Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders for Non-Specialists
A practical 3-hour course for licensed counselors who are not perinatal specialists but who see pregnant and postpartum clients, partners, and families in general practice. Covers the full PMAD spectrum (depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD after birth trauma, bipolar considerations, postpartum psychosis), validated screening with the EPDS, PHQ-9, and GAD-7, suicide and infanticide risk assessment, safety planning, when to send to the emergency department, evidence-based CBT and IPT, exposure-based work for perinatal OCD, what to say about medication questions as a non-prescriber, collaborative care with OB and pediatrics, NICU and perinatal loss, and scope-of-practice ethics.
3
CE Hours
5
Modules
22
Quiz Questions
4
Est. Minutes
What you'll learn
- Differentiate baby blues, perinatal depression, perinatal anxiety and panic, perinatal OCD, birth-related PTSD, bipolar presentations, and postpartum psychosis using DSM-5-TR criteria and the "with peripartum onset" specifier.
- Administer and interpret the EPDS, PHQ-9, and GAD-7 using evidence-based cutoffs and the screening timing recommended by ACOG and the USPSTF.
- Distinguish ego-dystonic intrusive harm thoughts of perinatal OCD from the psychotic ideation of postpartum psychosis and respond with the appropriate level of care.
- Conduct a structured suicide and infanticide risk assessment, build a collaborative safety plan, and identify the presentations that require same-day emergency evaluation.
- Apply CBT, IPT, and exposure-based interventions for perinatal depression, anxiety, and OCD within the scope of a non-prescribing counselor, and respond appropriately to medication questions.
- Coordinate care with obstetric, pediatric, and prescribing providers, use peer-support resources, and apply cultural humility and referral ethics with perinatal clients, including after NICU admission and perinatal loss.
Who it's for
Licensed mental health professionals (LPCs, LCSWs, LMFTs, NCCs, psychiatric NPs).
Approval & credit
CounselorReady is an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP #7760). This course awards 3 NBCC-approved CE hours; a certificate is issued on completion. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CounselorReady is solely responsible for all aspects of the program.