The Postpartum Stress Center outside of Philadelphia, which was founded by renowned perinatal expert Karen Kleiman and was listed in Philly Magazine as a “Center of Excellence” for maternal/fetal care in 2008. In addition to providing direct care services to individuals, couples, and groups at the center, Hilary serves as an instructor with Karen Kleiman, providing a quarterly 12 CE hour postgraduate advanced training for clinicians across the US and abroad who want to specialize in treating the perinatal population. She conducts workshops and trainings for maternal mental healthcare providers as well as non-clinical staff working with the perinatal population. Hilary completed her master’s degree in counseling psychology from Holy Family University in 2013. She is deeply honored to support new patients.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Hilary Waller maintains a private practice and and has an employment relationship with FamilyWell Health. She receives royalties as a published author. Hilary Waller receives a speaking honorarium, recording, and book royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Hilary Waller is a member of the American Counseling Association, the American Counseling Association, the American Mental Health Counselors Association, the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, and EMDRIA.

Objectives

1. Develop communication style that meets the unique needs of perinatal clients in order to improve client engagement and retention.
2. Differentiate between “normal” perinatal experiences and clinically relevant symptoms to inform clinician's choice of treatment interventions.
3. Modify clinical interventions and screening tools to incorporate the "holding" approach with perinatal clients.
4. Integrate understanding of common difficulties occurring within perinatal family system for purpose of psychoeducation, collaboration with family members or partners, and improved specificity of case conceptualization.
5. Determine self-regulation skills and interventions the clinician can use to manage vulnerability that may interfere with treatment of perinatal clients.
6. Assess and respond effectively to special circumstances (breastfeeding, NICU, perinatal loss, adoption, depression in the partner) that impact therapeutic process and treatment planning.

Outline

• What causes postpartum mental health disorders?
• The “perinatal masquerade” and illusion of perfection in parenthood
• Why “perinatal” is a multi-decade stage in life
• What makes mood disorders during this period unique
• Breaking through guilt, shame, and silence
• Limitations of the research and potential risks

• Are you asking the right questions?
• Red flags: What to look/listen for each session
• Evidence-based assessment tools
• Differential diagnosis: The PMAD spectrum
  • Depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, psychosis
• The Postpartum Stress Center PMAD Response Model
• How to respond to disclosures of thoughts to harm self or baby
• Where and how to refer to a specialist/higher level of care

• How treatment differs for this population
• Create a safe “holding environment”
• Break through guilt, shame, and silence
• Navigating scary intrusive thoughts
• Practical interventions for busy new parents
• The perinatal family: Identify and engage necessary supports in treatment
• Tools for healing the perinatal intimate partnership
• Psychotropic medications: Safe for pregnant or nursing parents?
• Collaborative care with other providers
• Videos: Beyond the Fear & Voices of Recovery
• Exercises: Token assessment and case examples

• Managing countertransference
• Ethical decision making: Breaking the rules and self-disclosure
• Collaboration and collegial support

• Feeding issues: Breastfeeding and/or bottle
• Infertility/Assisted reproductive technologies
• Trauma
• NICU
• Perinatal grief and loss
• When PMADs are left untreated or present later in parenthood
• Multicultural factors

Target Audience

• Social Workers
• Counselors
• Psychologists
• Marriage and Family Therapists
• Psychiatrists
• Pediatricians
• Gynecologists
• Nurses
• Nurse Practitioners
• Midwives and Doulas
• Lactation Consultants
• Other professionals who work with perinatal parents

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