Seleni Trains Mental Health Providers

Clinicians received expert training in diagnosing and treating PMADs and issues surrounding perinatal loss

November 2, 2015

Seleni Institute's first intensive training in maternal mental health took place on October 23 and 24, 2015. Diverse providers, including psychologists, social workers, psychoanalysts, group facilitators, and clinical directors of community-based mental health programs throughout New York City, all received specialty training from the Seleni clinical team.

Seleni clinicians provided insight and guidance on how to identify perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) as well as the benefits of sleep restoration and self-care. The training also emphasized the importance of tailoring treatment plans to address different PMADs, including major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Seleni Institute clinical director, Christiane Manzella, PhD, FT, also led an informative and moving workshop on perinatal loss and grief, which covered ways to facilitate the normal grief process and normalize the frequency of infertility and pregnancy loss as well as how to help clients work through complicated grief and depression. The clinical team facilitated interactive case consultations and supervision, which group members found "truly inspiring," "welcoming and encouraging," and "highly useful" in their work and practices.

Participants especially appreciated that the training provided a deeper understanding of the complex clinical processes women and their partners face, including perinatal anxiety, trauma, depression, and grief. Afterward, many felt better equipped to help their patients.

In their evaluations, clinicians expressed gratitude for the open, interactive nature of the trainings, which provided "clearly articulated information" from educators who are "talented, clinically astute, and committed to this work." Others appreciated the case discussions because these enabled them to benefit from the training team's clinical expertise while having the space for all participants to offer support and perspective from their own clinical experiences.

There was great interest in ongoing group supervision and follow-up trainings. The next clinical training in perinatal mental health and perinatal loss will take place at Seleni on January 8-9, 2016.

Learn more about upcoming trainings and register here.