PRESENTER: Susan Lowe, LMFT, PMH-C

Course meets the qualifications for 2 hours of continuing education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs and/or LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.  Registrants must attend the full 2 hours to receive CEs..

This presentation enhances mental health therapists' skills in identifying, assessing, and managing perinatal and postpartum mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs). Focusing on evidence-based screening tools, clinical presentations, and the impact of these disorders on mothers, infants, partners, and family dynamics, attendees will learn to differentiate between common emotional changes like the 'baby blues' and more severe conditions such as perinatal and postpartum mood and anxiety disorders.

Key areas covered include recognizing the types, symptoms, and risk factors of perinatal and postpartum mood and anxiety disorders and understanding their effects on family dynamics. Participants will explore the long-term implications of untreated perinatal and postpartum mood and anxiety disorders and learn about effective therapeutic interventions and support strategies. The presentation will review evidence-based treatments, including psychotherapy and medication, and emphasize the importance of cultural competence by providing strategies to address the unique need of diverse perinatal populations.

Attendees will also learn to identify and share local and national resources for supporting perinatal families. By the end of the training, participants will be equipped with the tools and knowledge necessary to provide effective and empathetic care, improving outcomes for pregnant and postpartum xlients. The presentation aims to foster a deeper understanding of diverse needs of perinatal clients and the importance of culturally sensitive approaches in clinical practice.

OBJECTIVES:

After the presentation the audience will be able to:

1) Recognize the clinical presentations, onset, duration, and severity of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) in supporting pregnant and postpartum clients and their families.

2) Identify and utilize at least three evidence-based screening tools and interventions to address perinatal mental health.

3) Recall two key principles to differentiate between common emotional changes like the ‘baby blues’ and more severe conditions such as perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs).

4) Be able to understand how perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) impact mothers, infants, other children, partners, and family dynamics if left untreated.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER:
Susan Lowe is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with a Perinatal Mental Health certification (PMH-C) from Postpartum Support International. She earned her master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from the School of Cultural and Family Psychology at Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena, CA, with a specialization in African American Family Studies.

Susan has worked in various clinical settings, including community mental health, residential substance abuse treatment facilities, foster care, and both group and private practices. She is a member of the Sankofa Birthworkers Collective, where she leads postpartum support groups for Black birthing families in the Inland Empire.

At Indigenous Circle of Wellness, Susan supports Native American and Indigenous families through direct care, postpartum support groups, and community wellness education. Her private practice focuses on the health and well-being of Black, Native/Indigenous, and other communities of color, ensuring culturally inclusive care.

Susan also supports professionals as a consultant, speaker, and trainer, providing organizational training for providers supporting marginalized and minority communities while aiming to increase cultural competence and humility among providers who serve them. Her speaking topics include cultural humility, historical and intergenerational trauma and health, and perinatal mental health.

Inland Empire Chapter of CAMFT is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCS, AND/or LEPs. IE-CAMFT maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content. CE Provider # 62278