ONLINE & IN-PERSON THERAPY IN SANTA CLARITA, CA

Therapy for Birth Trauma

Are distressing memories from your traumatic birth getting in the way of bonding with your new baby?

Throughout pregnancy, you had a certain vision of how childbirth would go as you welcomed your sweet little one into the world. Maybe you had envisioned a very specific birth plan. Or maybe you didn’t have a particular birth plan, but you just wanted things to go safely and smoothly. It can be distressing when things don’t go as planned when you’re in your most vulnerable state and so much is out of your control.

Is any of the following true for you:

  • You had an emergency c-section after labor wasn’t progressing.

  • You hemorrhaged during labor.

  • You had to be put under general anesthesia for your baby to be delivered safely.

  • Things went smoothly for you during birth, but there was an emergency for your baby.

  • Your baby was rushed off to the NICU and you weren’t able to be with them.

  • You missed your baby’s golden hour.

  • You felt forced to have a c-section due to baby being breech, etc., and you did not get to attempt labor like you wanted to.

Research shows that up to 45% of new mothers experience birth trauma, which is based particularly on the mother’s perspective of her birth. If you look back on your experience of childbirth and you are continuing to experience distress, sadness, grief, or other negative emotions, even if no harm came to mother or baby, you may have experienced a birth trauma.

After your traumatic birth experience, you may be finding yourself struggling to get on with your day-to-day life. You might be having a difficult time parenting and bonding with your new baby. You may be struggling in your relationship with your spouse because the distress of the birth is getting in the way. Or maybe you are also finding yourself terrified of growing your family further because of this horrible experience and fear that it could happen again.

If you are continue to struggle with the effects of a traumatic childbirth, please know that you can find hope and healing through therapy. Relief from this experience is possible.

While enduring a traumatic birth can be extremely distressing, we can untangle & shift the way that you look at the memory of your birth experience, and in turn, find significant relief from the distress.

INDIVIDUAL THERAPY FOR BIRTH TRAUMA

Whether you recently experienced traumatic birth, or your experience happened years ago, therapy can help you process the experience and find relief. My primary goal during our work together is to provide a warm, nonjudgmental space where your pain will finally be understood, and you know that are not alone.

In the beginning stages of therapy, we will build up our therapeutic relationship so that you feel safe, and we will figure out the best approach for your needs. This may be through traditional talk therapy, EMDR therapy, or a combination of both. Together, we will explore how your birth trauma(s) are impacting your current symptoms, and we will build up your ability to cope with this experience more effectively so that you can do the things you need to do (e.g., go back to work, enjoy your relationship with your spouse again, feel more confident to have another baby in the future).

Then, we will process the memories of your traumatic birth, and identify and work on shifting any negative beliefs (“I’m to blame,” “I’m not safe,” “I can’t handle this,” etc.) that are keeping you stuck. EMDR therapy tends to be most effective in working through these traumatic events efficiently and effectively.

I will stand by your side with compassion to help you through this, all without any judgment, so that you can finally move forward.

Therapy for a birth trauma can help you:

  • Finally find peace and relief

  • Reduce self-blame

  • Reduce feelings of guilt or shame

  • Get you back to your previous level of functioning

  • Remove the tension with your spouse that this loss may have caused

  • Feel more confident to face childbirth again in the future

You are not alone.

WITH HELP AND PROCESSING, YOU CAN FIND RELIEF AND FINALLY MOVE FORWARD.

FAQS

Common questions and concerns about therapy for birth trauma

  • A traumatic birth can be so difficult on a couple. You may be grieving the birth that you expected to have, and that might be difficult for your spouse to understand, especially if you and your baby ended up safe at the end of it. You might feel misunderstood and alone.

    As you work through your birth trauma in therapy, a lot of these issues in the relationship may also naturally improve, but we can also work on understanding how to ask for what you need from your spouse as you process this experience.

    I can help you with communication and problem solving skills, while also being more intentional about working on your marriage so that you can be there for one another throughout this process.

  • Click the button above to schedule a free 15-minute, no obligation consultation. During this consultation, we will discuss why you're looking to start therapy at this time, what you're hoping to achieve, and I will share more information about how I do therapy.

    Together, we will decide if I am a good fit for your needs, and if so, I'll get you scheduled for an intake session. If not, no worries! I can help provide some referrals for other therapists that might be a better fit for your needs.