Growing Forward Together Launches New “Provider Update on Perinatal PTSD” 2 hour Trauma Education Course for Perinatal Professionals
ANN ARBOR [19] March 2026 – Growing Forward Together (GFT), a Michigan based nonprofit, is expanding its advanced trauma informed care (TIC) educational offerings with the release of its new course “Provider Update on Perinatal PTSD”.
Research shows that a significant number of pregnant and new parents are struggling with the effects of trauma including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Pregnancy and early parenting can be especially stressful and triggering for patients with a history of trauma and PTSD. Unaddressed trauma is associated with poor pregnancy and parenting outcomes.
One way perinatal caregivers and mental health providers can improve these outcomes is by learning and providing universal trauma informed care (TIC) and increase their knowledge of the state of the science on PTSD interventions. Advanced trauma education is critical to building TIC knowledge and skills across all healthcare and mental healthcare professions including social workers, psychologists, midwives, physicians, and others working with perinatal clients.
GFT’s new online self-study course “Provider Update on Perinatal PTSD” helps to increase providers’ ability to address trauma. Knowledge about perinatal PTSD is expanding rapidly. This 2 hour course provides a high level overview of what new research shows to be the most effective screening tools, support programs, and evidence-based treatments for PTSD and complex PTSD among pregnant people and new parents. It reviews recommendations on which tools to use for perinatal providers to be most effective in addressing perinatal clients’ trauma-related needs. The new course launched in February is the third in GFT’s new professional development course lineup. The first course, launched in the fall of 2025, is “Trauma Informed Care and Pain Management in Labor and Delivery”. The second is “Survivor Moms’ Companion® Study Guide”
A trauma-informed approach to perinatal care is important because one in five people experience childhood abuse or neglect, 8% of women have PTSD in pregnancy, and of the 10% of women experiencing depression in pregnancy 85% of those also have a history of trauma. PTSD during pregnancy is associated with a number of poor birth outcomes including, but not limited to, traumatic or retraumatizing births, preterm birth, and impaired or delayed bonding. Perinatal healthcare professionals who are trained to provide TIC at the bedside and to connect clients to programs and treatment can help significantly improve these outcomes for pregnant women, new parents, and their babies. Staying up to date on current research in perinatal trauma and PTSD treatment can be challenging. This course provides a one stop shop where health providers can learn the most recent research findings and recommendations in this important area of perinatal client care.
The new course is a voice over power point video based on a keynote address given by midwife and researcher Julia Seng at the Marcé Society of North America conference in November 2025. It walks learners through the state of the research on recognizing and treating trauma and PTSD in pregnant and new parent clients. It focuses on best practice take-aways from this research. Learners are also provided with links to the clinical tools and other training opportunities. The course is online, self-paced, and midwives and social workers earn 2 continuing education (CE) contact hours upon successful course completion. The course cost is $24.
About Growing Forward Together
Growing Forward Together’s mission is to provide advanced trauma education for expectant and new parents and their healthcare providers. GFT’s professional development courses, including this Provider Update on Perinatal PTSD course, are designed to empower healthcare professionals to provide universal trauma informed care to patients going through pregnancy and early parenting. GFT also provides trauma-specific education for pregnant people and new parents via their “Survivor Moms’ Companion ®” program.
For more information about GFT including their Professional Development and Survivor Moms’ Companion Programs please visit www.growingforwardtogether.org, or email info@growingforwardtogether.org.
Please direct all media inquiries to: Brigit Macomber MSW, Professional Development Program Director at Growing Forward Together, brigit@growingforwardtogether.org or 734-474-4065