IPT(P) Perinatal Depression, Loss and Trauma

Objective

The primary goal of IPT(P) is to help pregnant individuals manage the emotional and relational stressors that accompany a complicated pregnancy. This might include dealing with feelings of anxiety, depression, guilt, or conflict with partners and family members.

Focus Areas: IPT(P) typically focuses on:

• Interpersonal Relationships: Addressing issues with partners, family members, or social networks that may be contributing to emotional distress.
• Role Transitions: Helping the individual cope with the transition to motherhood, especially when complicated by medical or emotional challenges.
• Grief and Loss: Managing feelings of grief or loss, which may be particularly relevant in cases of high-risk pregnancies, miscarriage, or complications that threaten the health of the mother or baby.

Structure:

IPT(P) is usually structured over a set number of sessions, often around 12-16 weeks, to coincide with the duration of a typical pregnancy period. However, this can be adjusted depending on the needs of the individual and the nature of the complications.

Techniques: The therapy may involve techniques such as:

• Communication Analysis: Helping the individual understand and improve how they communicate with important people in their lives.
• Role-playing: Practicing conversations or scenarios that might help resolve interpersonal conflicts.
• Emotion Processing: Working through difficult emotions related to the pregnancy, including anxiety, fear, and sadness.

Applications:

IPT(P) can be beneficial in a variety of situations, such as:

• High-risk pregnancies where there is significant anxiety about the outcome.
• Pregnancies complicated by pre-existing mental health issues like depression or anxiety disorders.
• Pregnancies following previous loss or trauma, such as miscarriage or stillbirth.
• Pregnancies where there is significant conflict or stress in interpersonal relationships, which may exacerbate the psychological strain on the pregnant individual.

Overall, IPT(P) provides a supportive, structured environment for individuals experiencing complicated pregnancies, helping them navigate the emotional and relational challenges that can arise.

View workshop date(s)
View Perinatal Literature and Information

Applicants must have:

• a core profession (see list of recognised core professions below*)
• substantial post-qualification experience in conducting psychological therapy
• registration with a core professional body. If your core profession is not in psychological therapies you must have professional membership aligned to your psychological therapies work e.g. BPS, BACP, UKCP, BABCP, ISPC
• current employment to deliver Hi Intensity therapies within a commissioned IAPT service (minimum WTE 0.5)

Recognised Core Professions are:

• Arts therapists – HCPC Registered
• Counselling – Accredited with the BACP, BABCP, UKCP, COSCA or  FDAP (NCAC), or Registered Member CPC
• Medicine – Psychiatrist or General Practitioner, MBChB or MBBS, and usually PG training with membership of MRCGP, MRCP OR MRCPsych.
• Occupational Therapy – BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy, MSc Occupational Therapy, or Dip C.O.T and HCPC registered
• Psychology – 1st degree plus a post-graduate qualification (MSc or Doctorate) in an applied area such as clinical, counselling, educational, forensic, health psychology. HCPC Registered as Practitioner Psychologist (HCPC registration alone insufficient)
• Psychotherapy / Psychotherapeutic Counselling with UKCP Registration
• Registered Nurse – Mental Health (RMN), or Learning Disability (general nursing and enrolled nursing is insufficient)
• Social Work – CQSW, DipSW or BA/BSc Hons Social Work
• Who is unable to apply: practitioners employed to deliver step 2 interv

Location:  Online (Teams)
Dates: Confirmed on enquiry
Time: 9:15 am - 4.30 pm
Fees: Confirmed on enquiry (CPD attendance certificates will be issued) 

NB: A minimum of 7 attendees are required for the course to run 

Day 1 

• Overview of IPT 
• Assessment phase - session 1 & 2

Day 2 

• Quiz and Questions
• Taking an inventory – Treatment/Session 3
• Formulating and Agreeing a Focus for Middle Phase – Treatment/Session 4 
• Appropriate Goal Setting
• Contracting – Ensuring the client is on board and committed 

Day 3 

• Quiz and Questions
• Middle Phase Treatment sessions
• Interpersonal Role transitions
• Interpersonal Role Disputes
• Interpersonal Sensitivities/Deficits

Day 4 

• Questions and Quiz
• Working with Emotional Affect
• Complicated Grief
• Trauma and Perinatal Loss

Day 5 

• Check-in and Quiz
• Clinical Risks and Medication
• Endings
• PT Perinatal Groups
• Questions

Day 6

Only required for anyone who is proceeding to IPT Practitioner Accreditation

• IPT Strategies – linking the work of day 1 – 5 
• IPT UK Accreditation
• The Course Handbook
• Selecting Clients for training cases
• Supervision Arrangements
• Submission of Recordings – MS Teams

The IPT Group Treatment Model

• This would need to be a closed group with 2 facilitators for a small group of 6 - 8 mums.
• The group would be for one and a half hours and there is no homework.
• This is a 12-week group model with 2 1:1 sessions, followed by a 1:1  Review session. Symptom measurement tools are used every week in the first 30 minutes of settling in time.

Session 1

1:1 Screening session MDS and other tools. Introduction to IPT, medication, confirm diagnosis, timeline, introduce one anti-depressant activity, sick role.  

Session 2

1:1 Screening session Inventory, formulation & goals, contracting, hopes & fears.

Session 3  - 10  

Connecting with others, sharing goals, exploring changes with the attendee and self care. 

Each session may also involve         

• Helping the attendee to talk about and explore the 
• experience of their loss
• Looking at supportive networks in and outside the group
• Managing emotions
• Exploring changes in relationships and the family
• Connecting with others
• Helping with decisions
• Understanding conflict in relationships
• Exploring effective communication and how to improve communication with others

Session 11—12 

Endings, staying well, and review

1:1 Post review

Aims of the Group

• To offer support in a group setting
• To reduce the feelings of isolation
• To make sense of what they are going through
• Freedom to have their experiences heard by others
• To promote recovery from depression 
• To help with grief, loss, and the trauma of miscarriage and stillbirth    
• To help remove stigma, guilt and self-blame

 What would be included in the model?

• Interpersonal themes to bring about change in depressive symptoms
• Building support networks for mums
• Conflict, the effect of domestic violence
• Psycho-education on Complex Grief using IPT
• Medical explanations

 IPT Focal Areas and the issues these may relate to

• Role Transition  - loss, changes within family unit
• Complicated grief - traumatic birth, reactivation of a past grief
• Sensitivities, underlying sensitivity patterns, Ghosts in the Nursery
• Role disputes - increased stress and conflict with relationships