Why I Recommend This Training to Perinatal Clinicians
“In my 23 years of clinical practice in perinatal mental health and trauma, the most common clinical stumbling block I observe among caring therapists is applying generic cognitive reframing to perinatal panic and scary thoughts. A mother struggling with intrusive thoughts of harm doesn’t need debate; she needs relational co-regulation, a secure holding environment, and clear differentiation between ego-dystonic OCD phenomena and genuine clinical risk.”
“This curriculum brings together three clinician-educators I deeply respect. Hilary Waller translates Karen Kleiman’s holding model with unmatched clinical precision. Dr. Sunita Osborn offers the most attuned, attachment-grounded approach to reproductive trauma and miscarriage grief available today. I encourage every psychologist, counselor, and birth worker in our community to complete this training.”
Learn From Leading Perinatal Mental Health Specialists
Direct, practice-tested clinical interventions from renowned clinicians and published authors.
Hilary Waller, MS, LPC
Director of Education and clinician at The Postpartum Stress Center, trained directly by Karen Kleiman. Renowned specialist in PMAD screening, differential diagnosis of scary intrusive thoughts, and the clinical holding approach.
Sunita Osborn, PsyD, MA
Licensed clinical psychologist specializing in reproductive trauma, pregnancy loss, and perinatal grief. Her attachment-focused framework guides clinicians in holding client grief so families can move forward without being forced to “move on.”
Kristine Spano, PsyD
Clinical psychologist expert in hormonal mood disorders and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD). Delivers actionable dialectical and cognitive distress-tolerance toolkits for acute emotional dysregulation.
What You Will Master in This Training
Postpartum Depression & Related Disorders: Treating Mothers in Silence
Overcoming the “perinatal masquerade” and providing rapid, attuned triage during the vulnerable postpartum transition.
- PMAD Screening & Red Flags: Beyond standard EPDS checklists; listening for what clients conceal.
- Differential Diagnosis: Distinguishing scary intrusive thoughts (ego-dystonic OCD) from postpartum psychosis and depression.
- The Postpartum Stress Center Holding Model: Creating safe relational containment for exhausted, hypervigilant mothers.
- Addressing Suicidality: Safety planning, lethal means restriction, and direct, non-punitive referral pathways.
- Intimate Partnerships: Healing the couple dynamic and managing countertransference in perinatal therapy.
Perinatal Loss: An Attachment-Informed Treatment Framework
Interventions for navigating miscarriage, stillbirth, and reproductive trauma without forcing toxic closure.
- Deconstructing Misconceptions: Addressing cultural misattunement and the chronic nature of reproductive grief.
- Exploring the Reproductive Story: Assessing guilt, shame, and perceived bodily betrayal.
- Adapting PTSD Interventions: Applying loss-and-restoration frameworks to recurrent pregnancy loss.
- Moving Forward, Not On: Attachment-focused resilience interventions for couples and individuals.
- Subsequent Pregnancies: Supporting clients through pregnancy after loss (PAL) and high anxiety.
Treating PMDD, PMS & Emotional Dysregulation with DBT & CBT
Practical interventions when pharmaceuticals or conventional talk therapy fall short in hormonal dysregulation.
- Biological Impact on Mental Health: Decoding neurochemical shifts throughout the menstrual cycle.
- DBT & CBT Distress Tolerance: Somatosensory and cognitive self-care toolkits for acute dysregulation days.
- Interpersonal Grounding: Protecting relationships and workplace functioning during hormonal distress spikes.
- Mindfulness in Clinical Practice: In-office somatic exercises that ground autonomic reactivity.
Three Practice-Ready Digital Clinical Resources
- Bonus 1: Telehealth Treatment for Postpartum Depression (Hilary Waller) — Adapting Karen Kleiman’s holding approach to virtual sessions.
- Bonus 2: The Miscarriage Map Workbook (Dr. Sunita Osborn) — Full printable PDF workbook with exercises for grief processing.
- Bonus 3: Psychotherapy Networker Clinical Articles — Expert guidance by Lori Gottlieb and Janet Jaffee on fertility counseling and reproductive challenges.
Complete Online Course Tuition
Includes on-demand lifetime access to all modules, up to 15.0 Accredited CE Hours, slide decks, client worksheets, and all three clinical bonus workbooks.
Enroll Now on PESI Partner Portal ($199.99) →
Not ready to enroll today?
Join Senses of Care: The Perinatal Clinical Letter
Subscribe to receive our bi-weekly clinical reflections on maternal mental health, empirical autonomic regulation (RSA), and future course study notes directly in your inbox.