Location:

Santa Barbara, United States

Program Type:

Full Degree

Degree Level:

Doctorate

Specialty:

Clinical Psychology

Program Overview

Program Description:

Prenatal and Infant psychology explores our earliest development from pre-conception through early infancy and the profound influence of this primary period across the lifespan. This holistic, leading-edge discipline focuses on the body-mind-spirit connection from the beginning of life within relationship.

Prenatal (“before birth”) and perinatal (“after birth”) psychologists believe that our earliest experiences have life-long impact not only on physical and mental/emotional health, but also on neurological development-which is the foundation for emotions, responses to life situations, relationships, personality, mood, learning, and more. They believe that-although we cannot change or rewrite our personal histories-we do have the opportunity, at any age, to transform a less than optimal start in life.

As a psychotherapeutic practice, the field of prenatal/perinatal psychology integrates a wide range of disciplines and perspectives, including attachment, early trauma, epigenetics, developmental neurosciences, infant mental health, consciousness-noetic studies, energy psychology/medicine, and biodynamic embryology. Prenatal and perinatal psychology specialists work in many settings (such as private practice, community mental health centers, holistic care clinics, and hospitals) providing individual and group therapy and psycho-education to help clients prevent or ameliorate less than optimal beginnings. They help expectant parents and young families learn to support wholeness, human potential, and optimal relationships and to mitigate and heal stress and trauma during this primary period.