The Perinatal Therapist & Wounded Healer: How Lived Experience Shape Our Practices
April 10, 2025 with Emily Spencer, MS, LPC/LCPC, PMH-C, BC-TMH
Course Description
Have you ever sat across from a client feeling like they’re telling you about your story? Have you ever noticed an urge to share something with a client related to your own lived experiences but aren’t sure if it’s appropriate? Maybe it’s your own lived experiences with infertility, loss, birth, trauma, or parenting that have led you into perinatal work. As therapists, we’re human too with our own life experiences that can influence our clinical work.
This training approaches the clinical issues of self-disclosure, countertransference, compassion fatigue, and burnout through the lens of the Wounded Healer. Embracing the concept of the Wounded Healer allows us to accept that our own difficult lived experiences (aka wounds) can enrich the therapeutic process when utilized thoughtfully and intentionally. In this training, you will be able to reflect on your own lived experiences to identify areas of clinical vulnerabilities such as countertransference, compassion fatigue, and/or burnout. Additionally, you will be provided with the knowledge and tools to assist you in the clinical decision making process when considering use of self (or self-disclosure) with clients.
Registration Deadline: April 9, 2025
This course takes place live on Zoom. Check out this link for Zoom requirements.
For more information on our work at The Touchstone Institute, visit our website.
Instructor
Emily Spencer, MS, LPC/LCPC, PMH-C, BC-TMH
Instructor
[email protected]
Emily is a Licensed Professional Counselor (Pennsylvania) / Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (Maryland) and owner of Lily of the Valley Wellness, a private psychotherapy practice specializing in maternal mental health, perinatal loss, and trauma. She holds additional certifications as a Board Certified Telemental Health Provider (BC-TMH) and Perinatal Mental Health Provider (PMH-C) and is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Outside of her direct work with clients, Emily enjoys working with students and professionals to further develop their professional identity and advance their clinical skills. She provides clinical supervision to master’s level therapists in Pennsylvania, hosts a monthly peer consultation group for perinatal mental health therapists from across the country, and adjunct teaches in the Department of Counselor Education at Shippensburg University. Emily has presented at state and national conferences on important topics in perinatal mental health.
On a personal note, Emily is a NICU Mom and her lived experience with severe pre-eclampsia and delivering a premature baby at 31 weeks gestation ignited her passion for working with the perinatal population over 9 years ago.
Course curriculum
About this course
- $130 - $170
- April 10, 2025 from 11am - 2pm EST
- 3 CEs (see below for specific approvals)
Note on Accessibility:
We include captions in all of our live and self-paced trainings. If there is anything else you need to make our trainings accessible to you, please reach out to us at [email protected]. We recognize that every person has access needs and we are happy to do everything we can to meet yours.
More about our pricing:
We offer tiered pricing for all of our trainings in order to make our courses accessible to as many practitioners as possible. If you are unsure which tier of payment is right for your financial situation, please read through our FAQ section below or visit our website.
Please reach out to us at [email protected] if you are interested in a multi-month payment plan. We are always happy to create a custom payment plan to make it more feasible for everyone to participate in our courses.
Timed Course Agenda
I. Introduction & orientation to the training 15 minutes; lecture & large group discussion
II. History of the Wounded Healer 15 minutes; lecture & large group discussion
III. Perceptions of self-disclosure / use of self in therapy 25 minutes; lecture & large group discussion
IV. Identity as perinatal therapists & wounded healers
V. Influences on clinical practice
Sections IV and V will total 40 minutes of lecture, small breakout processing / reflection, and return to large group discussion.
VI. Strategies when considering self-disclosure with perinatal clients 30 minutes lecture & large group discussion
VII. Strategies for self assessment of countertransference, compassion fatigue, and burnout 40 minute total of lecture and opportunity for personal self reflection / self assessment
VIII. Conclusion 15 minutes Q&A
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this workshop, participants will be able to:
- At the completion of this workshop, attendees will be able to apply concepts from this workshop to identify their own clinical vulnerabilities as it relates to their own lived experience(s) with mental health or personal reproductive journey.
- At the completion of this workshop, attendees will be able to apply strategies to determine if self-disclosure of lived experience(s) to clients is appropriate in the clinical setting.
- At the completion of this workshop, attendees will be able to describe the warning signs of compassion fatigue and burnout and develop a plan for ongoing self-assessment.
Continuing Education Credits
Participation in all training sessions and submission of a course evaluation is required to receive a CE certificate for this course. Course evaluations are made available after all live sessions have been completed within the course portal. After completing the evaluation, participants will be able to submit a request for their CE certificate. This training offers 3 CE credits.
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It is your responsibility to verify CE coverage in your State or Province.
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The Touchstone Institute for Perinatal Training is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Touchstone Institute for Perinatal Training maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
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The Touchstone Institute for Perinatal Training, Inc. has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7346. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Touchstone Institute for Perinatal Training, Inc. is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
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The Touchstone Institute for Perinatal Training, [provider number:1876], is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. The Touchstone Institute for Perinatal Training maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: [1/19/2024-1/19/2025]. Social workers completing this course receive 3 continuing education credits.
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This course is approved by Postpartum Support International (PSI) for continuing education towards obtaining and maintaining the PMH-C
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is the Generative Access tier right for me?
Select this tier if you: Own the home you live in (even with a mortgage); live in a two-income household; have investments, retirement accounts, or inherited money; travel recreationally; have access to family money and resources in times of need; work part-time by choice, etc.
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Is the Sustaining Access tier right for me?
Select this tier if you: Have income available for recreational activities (going out to dinner, movies, concerts etc.); have consistent work compensated at a median income rate based on your region; pay rent that is not more than 25% of your monthly household income; do not own your own home, etc.
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Is the Supported Access tier right for me?
Select this tier if you: Are a graduate student paying tuition; have major medical expenses not covered by insurance; have been denied work, or experience discrimination related to ableism, racism, sexism, gender discrimination or other forms of oppression; are eligible for public assistance; have immigration-related expenses; have ever been denied work due to incarceration history; are supporting adult children, extended family members in need or have other adult dependents; are an elder with limited financial support; are primarily working in a setting with under-resourced populations and your income reflects this work, etc.
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Are there payment plan options available?
Yes! We are happy to work with you to create a payment plan that fits your needs. Please reach out to us over email with a brief description of the length of the plan that you are interested in using to pay for this course: [email protected].
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How can I learn more about your pricing?
Please visit our website for more information on our approach to pricing our trainings: www.touchstoneinstitute.org/pricing.
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What is your refund policy?
More than 14 days notice is required for a full refund minus 7% administrative fee. Cancellations made within 14 days of training are eligible for a 50% refund or full transfer to another training within The Touchstone Institute. Only 1 transfer to another training is allowed. If you can not attend the transferred training your fee will be forfeited. No-shows are not eligible for a refund or transfer. Exceptions to this policy are limited to medically documented circumstances or family bereavements. Failure to attend without prior notification (no-shows) will not qualify for a refund.
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