Resources:
https://www.postpartum.net/professionals/certification
If you’re here, you’re most likely a therapist who supports mothers, fathers, and families during the perinatal period. Maybe all of your clients are in this stage or life, maybe you’ve noticed a growing number of parents in your practice, or maybe you’ve discovered a need for far better support for parents and parents-to-be and you’re ready to make this your niche.
Rather than keeping sessions general and supporting all the people with all the things, many counsellors decide to focus on one specific area.
Perinatal therapists like us support people with various challenges, from fertility treatments, to pregnancy, through early postpartum and into the early years of parenthood.
But how do you become a perinatal therapist? How do you get the proper training and certification? Can all therapists support clients in this stage of life? More specifically, what’s this PMH-C (perinatal mental health certification) you keep hearing about and do you need it?
As both certified perinatal therapists and an entity approved to provide training for therapists to earn their PMH-C certification, we have the experience and expertise to break all of this down.
What’s a PMH-C?
The PMH-C is the leading Perinatal Mental Health Certification program created by Postpartum Support International which trains providers to become effective at supporting parents, pregnant people, and families during and after the perinatal period.
The emotional and mental needs which arise during this time can be quite different compared to other chapters in life and can run the gamut from postpartum depression, relationship challenges, identity loss, other mood disorders, intrusive thoughts, and fertility challenges.
Those are big (and oftentimes heavy) topics to support someone through. To add to that, for many prospective clients, this is also one of the most important times in their life. The PMH-C ensures you’re ready to support them, and also signals to clients that you’ve invested in truly understanding this area. This creates a lot of trust and confidence.
Created in 2018, this certification program is largely for therapists, social workers and counsellors but also to those in affiliated professions like family doctors, doulas, support group leaders, nurses, and physical therapists. In order to qualify, you must complete the 14 hours of approved training (either with their organization or with other alternate training programs), pass the exam, and renew your certification every two years with 12 hours of continuing education credits.
When you earn your PMH-C certification, you’re ensuring a level of quality, care, and knowledge for clients.
Why should I get the PMH-C certification?
Why get a perinatal mental health certificate when you can practice and see clients without one? What’s the point?
These questions are both fair and common. For our counselling team, we require all therapists to have advanced training in perinatal mental health, but don’t require them to have the PMH-C certification.
Here are some of the main reasons why you might consider getting certified:
- General training to become a therapist doesn’t cover the perinatal period
Sure, you can get your degrees, study all the psychology, and nail the exams and assignments in your master’s program.
The problem is that the training to become a certified therapist doesn’t specifically dive into the perinatal period. As the founders of The Perinatal Collective, we have a combined 15+ years of post-secondary education. During this time, neither of us heard terms like: perinatal mental health, postpartum anxiety, perinatal mood disorders, or postpartum depression. Not once.This is not okay!
This means that most university programs provide training that’s just too general. Yes, you can apply general concepts of counselling to pregnancy, early parenthood, and beyond, but the fact is, the challenges look different in the perinatal period, mental health symptoms present differently and different interventions are required.
If you’re working with clients who are in the middle of their fertility journey, about to become a parent, or parenting small kids, you want to make sure you completely understand how to support folks with things like:
- Postpartum depression and anxiety
- Perinatal mood disorders
- Intrusive thoughts and OCD
- Miscarriage and loss
- Complex fertility journeys
- Terminating pregnancies
- Relationships challenges after kids
- Identity loss in parenthood
- Birth trauma
- Secondary infertility
- Defining values in parenthood
As you can see, this list is long and covers some complex topics. And, it’s not even exhaustive!
- Having a PMH-C shows that you believe in the importance of perinatal mental health
Like with any kind of qualification, earning it takes time, interest, and commitment. In order to go to the lengths to get this certification, you have to really believe in its value. This can speak volumes to current or prospective clients. If your name has “PMH-C” after it, it means you believe in perinatal mental health enough to have studied that specifically, earned the qualification, and renewed it every two years.
You know that providing support to parents and parents-to-be is important, needs extra education, and you’ve made this commitment because you know there needs to be specialized knowledge, not just general training.
You’ve shown up for these clients before they even arrived at their first session. Well done!
- General knowledge won’t cut it in your sessions.
On a smooth day, you might be supporting a parent who just needs someone by their side to celebrate the wins, milestones, and support with minor parenting-related challenges.
On a harder day though, you might be sitting across from someone who is leaning on you to help them through infant loss, infertility, birth trauma, intrusive thoughts that are deeply upsetting, relationship difficulties, or deciding whether or not to have another child.
Those are big things for someone to be dealing with, and you want to be prepared so that you can provide the care they deserve. You also don’t want to be hearing about these things for the first time in your sessions or giving tools that won’t help because you don’t have the full knowledge. Whatever population you’re working with, clients deserve therapists who are competent and confident with how they can help.
- The Landscape Is Changing, and Specialized Training Is Becoming the Standard
f you work with clients in the perinatal period, you’ve probably noticed: the field is evolving fast. More and more therapists, doulas, nurses, and other providers are pursuing advanced training in perinatal mental health and earning their PMH-C designation.
It’s not just about adding a few letters after your name, it’s about keeping pace with the growing expectations in our profession. Clients today are informed, intentional, and discerning. They’re looking for practitioners who get it, who have made the commitment to truly understand the complexities of pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and early parenting.
When a potential client is deciding who to work with, they’re comparing more than just fees and availability. They’re asking themselves:
- Who really understands what I’m going through?
- Who has the training and experience to help me feel safe and seen?
As more providers gain certification, it’s becoming the benchmark, a signal that you take this work seriously and that you’ve invested in doing it well. Getting certified helps you stand out in a crowded field and gives clients the confidence that they’re in skilled, knowledgeable hands.
Upgrade your credentials!
The PMH-C certification also demonstrates a commitment to specialized perinatal mental health care, setting certified therapists apart. It ensures therapists are equipped to handle the unique challenges of this life stage and provides clients with the confidence that their therapist has received specific, relevant training.
While general therapy training offers a foundation, the PMH-C provides in-depth knowledge essential for effective perinatal care. Ultimately, obtaining this certification enhances a therapist’s expertise and credibility, benefitting both their practice and, most importantly, their clients.
Investing in this credential signifies a dedication to providing the highest quality support during a critical period in people’s lives. Our Perinatal Mental Health Conference qualifies as renewal credits for professionals looking to update and keep their PMH-C certification. Check it out here!
We hope this gives you a clear overview of why more professionals are getting certified in perinatal mental health, and how doing so can deepen your expertise, confidence, and connection with clients. Whether you’re just starting to explore the PMH-C process or you’re already on your way, investing in this training shows your commitment to offering the best possible care for parents and families.
If you have any questions about certification or want to learn more about professional development opportunities, feel free to reach out, we’re always happy to help you take the next step in your journey.
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