Overview

More than one in ten women will develop a mental illness in pregnancy or the year after birth. These illnesses can cause intense suffering for women and their families. They can also have an adverse impact on the interaction between a mother and her baby, affecting the child’s emotional, social and cognitive development. For women who have suffered complex developmental trauma the transition to motherhood can be a particularly challenging and vulnerable time. Pregnancy or parenthood may trigger painful memories, precipitate strong emotions which are hard to manage, reduce access to usual ways of coping and make relationships, particularly with baby difficult to navigate.

This is a unique workshop designed for clinicians with some experience in schema therapy or cognitive behavioural approaches (or other allied modalities) working with women in the perinatal period, interested in expanding skills for working with women with more complex needs and where there are significant relational challenges, or where she has not responded to standard treatment.

Schedule:

• 17 Novemebr 2025: 8am -11am AEDT
• 18 November 2025: 8am -11am AEDT
• 24 Novemebr 2025: 8am -11am AEDT
• 25 Novemebr 2025: 8am -11am AEDT

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this event, participants should be able to:

• Formulate complex perinatal presentations via mode mapping, and
• Feel confident in the change techniques of: chair work, imagery work, limited reparenting and empathic confrontation.  
• Feel confident in methods for enhancing the ‘Healthy Adult’ mode where individuals have limited positive internal dialogues.
• Use Schema informed methods and their integration within time-limited CBT

Presenter(s)

About the presenter(s)

Dr. Helen Startup is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Director of Schema Therapy School UK (www.schematherapyschool.co.uk).  Helen is an accredited CBT therapist/supervisor and Schema Therapy Supervisor and Trainer and is passionate about improving outcomes for those with complex mental health needs.

Dr. Cathy Green is Consultant Clinical Psychologist for the South West London and St Georges NHS Trust Community Perinatal Services where she oversees the provision of specialist perinatal psychological therapies for women with moderate to severe mental illness. Cathy is an accredited CBT therapist and has previously worked in a national specialist anxiety disorders service. She is passionate about improving mental health outcomes for women in the perinatal period, particularly those with more complex needs.

Notes

Target Audience

This event is aimed at clinicians with some experience in schema therapy or cognitive behavioural approaches (or other allied modalities) working with women in the perinatal period. 

CPD

It is up to attendees to assess and determine how learning from this event aligns with the requirements of their learning plan. The providers accordingly do not make any representation that the event counts towards attendees’ CPD learning requirements. If an attendee determines themselves that the learning they complete aligns to their learning plan, then they can decide to count those hours towards their CPD requirements for the registration cycle.

The information in this presentation has been prepared in good faith and for educational purposes only. Therefore, the information is general in nature and should not be relied upon in the treatment of any condition and you should seek your own independent professional and/or legal advice concerning any specific issue. The APS accepts no responsibility for any errors, omissions or decisions relating to the information. The content should not be reproduced without permission or unless permitted by law.

If you are experiencing registration difficulties please contact APS Events Support.