Carla Anderson Clinician Training

20/03/2026

Sometimes conversations are task-focused, meaning the clinician is completing essential questions or documentation. Clinicians might ask fleetingly ""Was your birth experience okay"" Parents may respond briefly, with a yes or no response, and subtle signs of distress or unresolved trauma can be missed.

Reflective and responsive care involves pausing, noticing the parent’s cues, and inviting discussion about how their birth experience felt for them, if the parent wants to. Or they may not want to open up there and then, so it may be helpful to offer referral for additional support. This approach allows the parent to feel heard and validated, and the clinician can integrate reflection into routine care without adding extra workload.

Reflective engagement around birth experiences validates and supports emotional responses, strengthens trust, and allows clinicians to remain confident, present, and effective while providing compassionate care🌷

19/03/2026

Did you know some clinicians avoid asking EPDS Question 10?

Not because the question is unclear. But because of the moment it can create in the room.

When clinicians talk with me about the EPDS, the conversation often turns to Question 10. Some describe a brief hesitation before asking it. Others say they find themselves thinking carefully about how to phrase it, which means they do not always feel fully present with the parent.

Some also speak about feeling very aware of the responsibility of the conversation that might follow. All of these things can create uneasiness and anxiety.

Last year while developing Tender Talks, I was surprised to hear that this uneasiness sometimes leads clinicians to skip Question 10, avoid the EPDS altogether, or move past the response quickly. Then often feeling worse afterwards.

The clinicians who told me this care deeply about their work and the parents they support. But in the moment it can feel difficult to navigate.

In the webinar next week we will slow that moment down and look at what can help clinicians approach Question 10 with greater steadiness.

EPDS Question 10: When Question 10 Feels Heavy

📅 Monday 23 March
🕕 6:00 pm AEST
⏱ 45 minutes

Register via the link in bio. Or comment FREE to be sent the link.

If you know a colleague who might find this helpful, please share this post or tag them.

19/03/2026

Some helpful information from Centre for Perinatal Psychology

18/03/2026

Love this. Watch this video on how flowers help us stay in the present and help us practice mindfulness. This is why I am so passionate about using flowers both therapeutically for self-care and mindfulness with clients and educationally with clinicians.

In the video Kristen Griffith-VanderYacht sums this up beautifully on the The Drew Barrymore Show:

"Flowers help us stay in the present. They grow, blossom, thrive and then they're gone. You have to stop, be in the moment. Otherwise, you blink... and it's gone."

18/03/2026

I often ask myself what my “why” is when I do things.

Put simply, I am really passionate about supporting perinatal clinicians, especially medical clincicians such as midwives, nurses, obstetricians, doctors and other medical clinicians with areas they may struggle with in perinatal mental health supports.

Over two decades of working in this space I’ve seen first hand that clinicians are not always sure how the EPDS is best administered in practice, and that Question 10 can feel particularly difficult to ask.

Some clinicians ask parents to complete the questionnaire on their own, while others go through the questions together as part of the conversation. Going through the questions together can become a really useful opportunity to build rapport and understand more about how a parent is feeling.

At the same time, clinicians often say this is where things can start to feel a little uncertain, particularly when approaching Question 10.

Scripts can be helpful, but they do not always address the uneasiness clinicians can feel when asking the question.

That is why I created this webinar. A space to look at the real life clinical moment, including what clinicians notice in themselves when asking difficult questions and responding to parents in real time.

EPDS Question 10: When Question 10 Feels Heavy

Register Here👉https://carlaandersoncliniciantraining.com/webinar-registration

🗓️Monday 23 March
🕕6:00 pm (AEST – Brisbane time)
⏱45 minutes

Any questions feel free to reach out. Also help me share my passion for supporting clinicians. If you know a colleague who might find this helpful, please feel free to share this post or tag them.

Comment “FREE” to be sent the link.

18/03/2026

As I shared this post for parents today, I thought I’d share “Perfectionism In The Perinatal Period” training for clinicians.

Myself and my employee at the time Emilie Bull, originally developed this training back in 2022. It was so popular that I had requests to deliver the training four times to national private and charity perinatal organisations.

Today this post got me wondering while I shift further into delivering training, is it something that clinicians might be interested in me running again? Feel free to reach out and let me know. Or comment if you came along to one of the original trainings 😀

Perfectionism can feel like it keeps you on track, but the problem is it often links your worth to negative self-evaluation. When every outcome becomes a measure of your value, the pressure can be relentless.

You might catch yourself thinking,
💭 I am not a good parent
💭 I should know how to do this
💭 I have to get it right

Over time, this can take a real toll. You may feel anxious, stressed, burnt out, or low in confidence. You might notice you are focusing on past mistakes, overworking to exhaustion, or struggling to make decisions at all.

Perfectionism is not the same as doing your best. It is chasing a moving target that never feels enough.

Try telling yourself, “I am learning as I go,” and allow some things to be good enough. Notice how your body feels when you release even a little of that pressure.

What would shift for you if you measured yourself by effort, presence, and care, rather than perfection?

Seeking support to explore perfectionism tendencies can be helpful.

For clinicians: myself and my employee at the time Emilie Bull, originally developed training back in 2022 called

"Perfectionism in the perinatal period".

That was so popular the training was rolled out four times to national private and charity perinatal organisations. If you would like to know more about this training please reach out✨

18/03/2026

In floristry, leaning stems could indicate a need to change the design.

A stem may still be upright. Still beautiful. Still doing its job. Yet something about the balance has changed.

Many clinicians and parents recognise this feeling. You are still functioning. Still holding responsibility. But internally, there is effort where there used to be ease.

Leaning is information.

It often means the weight has shifted, something has added weight and pressure.
In an arrangement, the response is not to force the stem straighter. It is to adjust the support around it.

Self care can begin with noticing where you are leaning and allowing that to be a signal rather than something to push past🌸

17/03/2026

Why confidence drops even with experience…..

Experience doesn’t always equal confidence in emotional moments. Many clinicians assume confidence should grow automatically with years of experience. But emotional conversations don’t work like procedures where you have clear guide on what to do.

If you’re not supported to reflect on how those moments affect you, uncertainty can actually increase. You’ve seen how complex things can get, and that can make you more cautious, not less.

Confidence here comes from understanding your role, your boundaries, and how to respond in a way that feels steady. That’s learned, not automatic.

There are some of the key themes explore in my Tender Talks launching 21st April.

Comment “Perinatal Training_1” to be sent the link.

17/03/2026

Confident Healthcare Without The Overwhelm
Training that helps clinicians tend with confidence and bloom with purpose commencing 21st April for 5 weeks online interactive.

I created this training because I understand what it feels like to care for others while carrying the weight of responsibility. As a clinician working in perinatal and family mental health for over twenty-five years, I have seen the profound impact that thoughtful, reflective care can have on parents, infants, and families. I have also witnessed how easily clinicians can feel overwhelmed when juggling medical responsibilities, emotional support, and their own wellbeing.

My passion is helping healthcare clinicians like you feel confident in recognising and responding to psychological and emotional needs, without adding to the pressure of your day. Through Tender Talks: Confident Conversations In The Perinatal Period, I aim to provide a space where you can learn skills that strengthen your practice while also nurturing yourself. This is grounded in real experience, reflection, and understanding of the demands of perinatal care.

I have also seen how growth in our work comes from both learning and replenishment. My training combines psychological skills with reflective practice, so clinicians can integrate new approaches with confidence. What you learn in this space is practical, applicable, and designed to help you remain present and emotionally attuned without feeling overloaded.

This work is deeply meaningful. I know that when clinicians are supported, confident, and reflective, families benefit too. Every interaction becomes an opportunity to model calm, attunement, and steadiness, which strengthens parent-infant connections and the therapeutic relationship.

If you want to explore more about integrating reflective practice into your care and updates from Tender Talks: Confident Conversations In The Perinatal Period.

Comment 'Perinatal_mailing' to join the mailing list!