10 Week Perinatal Mental Health Training Series

Open to all mental health practitioners. This 10 week series offers a forum to learn from an experienced perinatal mental health specialist, delving into weekly topic areas through training and case study discussions. 

This training is suitable for all mental health practitioners. The training groups require a 10 week long commitment. Each session will be 2 hours long and will consist of training on a specific PMAD topic. There will be a focus on a case study related to the week’s topic in order to highlight and incorporate the knowledge and skills learned through the reading and the training. 

Dates and times:  9am – 11am PDT, Wednesdays:

September 30

October 7, 14, 21, 28

November 4, 11, 18, 25

December 2,  2026

Location: Zoom

Trainers: Addelle Diedesch, MA, LMHC, PMH-C and guest speakers

Continuing Education Units:

• 20 CEUs pending for LICSWs, LMHCs, and LMFTs
• 20 Contact hours available for RNs. Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number 17084 for 20 contact hours
• This training is approved as an advanced course for the Postpartum Support International Certification in Perinatal Mental Health.
• Continuing Education is provided by Perinatal Support of Washington at the completion of the program.  CEUs are based on attendance (2 CEUs per meeting)
• CEUs available for live attendance only.

Course Outline:

Sept 30 (Week 1) – Adjustment issues, maternal shoulds and shame issues in American society
Oct 7 (Week 2) – Perinatal Depression
Oct 14 (Week 3) – Anxiety – Intrusive and scary thoughts, OCD
Oct 21 (Week 4) – Perinatal management of bipolar disorder and postpartum psychosis
Oct 28 (Week 5) – Birth Trauma
Nov 4 (Week 6) – Medications during pregnancy & lactation
Nov 11 (Week 7) – Perinatal loss: miscarriage, stillbirth, preparing for pregnancy after loss, and risk for PMADs.
Nov 18 (Week 8) – Breastfeeding
Nov 25 (Week 9) – Supporting parents during and after the NICU
Dec 2 (Week 10) – Special considerations for sexual abuse survivors and PMADs, birth and parenting issues.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand how to accurately identify, assess and treat perinatal depression.
• Understand how to accurately identify, assess and treat perinatal anxiety.
• Understand how to accurately identify, assess and treat adjustment issues.
• Understand how to accurately identify, assess and treat perinatal bipolar disorder and postpartum psychosis.
• Understand how to accurately identify, assess and treat birth trauma.
• Understand when breastfeeding is protective and when it is a risk factor for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.
• Understand how perinatal loss impacts the risk for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.
• Understand the special considerations for perinatal medication management.
• Understand how to accurately identify, assess and treat sexual abuse survivors for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.

Cost:

$475 General Registration
$400 PS-WA Member
$250 Current PS-WA Volunteer

Register Here

This is a live training and a recording will not be sent out. If you have questions, please contact training@perinatalsupport.org

Addelle Diedesch, MA, LMHC, PMH-C, is a perinatal mental health therapist and Interim Clinical Therapy Program Manager at Perinatal Support Washington. She provides reflective supervision and program oversight for masters level clinical interns and staff therapists. A perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) survivor and advocate, Addelle brings both clinical expertise and lived experience to her work. In her private practice, Little Mountain Counseling, she offers perinatal mental health therapy and consultation focused on PMADs, early relational health, and caregiver–infant connection, grounded in community partnership and compassionate, equity-centered care.