ADVANCED SHORT COURSE · PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

Professional Training in
Perinatal Mental Health, Postnatal Depression & Birth Trauma

You work with new families every day. This course gives you the clinical understanding for the part nobody trained you for.

Led by a Chartered Clinical Psychologist · Consultant Perinatal Psychiatrist · NHS Clinical Psychologist

Evidence-Based Curriculum

OCN Accredited — Level 3 & 4

3 Clinical Experts

9 Modules

Evidence-Based Curriculum

Cochrane-Informed

2 L-CERPs — Only Course in Sector

OCN Accredited — Level 3 & 4

4.9/5

120+ Google Reviews

OCN L3 & L4

Accreditation Options

6 Hours

Core Learning

20,000+

Trained Professionals

Expert Clinicians

Intrusive Thoughts · New Motherhood

91%

Of New Mothers

91% of new mothers experience unwanted intrusive thoughts — alongside 88% of new fathers. These are not warning signs. They are your families

Intrusive Thoughts · New Motherhood

1 in 5

Go Unrecognised

1 in 5 people who give birth will experience a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder. Most will not be identified. Many will be in your care.

These are not rare edge cases. They are the families already in your care — and they need practitioners who know what they are looking at.

Why This Course Exists

Overlooked.
Untrained.
Until now.

You know when something is not right — but you do not have the clinical language for it
You have supported a mother who was struggling in ways that went beyond exhaustion
You have wondered exactly where your role ends and a referral begins
You have sat with a family and felt the weight of something you could not name
You want to be the practitioner who actually understands — not the one who guesses

Clinical training in perinatal mental health has never been available to most practitioners working with new families. Not because they didn't need it. Until now.

The Faculty Difference

"This is not a course about awareness. It is a course about clinical understanding — taught by practitioners who work with these families every day."

A Chartered Clinical Psychologist who specialises in the perinatal period. A Consultant Perinatal Psychiatrist with 20 years of NHS experience. A Clinical Psychologist with 14 years in NHS children's centres.

↓ Meet the faculty below

After this programme

Clinical. Human. Practical.

01

Know What You Are Seeing

Recognise perinatal depression, birth trauma, anxiety and PTSD in the families you support — and stop second-guessing what you are witnessing.

02

Understand Why It Is Happening

Attachment, intergenerational trauma, the parent-infant bond, the couple relationship under pressure — understand the full picture, not just the surface symptoms.

03

Know What To Do Next

Support families accurately. Refer appropriately. And understand how to protect your own wellbeing when the emotional weight of this work is real.

Your faculty

Taught by Clinical Experts in the Field.

Three specialists who work with these families in practice — teaching from the inside of this subject, not from a distance.

Course leader

Emma Svanberg

Chartered Clinical Psychologist · Founder, The Psychology Co-operative

Chartered Clinical Psychologist

UCL Trained

Tavistock & Portman NHS

Anna Freud Centre

Institute of Psychoanalysis

Perinatal Specialist

Emma Svanberg is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist specialising in the perinatal period. She trained at UCL and undertook further clinical training at the Tavistock & Portman NHS Foundation Trust, the Anna Freud Centre and the Institute of Psychoanalysis. She is the Founder and Director of The Psychology Co-operative, with a particular interest in attachment, trauma and the intergenerational roots of psychological difficulty.

When you study this course, you are not learning about perinatal mental health from a textbook. You are learning from a Chartered Clinical Psychologist who has spent her career inside this subject.

Clinical Training

UCL · Tavistock & Portman NHS · Anna Freud Centre · Institute of Psychoanalysis

Specialisms

Perinatal period · Attachment · Birth trauma · Intergenerational psychology

Contributing expert

Rebecca Moore

Consultant Perinatal Psychiatrist · 20 Years NHS Experience

Postnatal Depression

PTSD & Birth Trauma

Outstanding NHS Trust

Royal College of Psychiatrists

Nine years at London's only Outstanding-rated NHS perinatal trust. Specialises in postnatal depression, PTSD, birth trauma, anxiety and infertility-related difficulties.

Contributing expert

Harriet Higgins

Clinical Psychologist · 14 Years NHS Perinatal Specialism

Infant Mental Health

Birth Trauma

Tokophobia

Make Birth Better

14 years providing specialist Psychology in NHS children's centres. Whole-family approach — tokophobia, birth trauma, pregnancy loss, couple and attachment support.

Programme Structure

Nine modules. The training you have been missing.

Choose Level 3 or Level 4 accreditation to suit your professional goals — or complete the course without formal assessment.

6 hrs

Core Learning

Self-Paced

Study on Your Terms

Lifetime

Content Access

OCN L3 & L4

Accreditation Options

Enrol and start immediately.

Module 01 Transition to Parenthood

The gap between expectation and the reality of new parenthood
Social, cultural and personal pressures on new parents
Key psychological theories of transition and identity change

Module 02 Perinatal Mental Health

What perinatal mental health means and what it doesn't
The professionals involved, and where you fit
How stigma shapes the way families present to you

Module 03 Birth Trauma

What birth trauma is and what it is not
Why the same birth can be traumatic for one person and not another
Psychological treatments and how to support without causing harm

Module 04 Perinatal Depression & Anxiety

Symptoms of perinatal depression including the ones most commonly missed
Evidence-based treatments for depression in the perinatal period
How anxiety presents in new parents, and when it becomes clinical
Treatment options for perinatal anxiety disorders
OCD in new parenthood why it looks different here
How OCD is treated and what that means for your support

Module 05 Other Mental Health Challenges

Other presentations you are likely to encounter in practice
Complex trauma in the perinatal period what it looks like and how to respond

Module 06 Partners Becoming Parents

How the couple relationship changes — and why it matters clinically
The Vulnerability-Stress-Adaptation model explained
How couple conflict affects children's development
What you can do to support partners within your role

Module 07 The Parent-Infant Relationship

How perinatal mental health affects the bond between parent and baby
The mechanisms that shape bonding, responsiveness and the early relationship
Attachment theory in the context of mental health explained practically

Module 08 Supporting Families in Practice

Evidence-based approaches to supporting families in the perinatal period
Referral pathways who to refer to, when, and how to raise it

Module 09 Looking After Ourselves

Why this work is emotionally demanding in specific and cumulative ways
Compassion fatigue what it is and how to recognise it in yourself
Practical strategies for sustaining your wellbeing over time

Professionals Trained

0 +

120+ Google Reviews

0 /5

Expert clinicians

Accreditation options

OCN L3 & L4

Professionals Trained

0 +

120+ Google Reviews

0 /5

Expert Clinicians

Accreditation options

OCN L3 & L4

Recognised By Leading Agencies

Trusted by the agencies who place
the best practicioners.

"We are continuously impressed by their level of training."

Nannies Incorporated

"We highly recommend Babyem as a course provider."

Maternally Yours

"We are really impressed with the content and teaching style."

Eden Private Staff

"Our candidates have consistently given us great feedback."

Greycoat Lumleys

Real Outcomes From Real Practitioners

Hear from the practitioners
who chose this course.

Rated 4.9/5 · 120+ Google Reviews

The Babyem course is a fantastic resource to learn about perinatal mental illness. It has content from clinical and perinatal psychologists who do very short, informative, and easy to follow videos, so you can learn as you go along.

Eve Canavan

Coordinator, UK Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week

I really love that the resources are embedded within the course, not only for my own further learning, but also resources that are appropriate to share with families, which I think is so, so useful to have.

Joanna Merriweather

IBCLC

Babyem are consistently brilliant. They focus on the evidence and empowering families, and their trainers are all well known in their own right.

V. Townsend

Breastfeeding Counsellor & Newborn Care Specialist

120+ verified practitioner reviews · Google & direct

Your Investment

Choose Your Level
of Accreditation.

All tiers include the complete course content. Choose the accreditation level that suits your professional goals.

Non Accredited

£200

Pay in full · Payment plans available

✓ 9 core modules
✓ Lifetime access to content
✓ Video, audio and text formats
✓ Embedded practitioner resources
✓ Module quizzes throughout
✓ Certificate of Achievement

Best for: Practitioners seeking clinical understanding for immediate application, without formal assessment

Answered honestly.

How is the Perinatal Mental Health course structured?

The course is built around nine modules of in-depth content grounded in the latest evidence, presented practically, so you can reflect on your own work and how you support families experiencing perinatal mental health challenges. It is tailored to varied learning styles and includes video, text, images, recorded presentations and quizzes throughout.

What happens when I sign up?

Once payment is complete, you will receive a receipt straight away. Within 5 minutes, you will receive a welcome email with your login details and everything you need to get started. If you need any help at any point, email us at [email protected] and we will be happy to assist.

How do I achieve the OCN accreditation?

To receive your OCN accreditation, you will need to complete an essay-based assignment. Full assessment details are available on the course platform. You have 7 weeks to complete it, and it relates directly to topics covered during the course. Your work is marked internally by your assigned tutor, then verified by Open College Network. If any amendments are needed we will let you know by email and give you additional time to make them. Once verified, your certificate is issued by OCN, please allow approximately 4–6 weeks for this.

Can I complete the course without doing the assessment?

Yes. You are welcome to enrol on the non-accredited version of the course, which does not include an assessment. On successful completion of all module quizzes, you will receive a Certificate of Achievement.

Will I be assessed during the course?

Yes. Each module includes short multiple-choice questions to help you consolidate your learning as you go. You need to achieve 80% to progress, but you can retake as many times as you need. This is designed to support your understanding, not to create barriers.

Free Content

The Babyem Channel

Evidence-led education for real-world professional practice.

The Babyem YouTube channel offers evidence-based professional education for practitioners supporting babies and families — covering infant health, newborn care, and the clinical knowledge that makes the real difference in practice.

Evidence grounded. Practically taught. Free to access.

Explore The Channel

20k+

Professionals Trained

4.9/5

Google Rating

Ready to begin?

Join the practitioners who chose to understand more.

20,000+ Babyem-trained professionals. Evidence-led from the start. Enrol today and start immediately.

14-day money-back guarantee

GET EXCITED ABOUT YOUR INBOX AGAIN

Maternity Nurse Courses

Sleep Courses

Specialist Courses