About Cory Bernard, LCSW

Cory Bernard is a Licensed Clinical Social worker who established Carpe Diem Counseling LLC in April 2014 out of a desire to help others.  She completed her Masters in Social Work at UConn School of Social Work in May 2005 and became Licensed by the State of Connecticut in Jan. 2008.  Cory has spent the past decade providing therapy to individuals experiencing a variety of mental health issues.  After the birth of her son several years ago, Cory came to realize that there is a great need for and a great deficit in services available for women and their families during the perinatal period.  She has completed Postpartum Support International’s 2-day Components of Care Certificate training in 2013, 2015, and 2018.  She became on of the first Perinatal Certified clinicians in the state of CT in 2019 when this certification was approved by the state.  She is currently the President of the Board for PSI’s CT Chapter.

While Cory specializes in Perinatal Mental Health, her practice is a general practice that serves people facing challenges in all areas of life.

Organizational Affiliations/Memberships

  • Founding Member of Connecticut Alliance On Perinatal Mental Health- 2013 – 2016
  • Founding Member of Postpartum Support International Connecticut Chapter 2016
  • Current Executive Board Member (President) of Postpartum Support International Connecticut Chapter
  • Current Fundraising and Events Committee member for Postpartum Support International Connecticut Chapter
  • Member of Postpartum Support International LLC
  • NASW National and Connecticut State Chapter Member since 2003

Completed Trainings specific to Perinatal Mental Health: (Trainings in various areas of mental health and social work are completed yearly (see lower down this page) but these are trainings specific to Cory’s specialty in Perinatal Mental Health).

  • February 28, 2012- Women and Depression (on-line course) via Freestate Social Work, LLC
  • March 15, 2013– Promoting Maternal Mental Health: Addressing Perinatal Mood Disorders for Crisis Service and  MotherWoman’s Community-Based Perinatal Support Model with Annette Cycon, LICSW and Liz Friedman, MFA of MotherWoman
  • November 14-15, 2013- Postpartum Support International’s Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders: Components of Care with Birdie Meyer, RN, MA; Tina Walch, MD; Lisa Testa, PhD; Sonia Murdock, BA
  • February 14, 2014- Maternal Depression, Making a Difference Through Community Action:  A Planning Guide (on-line course) via Free State Social Work LLC 
  • May 22, 2014- A Comprehensive Understanding of Perinatal Mood Disorders: Training for Mental Health Clinicians at CT Women’s Consortium
  • February 27, 2015- Women and Depression (on-line course) via Free State Social Work LLC
  • March 26-27, 2015– Postpartum Support International’s Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders: Components of Care with Birdie Meyer, RN MA; Wendy Davis, PhD; Cheryl Tatano Beck, DNSc, CNM, FAAN; Jeanne Watson Driscoll, PhD, PMHCNS-BC
  • May 8, 2015- Mind Over Mood Initiative Training with the Office of Early Childhood/UConn Health
  • November 2016– PMAD Clinical Issues Training with Shoshana Bennett through the Postpartum Action Institute
  • January 30, 2017– Bereavement and Perinatal Loss Training with Elisabeth Schneider and Ann Back-Price
  • June 16, 2017- Treatment and Prevention of Traumatic Birth: Informed Clinicians Empowering Clients with Catharine McDonald, MS, NCC, LPC and Stefanie Trudeau, CD (DONA), CLC
  • July 14-15, 2017- Postpartum Support International 30th Annual Conference Philidelphia, PA with a variety of experts in various Perinatal Mental Health fields on various topics.

Other trainings and webinar attendance:

  • July 24, 2008- Understanding the NASW Code of Ethics (on-line course) via NASW
  • September 19, 2008- Understanding Aging: The Social Worker’s Role (on-line course) via NASW
  • December 4, 2008- Eating Disorders with Tammy Nelson, MS, ATR, LPC, LADC
  • December 4, 2008- The DSM IV-TR:  A Clinician’s Guide with Patrick DeChello, PhD
  • September 22, 2009- Understanding Adolescent Health:  The Social Worker’s Role (on-line course) via NASW
  • September 22, 2009- Understanding Malpractice Risk:  What Social Worker’s Can Do (on-line course) via NASW
  • January 21, 2010- Legal and Ethical Issues in Clinical Practice with Patrick DeChello, PhD
  • January 27, 2010- Dancing with Dragons: Legal Pitfalls in Discharge Planning with Genesis Healthcare
  • February 15, 2010- Understanding Cancer:  The Social Worker’s Role (on-line course) via NASW
  • July 15, 2010- Working with the Dual Diagnosed Client with Patrick DeChello
  • July 20, 2010- Understanding HIV/AIDS:  The Social Worker’s Role (on-line course) via NASW
  • July 21, 2010- An Advanced Course in Ethics and Malpractice Risk for Social Worker’s (on-line course) via NASW
  • October 8, 2010- Understanding Personality Disorders with Joseph Shannon, PhD
  • February 11, 2011- Understanding Cancer Caregiving:  The Social Worker’s Role (on-line course) via NASW
  • May 20, 2011- Managing Your Private Practice via Clinical Social Work Network
  • July 8. 2011- Assessing and Intervening with Suicidal and Self-injurous Youth with Kimberly Nelson, LCSW via Wheeler Clinic
  • January 23, 2012- Critical Issues in Clinical and Administrative Supervision with Patrick DeChello, PhD.
  • February 28, 2012- A Social Work Model of Empathy (on-line course) via Freestate Social Work, LLC
  • February 28, 2012- Drugs, Brains, Behavior; The Science of Addiction (on-line course) via Freestate Social Work, LLC
  • February 28, 2012- Depression (on-line course) via Freestate Social Work, LLC
  • June 6, 2012- Effective Group Therapy with Patrick DeChello, PhD
  • August 7, 2012- Battered Women (on-line course) via Freestate Social Work
  • January 26, 2013- Tracing and Healing Family Wound Patterns with Peter G. Sandwell, MD
  • April 12, 2013- The Changed Brain: How to Support Healing with Integrative Medicine with Lower Fairfield County Regional Action Council
  • April 25, 2013- Disordered Eating Across the Lifespan with Dr. James Greenblatt and Dr. Margo Maine
  • 2013- Gambling Addiction (on-line course) via DMHAS
  • November 19, 2014- Mindfulness in Therapy and Self-Care via The Connecticut Women’s Consortium
  • October 18, 2014- The Evolution of Social Work Ethics (on-line course) via Free State Social Work LLC
  • October 21, 2014- Promoting Military Cultural Awareness (on-line course) via Free State Social Work LLC
  • February 27, 2015- The New DSM-5:  Highlights of Changes from DSM-IV-TR to the DSM-V (on-line course) via Free State Social Work LLC
  • February 13, 2017- Ethics and Boundaries (on-line course) via Elite Continuing Education
  • February 13, 2017- The Returning U.S. Veteran of Modern War:  Background Issues, Assessment and Treatment (on-line course) via Elite Continuing Education
  • June 26, 2017- LGBTQIA…SOS! Sexuality and Gender, Differentiated and Demystified with Mara Gottlieb, PhD, LMSW
  • January 22, 2018- Official National Training on the Revisions to the NASW Code of Ethics (webinar) via NASW
  • February 19, 2018- Cultural Competence in Mental Health Practice (on-line course) via Elite Continuing Education