By Molly Brauer

James Windell, part-time faculty in the Criminal Justice department, is a clinical psychologist and parenting expert who has spent most of his adult life working with teenagers and their families, through the Oakland County Court.

In recent years, he turned his attention to another subject - mothers and babies. Windell co-authored, "Conquering Postpartum Depression," (Perseus Publishing, $25.00) with psychiatrist Ronald Rosenberg, M.D., and clinical psychologist Deborah Greening.

The book addresses postpartum depression treatment through medical and psychological therapies from hormone treatments and herbal remedies for mothers, to cognitive-behavioral treatments and support groups that involve both parents in the care of the babies.

Windell received his B.A. in Psychology from Wayne State in 1963, and his M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Oakland university in 1972. He is married to Jane, and has three children - a stepson Jonathan, 14; Jason, 30; and Jill 34. A practically fearless man with a self-described "innate sense of optimism," Windell has survived a few decades of working with troubled teens and contentious divorced spouses in various court-sponsored programs - ranging from work as a probation officer to working to steer juvenile offenders away from further delinquency. He is the author of several previous books on children including, "8 Weeks to a Well-Behaved Child," and "Children Who Say No When You Want Them to Say Yes."

Windell has worked with young people long enough to see some succeed, and he has enduring faith in them. "Every day I see something that's hopeful. We have to be cheerleaders for them, and help them through the rough times. I use my sense of humor and teach them to see the absurdities of the things they encounter in and out of the system. There is an excitement about being teenagers, and they can learn from what we teach them, even if they come from difficult family situations. Sometimes getting on probation can be the best thing that ever happened to them," said Windell, explaining that the experience can help them set goals and accomplish them.

A veteran of 15 years of private practice, Windell became interested in PPD through his friend Greening. They met when she was an intern in the psychology clinic of the Oakland County Court. "She had done some work in domestic violence, and then became more interested in postpartum depression. She called one day and said we ought to do a book."

Greening introduced Windell to psychiatrist and ob/gyn Ronald Rosenberg, a noted expert on PPD, and the trio began to meet and discuss the project. "We needed to learn more about it, so we did the reading and research and ran some groups for women who were suffering from postpartum depression," said Windell, who explained that his wife Jane, a speech therapist, also helped with the groups. "We taught mothers of infants how to interact with them and how to play with them." Windell said that postpartum depression mothers, don't know how to interact with their children and have fun with them.

"One of the greatest risk factors for postpartum depression is lack of social support," so Windell brought in the fathers and taught the parents together how to play with the children, how to give them massages and how to support each other in parenting. Eventually, the collaboration three years of therapy groups, discussion and thorough research evolved into the book.

There is no way to test for PPD, nor is there any simple cure, but "Conquering Postpartum Depression" proposes a systematic treatment program. PPD is part medical condition, and can be treated with hormones, anti-depressants and herbal remedies, PPD involves much more than brain chemistry and psychological and social factors that contribute to PPD must also be addressed.