Counseling for Peripartum Depression: A Strengths-Based Approach to Conceptualization and Treatment

Counseling for Peripartum Depression provides counselors and other mental health professionals with a comprehensive understanding of peripartum depression (PPD) and related disorders during pregnancy and after birth. The book offers diagnostic criteria and screening tools that clinicians can use in session, and focuses on holistic wellness as well as current research on the etiology and risk factors for PPD. In particular, the simple and practical STRENGTHS model can help clinicians address various social and cultural factors related to the experience of pregnancy, giving birth, taking care of children, becoming parents, and the stigma associated with maternal mental health conditions. Using case studies and stories of women who have experienced PPD, chapters explore the individual, societal, and cultural factors associated with the development of PPD, and they also present clinicians with best practices and suggestions for preventative efforts and complementary approaches to treatment.