First conceptualized by D.W. Winnicott, holding in this book refers to a therapist’s capacity to respond to postpartum distress in a way that facilitates an immediate and successful therapeutic alliance. Readers will learn how to contain high levels of agitation, fear, and panic in a way that cultivates trust and the early stages of connectedness. Also addressed through vignettes are personality types that make holding difficult, styles of ineffective holding, and how to modify holding techniques to accommodate the individual woman. A must-read for postpartum professionals, the techniques learned in this book will help clients achieve meaningful and enduring recovery.

First conceptualized by D.W. Winnicott, holding in this book refers to a therapist’s capacity to respond to postpartum distress in a way that facilitates an immediate and successful therapeutic alliance. Readers will learn how to contain high levels of agitation, fear, and panic in a way that cultivates trust and the early stages of connectedness. Also addressed through vignettes are personality types that make holding difficult, styles of ineffective holding, and how to modify holding techniques to accommodate the individual woman. A must-read for postpartum professionals, the techniques learned in this book will help clients achieve meaningful and enduring recovery.

Written by a pioneer in the field, this second edition provides updated skill-building tools and a more developed, comprehensive understanding of how therapists can use the holding approach when treating perinatal distress. First conceptualized by D.W. Winnicott, the 'holding' approach refers to a therapist's capacity to respond to postpartum distress in a way that facilitates an immediate and successful therapeutic alliance. This model has continued to advance, and this newly updated edition will help readers learn how to contain high levels of agitation, fear, and panic in a way that cultivates trust and the early stages of connectedness. Filled with vignettes throughout, this book includes chapters on what holding is, how to prepare using this model, the emotions specific to postpartum mothers, the essential holding elements, and the practice of holding. This book uniquely addresses the needs of therapists who may find themselves confronting, struggling with, or recovering from their own reproductively related journeys, with chapters discussing the professional's identity, clinical challenges, and a new chapter on cultural humility. This book is essential reading for all of those in the perinatal mental health community, such as therapists, social workers, and clinicians.

Written by a pioneer in the field, this second edition provides updated skill-building tools and a more developed, comprehensive understanding of how therapists can use the holding approach when treating perinatal distress. First conceptualized by D.W. Winnicott, the “holding” approach refers to a therapist’s capacity to respond to postpartum distress in a way that facilitates an immediate and successful therapeutic alliance. This model has continued to advance, and this newly updated edition will help readers learn how to contain high levels of agitation, fear, and panic in a way that cultivates trust and the early stages of connectedness. Filled with vignettes throughout, this book includes chapters on what holding is, how to prepare using this model, the emotions specific to postpartum mothers, the essential holding elements, and the practice of holding. This book uniquely addresses the needs of therapists who may find themselves confronting, struggling with, or recovering from their own reproductively related journeys, with chapters discussing the professional’s identity, clinical challenges, and a new chapter on cultural humility. This book is essential reading for all of those in the perinatal mental health community, such as therapists, social workers, and clinicians.

This book provides a comprehensive look at effective therapy for postpartum depression. Using a blend of professional objectivity, evidence-based research, and personal, straight-forward suggestions gathered from years of experience, this book brings the reader into the private world of therapy with the postpartum woman. Based on Psychodynamic and Cognitive-Behavioral theories, and on D.W. Winnicott's "good-enough mother" and the "holding environment" in particular, the book is written by a therapist who has specialized in the treatment of postpartum depression for over 20 years. Therapy and the Postpartum Woman will serve as a companion tool for clinicians and the women they treat.

"A supportive, practical guide for all those who want to learn the best way of holding space for themselves and others."--Provided by publisher.

Little research has explored the everyday, simple and long-term experience of maternal holding, particularly after the first year of a child’s life. The research that has been undertaken commonly examines holding through the lens of attachment with a focus on the impact of holding upon the child. Employing an arts-based collaborative inquiry approach, participants’ stories of holding, as well as the author’s own, convey the significant maternal experiences of holding their children over individual arts therapeutic sessions. Optimal moments of holding included strange, powerful and meaningful experiences of expansion into self-in-relationship. Attention is drawn to the ways in which holding can alert us to the current state of mother/child relationships; how we understand, story and structure those relationships; and the ways in which we can attend to holding in order to develop deeply satisfying experiences of a mother/child ‘us’. An Arts Therapeutic Approach to Maternal Holding aims to draw attention to the intersubjective qualities of the mother/child relationship, explore why holding matters, and offer suggestions for therapeutic practice. This book is essential reading for therapeutic practitioners and those in allied health fields who work with mothers and children.