Pre and Perintal Psychology

This article describes the benefits of The Calming Womb Family Therapy Model (CWFTM) is a multi-modal, integrative, early intervention approach to treating mothers and their babies from conception through the first year postnatally.

Using a three-round hybrid Delphi methodology, the current study utilized a panel of “expert” birth professionals (n=20 after three rounds) to examine content and logistical factors that may be most effective for inclusion in the design, development, and delivery of pre- and perinatal (PPN) parenting programs of the 21^st century.

From JOPPPAH 21(1), Fall, 2006, this article, after introducing the sandplay© method developed by Dora Kalff, explores the images seen in the work of sandplay© clients that may depict birth and/or prenatal experiences. 

Reprinted from JOPPPAH 23(2) Winter, 2008. This article investigates the relationship between traumatic events from conception to birth and Schizoid Personality Disorder, Dysfunction, and Deprivation.

Updated Author Bio:

Shirley Ward works as a Pre and Perinatal Psychotherapist at the Amethyst Resource Centre For Human Development in the Republic of Ireland. Her book, Fractals from the Womb, published in 2014 is to be republished shortly. She may be contacted on her website www.shirleyward.org  and on her email shirley@shirleyward.org 

This paper focuses on the topic of childbirth, exploring the history of its marginalization within the humanities. This paper demonstrates that ignoring birth on an intellectual level contributes to diminishing the topic more broadly on the cultural level, and this has real-world implications for how our societies treat children, women, and families.

This article was originally published in the Pre- and Peri-natal Psychology Journal 8(3) (Spring 1994),187-199. This paper draws on the latest scientific findings to show how specific changes in 1) parenthood, 2) birthing practices, and 3) how we view ourselves (psychology) could transform the world. 

This literature review focuses on the history of pre- and perinatal (PPN) parenting education. The topic constituted one area examined to inform four studies included in a PhD program of research that investigated factors to consider when designing, developing, and delivering PPN parenting programs for the 21^st century.