Professional Development
Strong Roots Counseling is a destination for best practice treatment and collegial conversation. Below you will find information on both our perinatal fellowship and our Certificate for CBT and Perinatal Emotional Complications.
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Also, please find our updated 2025-2026 perinatal fellowship application and details below.
Birthing Healthier Families (c): Post-Graduate Certificate Using CBT for Perinatal Emotional Complications.
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This certificate will provide specific CBT strategies to enhance clinician's practice in treating women with perinatal emotional complications. Emotional complications are the most common complication of pregnancy and often go unreported, undiagnosed, and untreated. The aim is to acquaint providers who care for clients with pregnancy and postpartum mental health issues with the range of perinatal emotional complications, the rationale for why cognitive and behavioral approaches are effective in perinatal treatment, the screening tools to assess for perinatal emotional complications, and ways to obtain support for clients.
Participants will discuss the research supporting CBT treatment as effective for the perinatal population. Participants will discuss provided case examples that demonstrate the impact of CBT for anxiety, depression, and OCD. Participants will be provided with a list of resources for further exploration of CBT and perinatal treatment. This program is geared toward therapists. It has been approved for 12 social work and LMHC CEU's. Additional details included here.
NEXT CERTIFICATE: Tuesday, April 29 & Thursday, Mat 1, 2025 (Virtual)-- applications now available
Facilitated by Mara Acel-Green, LICSW.
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Here's what people are saying about the program:
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"This training was so valuable in weaving together how to understand our patients and then what to do about it. I’m leaving with actual tools that I will bring back to my practice and be able to utilize immediately. Mara kept it relevant. Would take it again!"
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"Most practical training I have attended. I feel like I am leaving with a new toolbox."
"Mara has a great way of presenting the material with a balance of humor and realism. She provides concrete examples, responses and interactive feedback making the material more accessible to all. Very worthwhile way to spend my time."
Perinatal Fellowship 2025-2026
Perinatal fellowship for social workers and mental health counselors at Strong Roots Counseling. Sept 15, 2025 -September 14, 2026
Strong Roots Counseling is pleased to announce we are opening our applications for our perinatal fellowship at Strong Roots Counseling open to social work and mental health clinicians who have a Master’s degree from an accredited school of social work or graduate school of mental health counseling and possess a Massachusetts licensed LCSW, LICSW or LMHC or are eligible to sit for exam Fall 2025.
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This training will focus on developing and honing specific treatment skills in the field of perinatal mental health, as well as other related considerations for birthing persons with an emphasis on evidence-based therapy approaches. Trainees will have the opportunity to learn more about the treatment of perinatal depression, anxiety, birth trauma, loss, and IVF. Candidates will be considered only if they have had two years of supervised clinical internships, preference will be given to those with related field experience.
Strong Roots Counseling is a group practice located in West Newton, MA. We offer in-person, hybrid, and telehealth treatment for Massachusetts clients. Fellowship participants are recommended, but not required, to consider at least one day in the office to see clients in person and to connect with other in person staff. Strong Roots Counseling will complete your insurance paneling process. All Strong Roots Counseling fellows are required to complete a CORI prior to employment. This is a salaried position and with all the related full-time benefits of a W-2 employee including: 401K, sick, dental, LTD, and health insurance.
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$58,000 base salary for the 12-month contract with opportunities for increases as productivity allows. A computer, office, and parking will be made available to perinatal fellows.
Applications will be accepted until August 1, 2025 and applicants reviewed on a rolling basis. Accepted applicants will be notified by August 19, 2025.
Strong Roots Counseling is committed to enhancing the workforce of perinatal providers targeting specific underserved populations, including, but not limited to: BIPOC, multilingual, underserved communities as identified by the state, and LGBTQIA+ birthing persons. When applying, please highlight how your training will impact one or more of these populations. Strong Roots Counseling is committed to creating safe space for all clients, with a particular focus on BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ people. This value is a part of our readings, training, and discussions as a staff and we are seeking people enthusiastic about making this a part of their work. All applicants will need to have completed two clinical placements for consideration.
Features of fellowship:
Case load with emphasis on perinatal population
Peer supervision weekly
Weekly dyad supervision- two fellows and on site provider
Seasoned clinician to review all intakes, treatment plans, and notes
Reading syllabus with monthly themes
Books and additional trainings made available through Strong Roots Counseling
Required participation in Strong Roots Counseling certificate program October 2023 for the use of CBT for perinatal emotional complications with 12 CEUs provided
Certificate of completion of training at the end
To apply:
Please send a cover letter, resume in a PDF format, including your license number or exam date, and the names and phone numbers of at least two, but preferably three, clinical supervisors who can speak to your work. For details, link to our website at www.strongrootscounseling.com/professionals.