Perinatal Mental Health Training Program

Face-to-face and online learning

This training program is offered in spanish

 Directed by Dr. Ibone Olza

 

Our one-year training  program  in Perinatal Mental Health, which started in January 2015, is in its 5th edition.

Goals:

  • Introduction to the main theoretical contributions that psychology and neuroscience have made in the field of perinatal mental health.
  • Critical review of the most recent and relevant scientific studies in this area.
  • Acquisition of tools for healthy accompaniment in the perinatal stage as well as for the prevention, early detection and treatment of perinatal mental disorders.
  • Introduction to multidisciplinary research in perinatal mental health.
  • Creation of networks among professionals interested in continuing education in this area.

Methodology:

  • Monthly seminar (face-to-face in Madrid or online) that includes a review of classic theories in the field together with presentation of the most recent scientific evidence, with an ecosystemic, ecofeminist and holistic perspective.
  • Discussion of clinical cases as well as personal  and professional experiences.
  • In each seminar, readings and written assignments are proposed, some of an experiential type and others of commented readings of texts and articles. These tasks can be shared voluntarily with other students in the virtual classroom.
  • The day before the seminar participants receive a document with the tasks and readings, and then the full presentations in pdf format are provided.

The Perinatal Mental Health Training lasts one calendar year. Because the training is annual and cyclical, it can be started at the beginning of any of the blocks below; it is not essential to do them in a certain order.

Training blocks:

  1. Psychology and Psychopathology of Pregnancy. Three seminars, from January to March. Includes psychology of pregnancy, psychopathology of pregnancy, and perinatal loss and grief.
  2. Psychology and Psychopathology of Labor and Delivery. Three seminars, from April to June. Includes: psychology of childbirth, psychopathology of childbirth, neuroscience and epigenetics, and the mental health of birth professionals
  3. Postpartum Psychology and Psychopathology. Four seminars, from September to December 2018.

OUR PHILOSOPHY:

The training we offer is:

  • Ecopsychological. We try to understand the nature of psychological processes, starting from the paradigm of ecopsychology that includes the need to attach to nature as a central aspect of the human being, together with Attachment Theory (John Bowlby) Hence the need to know and deepen perinatal neurosciences, the physiology of childbirth, among other topics.
  • Holistic. We integrate the most recent scientific studies with knowledge provided by other disciplines, including those that harness the power of ancestral wisdom. In this way, we impart the understanding that the whole of the human being is much more than the sum of its parts, and we aspire to maintain the body-mind-soul connection from the very beginning of life.
  • Open. Our training is aimed at all professionals who provide care at different stages of motherhood, and who therefore have a direct impact on the emotional and mental health of mothers and babies, including midwives, doctors, nurses, psychologists, doulas, lactation consultants, and more. Because our training is cross- and multi-disciplinary, it promotes a holistic view that benefits both the participants and the families they serve.
  • Rigorous. We prioritize quality and clarity in the transmission of knowledge. We return to original sources with a critical eye that allows us to dismantle some classic theories that have turned out to be very harmful to the health of mothers and their families. Like our trainees, our sources are eclectic, coming from many different and complementary disciplines. Our training is replete with bibliographical references so that students can easily return to source material to increase their knowledge.
  • Up-to-Date. Our training includes timely topics such as the mental health of professionals who attend births, the early detection of attachment disorders, obstetric violence and the introduction of mother-baby psychotherapies.
  • Practical. We offer an eminently practical, well integrated training that trainees can make use of immediately in their professional lives; we don’t just teach theory and history. Through our teaching, we seek to transmit our collective years of education, care provision and  activism in equal parts.
  • Respectful. Respectful and non-judgmental attention to mothers and babies is of paramount importance for us. We believe that well trained professionals are key to the prevention of perinatal mental disorders and to that end we work to end any type of abuse, disrespect and obstetric violence.
  • Dynamic. And therefore, constantly evolving. When we train, we are also always listening and learning. The most effective forms of learning involve an experiential component. For us this means prioritizing listening to mothers and their experiences and  pointing out opportunities for introspection and deeper understanding.
  • Quality. We collaborate with expert professionals of international renown throughout the course, to offer our trainees access to the best minds in the field.
  • Flexible. You can attend in person (Madrid) or online, either in real time or during the eight weeks following the training date. It is possible to enroll in the training in one modality (face-to-face or online), and change to the other for a seminar or for the entire training if the circumstances change. With this flexibility we have made our training available to the greatest number of possible students.
  • Sustainable. We have kept prices to a minimum, and we offer financial support to those students who need it through our grant program.

 

MORE INFORMATION