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POST NATAL DEPRESSION FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS: The Shadow in the Room

THE SHADOW IN THE ROOM: Unveiling and overcoming the devastating effect of Post-Natal Depression

Post Natal Depression (PND), is a devastating experience that is known to impact thousands of women around the world. The mother’s experience of depression following child birth has an overwhelming ripple effect on the mother, on the new-born, and on the other adults and children that constitute the nuclear family unit. As well, the long-term outcome of PND greatly impacts extended families and societies. Unfortunately, women and families suffering from PND are often blamed as inadequate or not good enough, while being left without the necessary supports to overcome this devastating experience.

The Shadow In The Room is a cyclic psychotherapeutic process group that offers support to women and families dealing with PND. Each group is lead by highly trained health professionals utilizing Existential- Humanistic and Mindfulness Psychology to understand, explore, and process the experience of PND with women. .

TRAINING

The Relational Path Institute (RPI) delivers intensive training to health and mental health professionals interested in leading The Shadow In The Room, a 6-week process group for women suffering from PND.

This 56-hour training is seven consecutive days, including one rest day.

This is a 3 day face-to-face module where trainees will learn the structure of process groups and the use of Mindfulness Practice and Existential Humanistic psychology to work with PND.

This is an online education module, where participants will have access to online classroom participation, group work, readings and exercises promoting the deep understanding and knowledge about Post-Natal Depression, Process Groups, and Existential-Humanistic Psychology. The 20 hours of this module are carefully guided over five 4-hour sessions so that participants can complete the module at their own pace. It is recommended that participants begin their first 6-week PND group immediately after completing the first 3 weeks of the second module. It is also recommended that participants charge either a (very-low) symbolic-fee, or no-fee during the two groups where they are considered leaders in training.

To achieve full certification as a group leader, all professionals in training must:

  1. Have 95% attendance during the three days of training
  2. Complete the five 4-hour online education sessions
  3. Deliver two 6-week groups, acting as a supervised group co-leader
  4. Complete 12-hours of weekly supervision. The group leaders (in training) must have one hour of supervision a week following the delivery of each group session. These supervision hours serve as a support and training for the individuals in training, before they can act as fully certified “Shadow in the Room” group leaders.
  5. Complete a midterm evaluation (after 6 weeks of delivery) and a final evaluation (after 12 weeks of delivery) from the assigned supervisor, indicating that the trainee is in fully capable to run the “Shadow in the Room” process groups.

It is recommended (but not mandatory) that this training is completed over a four-month period. The date of completion is dependent on the trainee’s completion of the online modules.

Fully certified “The Shadow in the Room” group leaders, act as fully qualified groups leaders and are able to run independent groups helping women to understand and overcome the experience of Post-Natal Depression. They become healers for women, children, families and extended communities around the world.

Upon acquisition of full certification, “The Shadow in the Room” group leaders can become part of a database, and a community of practitioners supported by the Relational Path Institute in the promotion of resources for families dealing with PND.

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