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There are many training opportunities around perinatal mental health of varying quality and depth. PPCAI accepts the following trainings in perinatal mental health for membership:

• Advanced Perinatal Mental Health Specialist Training with The Perinatal Mental Health Institute
• PMH-C Certification with Postpartum Support International 
• Certificate in Perinatal Mental Health with Dundalk Institute of Technology
• MSc in Perinatal Mental Health with University of Limerick

We recognise there are many paths to specialisation and alternative training programs and experience will be considered for approval on a case by case basis. 

In order to become a member of PPCAI all applicants must provide proof of the following: 

• Professional qualification in Counselling and/or Psychotherapy.
• Specialised training in perinatal mental health (please see question above for approved programs).
• A minimum of two years experience of working with the perinatal population. Individuals without this experience will receive associate membership until they have completed their two years of experience and this will be noted on their directory listing.
• Current insurance coverage.
• Current membership in good standing with one of the following professional accrediting bodies within Ireland -  IACP, IAHIP, ICP, PSI or FTAI. Other accrediting bodies will be considered on a case by case basis. 
• Certificate of completion of Tusla's Children’s First Training. You can find the training for free HERE
• Pay the €90 annual membership fee.

Interested in joining? Fill out our contact form HERE or email us at info@ppcai.ie

Yes, and the gap between need and provision is significant.

Perinatal mental health is one of the most under-resourced areas in mental health care, despite the scale of need being well established. Up to 1 in 5 women experience a perinatal mental health difficulty, and when partners are included, the number of families affected is enormous. Yet specialist perinatal therapists, particularly in community and private settings, remain scarce. Many people are seen by general practitioners or generic counsellors who, while well-meaning, may lack the specific training to recognise and treat the full range of perinatal presentations, from birth trauma and tokophobia to grief after pregnancy loss or the complex identity shifts of early parenthood.

In Ireland specifically, HSE perinatal mental health services have grown in recent years, but waiting lists are long and the threshold for accessing specialist care is often high, meaning many people with moderate but very real difficulties fall through the gap. Private therapy is an option for those who can afford it, but therapists with specialist perinatal training remain relatively few.

For Questions about PPCAI please see our ABOUT section.

For our Directory of Therapists please see our DIRECTORY.

To learn about Perinatal Mental Health and common challenges please see our WHAT WE DO page. 

For Questions about joining PPCAI please see our JOIN PPCAI page.

For questions relating to the logistics of therapy settings, please consult with the individual therapists in our DIRECTORY.

Any other questions please email us at info@ppcai.ie and we will return your query as soon as possible. Please note this is not a crisis resource and it may take time before we can reply.