Perinatal Population Peer Consultation Group
A virtual peer consultation group for licensed counselors and social workers working with the perinatal population.
Perinatal clients bring unique clinical questions into the therapy room.
A client may be trying to conceive while managing anxiety and uncertainty. A pregnant client may be experiencing depression, trauma, or intrusive thoughts. A postpartum client may be struggling with identity, relationships, adjustment, or symptoms that feel very different from anything they've experienced before.
And sometimes, the hardest part isn't recognizing that a client needs support. It's knowing how to think through the situation clinically.
What are you missing? What would another experienced clinician notice? When is consultation warranted? What resources or treatment approaches might you consider?
The Perinatal Population Peer Consultation Group provides a structured space for licensed mental health professionals to bring those questions to a community of clinicians interested in the same area of practice.
This is an opportunity to discuss cases, exchange perspectives, expand your clinical knowledge, and develop greater confidence working with perinatal clients, all while earning Category II/B continuing education credits.
Perinatal mental health requires specialized clinical consideration.
The perinatal period encompasses some of the most significant physical, emotional, relational, and identity changes a person may experience.
For therapists, that can create clinical situations that don't always fit neatly into familiar treatment frameworks.
You may encounter:
Anxiety related to pregnancy, fertility, or becoming a parent
Perinatal depression
Postpartum anxiety
Intrusive thoughts
Infertility and reproductive challenges
Pregnancy loss and grief
Birth trauma
Relationship changes
Changes in identity and self-concept
Adjustment to parenthood
Complex family dynamics
Concerns related to attachment and bonding
Questions about risk, referrals, and level of care
You may also find yourself wondering whether a particular symptom is part of a client's adjustment, an indication of a more significant mental health concern, or something that warrants additional assessment or collaboration with another provider.
These are the kinds of clinical questions that benefit from thoughtful consultation.
Meet Your Consultation Group Facilitator
Ashley Swift, LCPC
Clinical Supervisor | Perinatal Consultation Group Facilitator
Ashley Swift, LCPC, is a Clinical Supervisor at LifeSpring Counseling Services who has completed specialized training in perinatal mental health. She is passionate about supporting clinicians as they develop their skills and confidence in working with the perinatal population.
Ashley brings a collaborative approach to consultation, creating space for clinicians to explore clinical questions, share perspectives, and learn from one another.
When your caseload includes perinatal clients, consultation can strengthen your practice.
A good consultation group isn't simply a place to talk about difficult cases.
It's a place to think more carefully about your work.
The Perinatal Population Peer Consultation Group gives you an ongoing opportunity to:
Think through complex cases
Bring clinical questions and challenging cases to a group of professionals who share an interest in perinatal mental health.
Discussion may help you consider additional perspectives, treatment considerations, resources, referrals, and questions for further assessment.
Expand your understanding
of perinatal mental health
Perinatal mental health is a broad area of practice. Ongoing discussion can expose you to clinical situations, perspectives, and resources you may not encounter in your own caseload.
Develop your clinical confidence
You don't need to have every answer before you work with a perinatal client.
Consultation allows you to learn from other clinicians' experiences, consider different approaches, and build your knowledge over time.
Meet your ethical responsibilities
around consultation
Seeking consultation isn't an indication that you aren't competent.
It's one way clinicians responsibly recognize the limits of their knowledge and seek additional perspectives when doing so can benefit their clients.
Invest in your own
professional well-being
Clinical work can involve significant emotional responsibility, particularly when working with clients experiencing major life transitions, trauma, grief, or significant mental health symptoms.
A regular professional space to discuss the work can help clinicians reflect on difficult cases, consider boundaries, and remain thoughtful about their own experience as practitioners
Earn continuing education credits
Your professional development doesn't have to feel disconnected from the work you're actually doing.
Participation in the group provides an opportunity to earn Category II/B continuing education credits while engaging in clinically relevant peer consultation.
Who is this perinatal consultation group for?
The Perinatal Population Peer Consultation Group is designed for licensed counselors and social workers who work with clients in the perinatal period.
That includes clinicians who:
Already specialize in perinatal mental health
See perinatal clients as part of a broader caseload
Are beginning to work with more clients who are pregnant or postpartum
Work with clients experiencing infertility or reproductive challenges
Want to develop greater competence in perinatal mental health
Have an interest in expanding their clinical focus
Want consistent peer consultation around perinatal cases
Value continued professional learning and collaboration
Do I need to be a perinatal mental health specialist?
No.
You simply need to be a clinician who works with the perinatal population and/or is interested in learning and growing in this area.
You can join whether you're relatively new to perinatal work or have been working with this population for years.
The goal isn't to create a room where everyone has the same level of expertise.
It's to create a room where clinicians can learn from one another.
What makes a LifeSpring peer consultation group different?
Consistent meetings
You don't have to wonder when you'll get another opportunity to consult. Our groups meet on a predictable schedule so consultation becomes part of your professional rhythm.
Case-focused consultation
Our groups are designed around clinical consultation, not marketing, billing, business strategy, or practice-management questions.
A collaborative peer model
Everyone in the room has something to teach, and everyone has something to learn. Consultation isn't about having one person who has all the answers. It's about bringing multiple clinical perspectives to the work.
Confidentiality matters
Members are expected to protect the confidentiality of both their colleagues and the clients discussed in consultation. Cases are presented without identifying information.
A respectful, nonjudgmental environment
Clinical consultation works best when clinicians can be honest about uncertainty, ask questions, consider different perspectives, and admit when they don't know something.
Dedicated time for reflection
Your consultation time isn't squeezed into the five minutes between clients. The group has a designated time to slow down and thoughtfully consider the work.
Clear expectations
Members are expected to show up, participate, respect confidentiality, and contribute to a culture of curiosity, openness, and positive regard.
CE documentation
Members are expected to protect the confidentiality of both their colleagues and the clients discussed in consultation. Cases are presented without identifying information.
We track attendance and maintain documentation so you have the records needed to support eligible Category B/Category II CE reporting.
Maryland regulations specifically recognize peer case conferences as a Category II activity for social workers, and Maryland counseling regulations recognize participation in peer case conferences or peer supervision groups as Category B CE activity. Requirements and eligibility can vary by license and renewal situation, so clinicians remain responsible for confirming that their individual CE requirements are satisfied.
In other words: we're not just putting clinicians in a room together and hoping something useful happens.
We're creating a structure that makes it easier for meaningful consultation and professional connection to actually happen.
Find the Peer Consultation Group That Fits Your Practice
Not all consultation groups are equally helpful. Whether you're looking for broad clinical consultation with experienced colleagues or a community centered around perinatal mental health, there's a LifeSpring group for you.
Seasoned Clinicians Peer Consultation Group
Seasoned Clinicians Peer Consultation Group
Seasoned Clinicians Peer Consultation Group
For Fully Licensed Maryland Counselors & Social Workers With 2+ Years of Therapy Experience
The Seasoned Clinicians Peer Consultation Group is designed for fully licensed Maryland therapists who want a consistent space to consult with experienced colleagues, talk through challenging cases, and continue growing professionally beyond supervision. This monthly group provides an opportunity to gain new clinical perspectives, reduce professional isolation, and connect with other clinicians who understand the realities of independent clinical practice.
Enrollment opens in July, with groups beginning in September. Meetings are held monthly on the [day] from [time], and LifeSpring tracks attendance and documentation to support eligible Category B/Category II CE reporting.
Ready to stop practicing in a silo?
Perinatal Peer Consultation Group
Clinical Consultation for Therapists Who Work With the Perinatal Population
The Perinatal Peer Consultation Group is designed for therapists who have a special interest in and serve clients who are trying to conceive, who are pregnant, or are postpartum. This monthly consultation group provides dedicated space to discuss clinical questions, gain perspective from other clinicians working with the perinatal population, and build meaningful professional connections around this specialized area of practice.
The 10-month group meets on the 4th Friday of each month from 10:00–11:30 AM, beginning January 22, 2027 and continuing through October 2027, with enrollment currently open for the January start. LifeSpring tracks attendance and documentation to support eligible Category B/Category II CE reporting.
Interested in joining a community of clinicians who do perinatal work?
[LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PERINATAL GROUP]
You Don't Have to Be the Only Clinician in the Room
One of the beautiful things about being a therapist is that every client teaches us something.
But you shouldn't have to learn everything through trial and error.
Sometimes what you need is another perspective.
Sometimes you need someone to say, “I've seen something like this before.”
Sometimes you need to hear yourself talk through a case with people who understand the work.
And sometimes, you just need to remember that you're part of a professional community.
Peer consultation gives you a place to do all of that.
At LifeSpring Counseling Services, we believe in the power of collaboration—not just for our clients, but for the clinicians who care for them.
Our peer consultation groups are built around hope, healing, empowerment, community, and continued professional growth.
Because supporting therapists ultimately supports the people they serve.
What You Can Expect From LifeSpring
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✔ Clinical Connection - Regular opportunities to connect with clinicians who understand the realities of therapy work.
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✔ Thoughtful Consultation - A space to slow down and look at challenging clinical situations from multiple perspectives.
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✔ Professional Growth - Continued learning doesn't end when you receive your license.
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✔ Community - Build relationships with clinicians beyond your own practice, agency, or office.
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✔ Structure - Predictable meetings, clear expectations, confidentiality, and a focused consultation process.
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✔ CE Documentation - We track attendance and maintain consultation documentation to help you keep the records you need for eligible Category B/Category II CE reporting.
Your License Doesn't Mean You Have to Go It Alone.
You've invested years in becoming the clinician you are today.
You don't need to practice in isolation to prove that you're capable.
Keep learning. Keep connecting. Keep growing.
Join a LifeSpring peer consultation group and make professional connection and clinical consultation part of your ongoing practice.
Choose the group that fits your work:
Seasoned Clinicians Peer Consultation Group
For fully licensed Maryland counselors and social workers with 2+ years of therapy experience.
Perinatal Peer Consultation Group
For clinicians who specialize in or have a strong interest in working with clients who are trying to conceive, pregnant, or postpartum.
[EXPLORE PERINATAL GROUP →]button with link
Fees
$50 per 1.5 hour consultation group when paid annually (500 value) or $55.00 per session when paid monthly ($540 value).
Frequently Asked Questions
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No. Peer consultation isn't only for clinicians who are stuck. You may bring a challenging case, a clinical question, or simply a situation where you'd value another perspective. The goal is ongoing professional reflection and learning, access to support when you need it, and ethical practice.
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No. Peer consultation is different from formal clinical supervision. LifeSpring's groups are designed for licensed clinicians seeking collaborative case consultation and professional connection rather than required supervisory oversight.
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Yes. Case consultation is a central part of the groups. Members are encouraged to come prepared with cases or clinical questions they would like to discuss. Client identifying information should never be shared.
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Yes. LifeSpring tracks attendance and maintains documentation for peer consultation meetings so we have the records needed to support eligible Category B/Category II CE reporting.
Maryland's counseling and social work regulations recognize certain peer consultation/case conference activities as eligible CE activities, subject to the applicable board requirements.
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LifeSpring’s peer consultation groups are specifically focused on clinical case consultation. They are not designed for private-practice startup, marketing, billing, insurance, or general business-management consultation.
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Think about the population you primarily serve and the kind of consultation you're looking for. The Seasoned Clinicians group (link) is designed for fully licensed Maryland counselors and social workers who are seeking consistent case consultation on a range of clinical cases. The Perinatal Peer Consultation Group (link) is designed specifically for clinicians who work with the perinatal population.
Your Clients Aren’t the Only People Who Benefit From Your Clinical Community.
Find your LifeSpring peer consultation group and connect with clinicians who understand the work.
[VIEW PEER CONSULTATION GROUPS →] button w/title and link of each group.
LifeSpring Counseling Services
Baltimore, Maryland | Online Services Throughout Maryland
Hope. Healing. Empowerment. Achieved Together.
