Therapy and the Postpartum Woman

Karen Kleiman, MSW, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker and internationally recognized expert on maternal mental health. With over 30 years of experience in the field, she is the author of several books on postpartum depression and anxiety and is the founder of The Postpartum Stress Center, a treatment and training facility for prenatal and postpartum depression and anxiety disorders. Hilary Waller, LPC, is the director of programming at The Postpartum Stress Center. She provides continuing education for maternal health care providers in the identification and treatment of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and leads advanced trainings for professionals from around the country.

Introduction to the Classic Edition by Karen Kleiman and Hilary Waller; Part I: The Framework: Women, Babies and Therapy. Masquerade: Clinical Profile. Everything Gets in the Way: Resistance. Don’t Call it Therapy: Reframing. Anatomy of a PPD Therapist. The Holding Environment. Making a Diagnosis. The Voice of Depression. Therapeutic Models for Women at Risk. Perfectly Postpartum. Part II: The Tools: Doing what works. Initial Assessment: The Phone Call. First Things First. Screening: Are We Asking the Right questions? Assessment: Listening to Symptoms. Collaboration. Sharing the Session. Medication: Clinician’s Perspective. Medication: Client’s Perspective. Alternative Therapies. Part III: The Work: Clinical Challenges. Scary Thoughts. Help-Resistant Complainer. A Good Girl. Breastfeeding to Death. Countertransference: When is Yours, Mine? Sleeplessness. The Married State. Bonding. Suicidal Thoughts. Psychosis. Motherself. Prevention? Burnout, Boundaries and Other Pitfalls. Part IV: The Healing. The Umbilical Factor. The Bracelet. Therapy Exposed. Finding the Power to Heal. Recovery Revealed. The Search for Meaning. The Quintessential Mother. Appendix.