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.


Through lecture and large and small group discussions, this training approaches the clinical issues of self-disclosure, countertransference, and compassion fatigue 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 and compassion fatigue. Additionally, you will be provided with the knowledge and tools to decide if therapist self-disclosure of lived experiences is an appropriate intervention for your work with perinatal clients.


Registration Deadline: October 15, 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.

Course Overview

  • Live Interactive Workshop on Zoom

    October 16, 2025, 3:00pm - 8:00pm EST

  • Prerequisites

    This training is open to all mental health professionals

  • CE Credits

    Participants are eligible to receive 4 CE credits for this training (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.
Get in Touch

Instructor

Emily Spencer, MS, LPC/LCPC, PMH-C, BC-TMH

Instructor

Emily is a Licensed Professional Counselor (Pennsylvania) / Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (Maryland) and owner of Lily of the Valley Wellness, a private practice specializing in maternal mental health, perinatal loss, and trauma. She holds additional certifications as an EMDRIA Certified EMDR Therapist, Perinatal Mental Health Provider (PMH-C), and Board Certified Telemental Health Provider (BC-TMH). Outside of her direct work with clients, Emily is actively involved in all aspects of the learning process. She enjoys working with students and professionals to further develop their professional identity and advance their clinical skills through clinical supervision and peer consultation, adjunct teaching, and presenting at regional and national conferences in addition to working toward her Ed.D in Counselor Education and Supervision at Shippensburg University. 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 a decade ago.

Course Curriculum

    1. Get to know Emily Spencer!

      FREE PREVIEW

    2. Course Description

      FREE PREVIEW

    3. Training Schedule

      FREE PREVIEW

    4. Timed Course Outline

      FREE PREVIEW

    5. Learning Objectives

      FREE PREVIEW

    6. Zoom Information

    7. Anti-Oppression Statement from The Touchstone Institute

    8. About Course Recordings

    1. Receiving your CE Certificate

About this course

  • $200 - $250
  • October 16, 2025, 3:00pm - 8:00pm EST
  • 4 CEs (see below for specific approvals)

Tiered pricing options:

Questions? See our FAQ below.

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

All times are listed in Eastern Time. (agenda times are subject to change at the instructor’s discretion)

15 mins: Orientation to the training & introduction

20 mins: Defining the wounded healer (lecture and large group discussion)

25 mins: Current research on self-disclosure & therapist self-disclosure preparation reflection

15 mins: Break

25 mins: Small break-out group activity/discussion (small group discussion)

20 mins: Return for large group discussion to process experience (large group discussion)

30 mins:  Lunch Break

25 mins: Therapist reflection immediately before, during, & after self-disclosure (lecture)

30 mins: Special considerations for self-disclosure (i.e., pregnancy, fertility challenges, perinatal loss) (lecture, group discussion, & case examples)

15 mins: Break

20 mins: Defining compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue (lecture)

30 mins: Individual assessment for compassion fatigue & personal planning to reduce symptoms of compassion fatigue (lecture and individual activity)

15 mins: Closing activity

15 mins: Q&A/wrapping up

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this workshop, participants will be able to:

  • Attendees will be able to define a Wounded Healer.
  • Attendees will be able to describe both the risks and benefits of therapist self-disclosure.
  • Attendees will be able to identify their clinical vulnerabilities as they relate to their own lived experiences with mental health or personal reproductive journey. 
  • Attendees will be able to describe strategies to determine if self-disclosure of lived experience to clients is appropriate in the clinical setting.
  • Attendees will be able to assess themselves for signs of compassion fatigue and burnout and develop a plan for addressing needs (if indicated).

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 4 CE credits.

  • It is your responsibility to verify CE coverage in your State or Province.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • The Touchstone Institute for Perinatal Training, [provider number 1876], is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: [1/19/25-1/19/28]. Social workers completing this course receive 4 continuing education credits.

  • This course is approved by Postpartum Support International (PSI) for continuing education towards obtaining and maintaining the PMH-C

Frequently Asked Questions

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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].

  • 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.

  • 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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