Clinical Development Institute
RAISING THE BAR FOR CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT
Pediatric Sleep & Development Practitioner Certification
Clinically relevant, CPD-accredited training for professionals supporting families.
Designed for Professionals
Whether you're a solo practitioner or part of a multidisciplinary team, PSAD is built to support the work you’re already doing. Clinicians across mental health, allied health, bodywork, lactation, counselling, and education use PSAD to deepen their developmental understanding and offer safer, more responsive care.
What You'll Gain:
✔️ 60 Continued Professional Development credits
✔️ Flexible, online training
✔️ Accredited curriculum
✔️ Evidence-informed, attachment-rooted approach
✔️ Deep clinical insight into sleep, neurodevelopment, and attachment science
✔️ Practical tools for real-world application
✔️ Designed for individual clinicians or full clinic teams
✔️ Aligned with current neuroscience and infant mental health research
✔️ Built to complement your existing clinical frameworks
✔️ Join a growing global community of practitioners committed to evidence-informed, family-centred care
✔️ Trusted by practitioners across health, mental health, and early years care
What Clinicians Are Saying
100% of practitioners rated PSAD 5 stars and said they would recommend it to a colleague.
★★★★★ “It has made me a more compassionate provider. More knowledgeable, backed by research and helping families one mother-baby dyad at a time in a private practice clinical setting."
— KC, Chiropractor
★★★★★ “I absolutely loved this program and have learned so much."
— Kelly, Kinesiologist
Enrolment Options for You or Your Team
We offer tailored enrolment packages to suit individual clinicians and different-sized clinic teams, and clinics benefit from reduced pricing per enrolment.
Each package is designed to support your practice structure, budget, and professional development goals.
Clinical Pediatric Sleep and Development Certification
PSAD
Bridging scientific theory with real-life application
Balancing both theory and practical application, each module is carefully designed to equip you with the depth of knowledge and practical skills to offer the most up-to-date, evidenced and safe guidance for the families you support.
Explore the PSAD Curriculum
Sleep Anthropology
This module will walk you through the historical, cultural and social context of sleep and development.
Your learning will be supported by guest speakers, Dr Deborah MacNamara and Dr Sophie Brock.
Neurological Development
Within this module, you'll learn about the foundations of the nervous system, synaptic development and the roles of stress and attachment on the developing brain.
Your learning will be supported by guest speaker, Dr Greer Kirshenbaum.
Sleep Science
Within this module, you'll learn the anatomy, architecture and function of sleep, and progress to distinguish biologically normal infant sleep from paediatric sleep disorders, all while centering the science of safe sleep.
This module's learning is supported by guest speaker, Professor Helen Ball.
Perinatal and Infant Mental Health
Designed in alignment with Infant Mental Health frameworks, this module will equip you with a deep understanding of the fundamental P-IMH principles to best-support your professional practice.
Your guest speakers for this component of the curriculum are Fiona Rogerson and Crystal Miles.
Attachment Science
This module offers a deep dive into Attachment Science; from the fundamentals of attachment theory to measuring attachment outcomes, you'll gain a deeper understanding of how secure attachments lay the foundation for healthy development.
Your learning will be supported by guest speaker, Rachel Samson.
Sensitivity and Temperament
Within this module, you'll learn the biological foundations of sensitivity and temperament, and how individual differences can impact sleep and development trajectories.
This module's learning is supported by guest speakers Dr Aoife Durcan and Kelly Mahler.
Infant Feeding
This module will equip you with a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between infant feeding and pediatric sleep and development.
Covering the biology of feeding patterns, the association between feeding challenges and sleep challenges, and the introduction of solids and night weaning, the lessons within this module are deigned to support your holistic practice and approach.
This module's learning is supported by Maggie Rajtar-Sullivan and Dr
Nora Ghodousi-Zaghi.
Advanced Sleep Solutions
This module will equip you with advanced strategies and methodologies for addressing common pediatric sleep challenges.
Guided by evidence-based practices and real-world case studies, you'll learn how to apply the science of sleep, attachment and development in practical and family-centered terms.
Working With Families
In this module, you'll learn essential skills for effective client communication and support.
Through detailed case studies, you'll be able to fine-tune your skillset and tailor your approach to meet the diverse needs of the families you support.
Business Development and Ethics
In this module, you'll learn how to build and grow an ethical and sustainable business in Pediatric Sleep and Development.
You'll develop the skills and 'business toolkit' necessary to thrive as a Pediatric Sleep and Development Specialist, making a meaningful impact in the lives of families while building and progressing a successful and fulfilling career.
Your Expert team
Guided by experts, from start to finish
As course Director, Louise will guide your learning journey.
Louise is a mom of two, Pediatric Sleep and Development Specialist, P-IMH Specialist and Lactation Consultant.
A member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Louise certified in Sleep Science via the University of Western Australia and was awarded her infant feeding credentials via the Interstate Post-Graduate medical board.
Louise certified in Perinatal and Infant Mental Health at Warwick Medical School, and has since expanded her practice internationally, as founder of Mother Nourish Nurture.
Meet Your Guest Speakers...
Dr Deborah MacNamara
As a Developmental Scientist and Clinical Counsellor, Deborah is a best-selling author, international speaker, and serves on Faculty at the Neufeld Institute.
Deborah speaks on infant development, within the Sleep Anthropology module of the program.
Professor Helen Ball
As Director of the Durham Infancy and Sleep Centre, Helen is Chair of the Lullaby Trust Scientific Committee, and an elected Board Member of the International Society for the Study and Prevention of Infant Deaths (ISPID).
Helen speaks on infant sleep within the Sleep Science module of the program.
Dr Greer Kirshenbaum
Neuroscientist, author, and doula, Greer specialises in how genetics and experience shape the emotional brain and influence lifelong mental and physical health.
Greer speaks on infant neurology within the Neurological Development module of the program. and style, or as a space to display recent reviews or FAQs.
Rachel Samson
Rachel is a clinical psychologist and family consultant with over a decade of clinical experience.
Rachel speaks on attachment within the Attachment Science module of the program.
Dr Sophie Brock
Sociologist and President of the non-profit research organisation, AMIRCI, Sophie authored the theory of the Fish-Tank model of motherhood.
Sophie speaks on the idea of motherhood as a social construct within the Sleep Anthropology module of the program.
Dr Nora Ghodousi-Zaghi
Nora specializes in Pediatric Dentistry and is a board-certified Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry.
Nora speaks on tongue ties, airway health, and oral function, within the Infant Feeding module of the program.
Dr Aoife Durcan
As a Chartered Counselling Psychologist, Aoife is a lead educator, best-selling author, and clinical practitioner in the field of psychology.
Aoife speaks on sensitivity within the Sensitivity and Temperament module of the program.
Maggie Rajtar-Sullivan
MD, Midwife, and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, Maggie integrates her knowledge of medicine with the holistic midwifery model.
Maggie speaks on infant feeding within the Infant Feeding module of the program.
Fiona Rogerson
As a Perinatal Counsellor and Birth Educator, Fiona offers practitioner training and family support for birth and perinatal trauma.
Fiona speaks on birth trauma, within the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health module of the program.
Crystal Miles
As an IAIM International Trainer, Crystal works with both families and professionals, focusing on the Perinatal period.
Crystal speaks on infant massage within the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health module of the program.
Kelly Mahler
Kelly is an Occupational Therapist and international speaker, with a special interest in interoception and regulation.
Kelly speaks on interoception within the Sensitivity and Temperament module of the program.
Ready to join a global community of professionals?
✔️ 60 CPD credits (Continued Professional Development)
✔️ Flexible, self-paced online training
✔️ Internationally accredited curriculum
✔️ Evidence-informed, attachment-rooted approach
✔️ Deep clinical insight into sleep, neurodevelopment, and infant mental health
✔️ Practical tools for real-world family support
You might be wondering...
Is the course accredited?
Yes, via a robust third-party assessment and accreditation process with the world's leading Continued Professional Development service.
Recognized independent accreditation, compatible with global CPD requirements, means that the program has reached the required Continuing Professional Development standards and benchmarks, and the learning value has been scrutinised to ensure integrity and quality.
Will I earn CPD/CE credits?
Yes! This certification offers 60 globally-recognised Continued Professional Development / Continued Education credits to support your professional development.
How will I receive my certification?
After completing all modules of the program and passing all assessments, you will be issued your certification in Pediatric Sleep and Development.
This will arrive via email, no later than two weeks after submitting your final assessment.
Who is this certification for?
This program has been designed to equip you with everything you need to work as a Pediatric Sleep and Development Specialist.
For practitioners in related or unrelated fields, you will earn Continued Professional Development credits and further your knowledge-base and skillset.
For those wanting to begin a career in Pediatric Sleep and Development, you will learn everything you need to know to build your business and support clients safely and effectively.
How will the program support my learning outcomes?
The curriculum has been designed and organised to support reflective practice (RP), and you will find opportunities for RP weaved throughout the modules.
There are 10 modules in total, built to support you in transferring relevant theory into your professional practice.
As such, the curriculum aligns to Infant Mental Health competency frameworks and clinical best-practice guidelines.
How long will it take to complete the certification?
Our assessment process has placed the completion timescale at roughly 16 weeks, via part-time study. This encompasses around 4 hours per week of active learning, though the program is entirely self-paced.
You will have a full calendar year to complete the certification, and extensions are available by request if life circumstances have stalled or slowed your progress.
We want to take the stress out of learning, so that you can focus on furthering your knowledge and skillset to build your business with ease, and best-support your clients.
How will my learning be assessed?
Learning is assessed and verified via multiple-choice assessments and one final written assignment.
A pass mark of 70% is needed to complete the course, and you will have the opportunity to re-take any assessments that fall short of this benchmark.
How much does the certification cost?
The program costs $1925 and there are no hidden fees or extras to worry about. There's also the option of a no-hassle payment plan, if you'd prefer.
Transparency is a key value here at Mother Nourish Nurture, so our pricing will always be visible, clear and honest.
Is there a payment plan option?
Yes! You can choose to split the cost of the certification across four interest-free payments. If you'd prefer a payment plan, simply select the 'Pay in 4' option.
When can I get started?
The curriculum is open for enrollment, so there's no need to wait. You can begin your journey to becoming a certified Paediatric Sleep and Development Specialist today.
Questions About the Certification?
Whether you’re just getting started or already planning your enrolment, if you have questions about the curriculum, payment options, or whether this certification is the right fit, we’re here to guide you with clarity and care.