Before I became a specialist treating perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), I was a postpartum therapy client. 6 weeks after our oldest child was born, my husband and I decided to check in with a wonderful and experienced therapist whom we knew both liked. At the start of the session my husband looked lovingly […]
It has been reported that maternal suicide is the leading cause of death during pregnancy and the first year after birth. This is why the current shift in attention toward greater awareness to maternal mental health is urgently necessary and long overdue. We are just scratching the surface, and have far to go, but this momentum toward improved care and education can […]
In light of the recent focus on the inexcusable ways some healthcare providers respond to acute distress in postpartum mothers, let us do some teaching here. Please share and inform your local resources. **NOTE TO ALL HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS** Some postpartum women are afraid to tell you how they really feel. They are worried that you […]
While sitting with palpable pain in therapy, I am often moved to find some tool, some intervention, some words of comfort, to ease the suffering. When I’m lucky, I find a way to express hope, in some form or another. But today, I could not find the hope. So I sat with the pain. I […]
Guarire dalla depressione postpartum. Indicazioni cliniche e psicoterapia INTRODUCTION TO THE ITALIAN EDITION With my deepest gratitude, I post the translation of the introduction to the Italian edition of: Therapy and the Postpartum Woman by Pietro Grussu and eRosa Maria Quatraro: Fourteen years have passed since the Editorial Collection “Psicologia della Maternità” (Psychology of Motherhood) […]
Suicide is a scary word and if you work in the mental health field it is a word that conjures up panic in the hearts of dedicated professionals who are trying hard to support, enlighten, inform and protect individuals who might be tormented or tempted by the distorted lure of an end to their suffering. […]
Most of us married folk think we are right, much of the time, and we believe we know what is best for us and our marriage. This is especially true for women, who generally take the plunge when it comes to initiating marital repair tactics. However, what is true all of the time, without fail, […]
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Book Reviews 1 2010, Vol. 6, No. 1 Copyright 2010 by the International Association for Cognitive Psychotherapy Therapy and the Postpartum Woman: Notes on Healing Postpartum Depression for Clinicians and the Women Who Seek Their Help While there are many books available for mothers and families on postpartum depression, this book is […]
My clients have gotten so much younger. Not so long ago we were all the same age. We were comrades in parallel worlds, raising our babies together, in a manner of speaking, navigating the ebbs and flows of new motherhood. I would observe through a therapeutic lens, and later reflect on the relevance to my […]
Postpartum Psychosis Emergency Room Guidelines You cannot afford to miss this diagnosis. Postpartum psychosis occurs in approximately 1-2 out of every 1,000 deliveries. The clinical onset is rapid, with symptoms occurring as early as the first 48 to 72 hours postpartum, although the majority of episodes develop within the first 2 weeks after delivery. Postpartum psychosis is […]
Foreword Amy Wenzel and I were first introduced at the University of Pennsylvania, where we met with two colleagues to join forces on behalf of postpartum women. The four of us convened to contribute to what developed into a new screening tool for postpartum women. I confess I was simultaneously impressed and intimidated by the […]
How can I Help You? Finding and using your best self Psychology Today Post published 10/27/14 I do not make my bed every morning. In fact, at the risk of alienating a large majority of my clients and colleagues, I admit I hate to make my bed unless I’m having company over. Even then, I resent […]
Published on August 13, 2014 by Karen Kleiman, MSW, LCSW in This Isn’t What I Expected PSYCHOLOGY TODAY While much of the entertainment world and its devoted audience continue to grapple with the abrupt death of a beloved public figure, the loss of Robin Williams seems to have triggered an avalanche of panic […]
SUICIDE ASSESSMENT FOR A POSITIVE EPDS SCREEN (#10) Are you asking the hard questions? Do not make the mistake of thinking that she looks too good to be that sick. Every single woman who walks into your office could be having thoughts of hurting herself. Regardless of how she looks, what she says, how she […]
“Postpartum depression emerges at a time in a woman’s life when both the demands and stakes are high. In addition to the disturbing feelings and symptoms, there is one more complicating factor. There is a baby in the picture. This makes everything more dramatic, more precarious, and much more urgent. Whether it’s her first bout […]
