I am a prenatal and perinatal psychologist, which means I earned a Ph.D. in the only graduate program in existence in the United States during the first decade of the 21st Century. That school – Santa Barbara Graduate Institute – was sold to The Chicago School of Professional Psychology and has been absorbed into their traditional psychology curriculum. So there is currently no graduate degree program that offers masters or doctorates focusing on this vital subject.

While studying I learned a lot about what goes on in the womb, at birth, and the months immediately after birth. I learned about prevention of difficulties and more about therapies that address the challenges people face as a result of the imprints made during those pre- and perinatal periods. Remediation is particularly good for those who recognize that their challenges arise from the earliest moments in their lives. Prevention, at least on a physical level, is good as well. However, attending to women’s – and men’s – physical health even prior to conception, is not the only concern. Psychological health is important too.