This week Austin, Texas is hosting the Annual Conference of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. And on the lineup for professional education are a six-hour institute (Thursday) on "Perinatal Mood Disorders" by Diana Barnes of PSI, and a two-hour workshop (Saturday) on "Hormones, the Brain, & Culture: Challenges for New Mothers," by Sherry Duson.

Their goal: Getting more MFTs (marriage and family therapists) up to speed on perinatal mood disorders and addressing them in clinical settings. As anyone who has experienced emotional difficulties surrounding childbirth knows all too well, it impacts the entire family, reverberating in every direction... the mother-baby relationship, the spousal relationship, and the family system as a whole.

Kudos to these fabulous folks for sharing the latest research-based information on perinatal mood disorders at a national conference, where the message has a big impact on the care women and families will receive in communities across the country!