Seleni Institute to Hold Maternal Mental Health Training in Athens

USA-based specialist offers free training to mental health specialists in Greece

May 3, 2016

The Seleni Institute will be hosting a free mental health care training day for health professionals in Athens on May 13, 2016 at the Hellenic American College.

During this one-day intensive training course entitled Maternal Mental Health: Latest Insights and Best Practices, psychotherapist and psychoanalyst Haroula Ntalla will train participants on effective treatments for maternal mental health issues. Utilizing the most current theoretical and research findings, she will cover the three critical steps to treating perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) and grief from miscarriage, stillbirth, and child loss. The training is intended to educate any mental and medical healthcare providers — such as psychologists, obstetricians and gynecologists, midwives, and pediatricians — who encounter women in the first year after giving birth.

Postpartum depression and anxiety is the most common complication of pregnancy, affecting up to twenty percent of women. Left untreated, PPD can develop into chronic depression for a mother and impair her child’s cognitive and emotional development, but with proper treatment, women can recover.

“We know when we support a mother, we support her spouse, we support her children, her family, and then future generations, breaking cycles of isolation, sadness, or anxiety,” said Nitzia Logothetis, founder and executive chairwoman of the Seleni Institute. “With this program, we are thrilled to provide an opportunity for clinical and mental health professionals of Greece to deepen their ability to care for pregnant women and parents.”

Admission to the training day is by invitation only. Healthcare professionals wishing to know more about the event can contact athenstraining[at]seleni[dot]org.