Postpartum Sleep 101: Understanding Sleep and Mental Health
in the Postpartum Period
Presented by
Kristina Anzell, LCSW
Friday, October 3rd, 2025
9:00 am - 11:45 am
Zoom, 2.5 CEs
On Zoom
Course Description
Sleep deprivation is one of the most common, and least understood, experiences of the postpartum period. For new parents, disrupted sleep is not just exhausting; it can impact physical healing, emotion regulation, cognitive functioning, and increase vulnerability to perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. As therapists we want to address this but often feel unsure about how to address sleep with postpartum clients, especially when infant sleep patterns are unpredictable and uncontrollable.
In this interactive workshop, clinicians will gain an introductory understanding of sleep science in both adults and infants, explore how postpartum sleep disruption affects mental health, and learn simple, but practical and effective, evidence-based interventions that fall within your scope of practice. You will walk away with tools from CBT, CBT for Insomnia, ACT, and DBT that you can use immediately to support overwhelmed, exhausted parents, without overstepping into sleep consulting territory.
Whether you are brand new to perinatal work or deep in the trenches, this training will help you approach postpartum sleep challenges with clarity, confidence, and compassion.
Educational Goals
In this workshop, participants will gain an understanding of:
- Sleep science in adults and infants
- The impact of sleep disruption on mental health in the postpartum period
- Therapeutic interventions for treating sleep deprivation
- How and when to refer out to sleep specialists or medical professionals
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:
- Describe the sleep stages in adults and infants
- Name at least 2 ways sleep disruption affects the postpartum period
- Identify the four foundations of sleep
- List at least 5 evidence-based interventions to use in therapy for sleep-deprived postpartum clients
- Name at least 3 referral resources for postpartum sleep issues
About Our Speaker
Kristina Anzell, LCSW
Kristina Anzell, LCSW is a clinical social worker in private practice with a passion for guiding families through the transformative journey of pregnancy, postpartum, and early parenthood. She specializes in postpartum sleep and anxiety, couples, and pediatric sleep.
She graduated from the University of Southern California (USC) in 2016 and has been working with children and families ever since. She has worked with mothers in a Maternal homeless shelter, an inpatient behavioral hospital, long-term crisis programs, EAP programs and now in her own private practice. Kristina has a wide range of training including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, TEAM CBT, CBT for Insomnia, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Exposure and Response Prevention for OCD, Gottman Method Level II, advanced training in perinatal mentalpn. health, and is a Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant.
Kristina started to specialize in Maternal Mental health after experiencing her own journey through pregnancy and postpartum. In her own journey and from years of working with this population, she recognizes the gaps in service that new moms face and is dedicated to help fill that gap.
Location
Zoom Meeting. Requires pre-registration with Zoom using the instructions provided in your RECAMFT confirmation email in order to get your personal Zoom Join Link.
Registration
RSVP here. Please note that once you have RSVP'd for this event, you will receive a link to register for the Zoom Meeting. You must complete this second Zoom-registration step to gain access to the event link.
Pricing
1) Registration for All RECAMFT Members - no charge
2) Reciprocal registration for members of Marin CAMFT (CODE REQUIRED) - no charge
3) Other CAMFT Members - Licensed - $37.50
4) Other CAMFT Members - Pre-Licensed - $17.50
5) Non-CAMFT Members (general public) - $45.00
Training Schedule and Attendance Requirements
Please note, this is a 2.5-CE training, comprised of two and a half hours of training plus time for a break and for RECAMFT announcements during the meeting. You must be logged on at the beginning of the training, be present during the event (including responding to attendance checks by coming on camera, verbally replying, and/or replying in the chat), and stay logged on for the full duration, to end at 11:45am, in order to earn the CEs. If your camera is off the entire time, and RECAMFT cannot verify you were physically present at your computer throughout the training, then RECAMFT cannot issue a CE certificate, as we would not be able to show that the BBS requirements for your participation were met.
Recording
RECAMFT intends to record this event, and assuming no technical hurdles, will be producing it as an on-demand course to be published at the RECAMFT CE Center, including the ability to earn CEs. RECAMFT members will have access there for free. Non-members and reciprocal chapter members will be able to purchase access. Access to the recording is not included with any registration for this "live" (real-time on Zoom) training. If you know that you will not be able to attend on the event date listed above, please do not register for this training and instead wait until the on-demand version is published. Registrations are managed separately and cannot be transferred.
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Redwood Empire Chapter CAMFT (Provider #57173) is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs. Redwood Empire Chapter CAMFT maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content.
- Disability Accommodation: To request an accommodation for a disability, please email info@recamft.org.
- Refunds: Refunds may be requested up to 7 days before the event by contacting info@recamft.org. No refunds are given beginning 7 days prior to the event. If a registrant cannot attend the event due to a mandatory evacuation or Public Safety Power Shut-off the day of the event, they can request and receive a refund with verification of address.
- CE Certificate: You must be physically present at your computer and watching and/or listening to the training while logged onto the zoom meeting for the entire presentation, and complete a post test and an evaluation to receive your CE credit certificate. Within a week after the conclusion of this educational event, once RECAMFT has processed attendance, an email with a link to the test and evaluation form will be sent to all participants whose physical presence during the online meeting is verified. Once you complete and submit your evaluation, you will have immediate access and be able to print or save your CE Certificate. This course meets the qualifications for 2.5 hrs of continuing education (CE) credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.
- Notice of Recording: Whenever possible, our CE events are recorded or filmed and may appear on our website. Your participation in this event by registering and attending indicates your approval for your likeness to appear in the recording, if any.
- Grievances: Direct grievances to info@recamft.org, and/or the chapter president at recamftpresident@gmail.com.
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