Postpartum issues are monthly topic

The monthly "Meet and Greet" sessions sponsored by the Conejo Valley Mental Health Professionals Association will explore maternal depression and "disrupted attachment" tomorrow, Fri., Nov. 7, said Judy Wiener, a licensed social worker and marriage and family therapist in Agoura Hills.

The lunchtime meeting will feature a talk by Diana Lynn Barnes, an expert on perinatal mood disorders.

"Eight hundred thousand new mothers each year will suffer some form of postpartum depression, which, when left untreated, has long-standing implications for the healthy psychological development of their infants," Barnes said.

The program will focus on maternal depression within the context of "attachment theory," Wiener said.

"Adult attachment patterns begin in infancy, and it is within the interpersonal style of our clients that we can see disruptions in the infant's very first attachment experience with the primary caregiver," Wiener said.

The "Meet and Greet" series is sponsored by the Conejo Valley Mental Health Professionals Association for mental health professionals and others interested in the topics being discussed, which change each month.

The meetings provide an opportunity to learn about mental health issues from professionals and to network with people in the field, Wiener said.

The "Meet and Greets" are generally conducted on the first Friday of the month from noon to 1 p.m. at the offices of the Teen Scene Outpatient Program, 30343 Canwood St., Ste. 208A, Agoura Hills.

There is no charge to attend, and registration not required. Participants are welcome to bring lunch to eat during the meeting.

For more information, call Wiener at (818) 870-0435, ext. 3, or e-mail jwiener@sbcglobal.net.

—Stephanie Bertholdo