Diana Lynn Barnes Psy.D is an internationally recognized expert on the assessment and
treatment of perinatal mood disorders. A frequently interviewed consultant to the media
as well as a trainer and presenter on all facets of perinatal depression, Dr. Barnes is the
author of “The Journey to Parenthood: Myths, Reality and What Really Matters.” She
has also written a training manual for clinicians and childbirth educators – Transition to
Parenthood- A course for expectant parents. She was a contributing writer to the updated
guidelines for the Perinatal Advisory Council of Los Angeles County, in which she wrote
a section on “The appropriate guidelines for assessment and treatment of perinatal mood
disorders.” Dr. Barnes has also written three home study courses on various facets of
perinatal mood disorders for Western Schools in Boston. Her work on perinatal illness
has been published in a number of academic journals, including the Journal of Systemic
Therapies, the Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association, the Psychotherapy
Networker and the California Therapist. In 2005, she wrote the forward for “Eyes without
Sparkle” by Elaine Hanzek .
A past president of Postpartum Support International, she currently sits on the President’s
Advisory Council. She is also a member of the Los Angeles County Perinatal Mental
Health Task Force, a core faculty member of their Training Institute, as well as a member
of the statewide California Maternal Mental Health Task Force. In 2009, she co-founded
The Motherhood Consortium, an interdisciplinary network of professionals working with
mothers, infants and young families.
In addition to clinical practice that focuses on women’s mental health around pregnancy
and birth, Dr. Barnes is a nationally known forensic expert in women’s reproductive
mental health and regularly consults with defense counsel on cases of infanticide,
pregnancy denial, neonaticide and child abuse. Her article on infanticide is published in
the “Encyclopedia of Motherhood” (Sage, 2010). Diana Lynn Barnes is a fellow of the
American Psychotherapy Association and a clinical member of the American Association
of Marriage and Family Therapists and the California Association of Marriage and
Family Therapists. Dr. Barnes is the 2007 recipient of the Jane Honikman award for her
outstanding contributions to the field of child-bearing illness and maternal mental health
and the 2009 recipient of the Welcome Back Lifetime Achievement Award presented by
Eli Lilly.
