Birth Trauma Therapy
Was your experience of childbirth not as you expected? Did you feel disempowered by medical staff and unable to advocate for yourself during this vulnerable time? Did you experience fear, helplessness, anger, anxiety or sadness during or after the birth of your baby?
It’s important to note that a mother’s perception of her experience giving birth determines if it was traumatic. Medical staff may not describe your experience as trauma, but you are the one who defines the experience. Research shows that twenty-five and thirty-five percent of mothers describe their birth experience as traumatic.
If you have experienced birth trauma, you may suffer from symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), such as intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, nightmares, and hypervigilance. You may also experience anxiety, depression, feelings of guilt or shame, and a loss of confidence in your ability to parent. Birth trauma can strain relationships and affect your overall well-being. It can result in your transition to motherhood not going as smoothly as you had hoped. You may also find it more difficult to bond with your new baby or find parenting challenging. A Birth Trauma Therapist can help you determine if you meet the criteria for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after childbirth. PTSD from labor is common and easily treatable
Therapy can be a vital step toward recovering from a traumatic birth experience. As a Postpartum Therapist and Birth Trauma Therapist, I practice an evidence-based therapy called EMDR that has been shown to be very effective in treating birth trauma. Birth trauma therapy can help you find healing, reclaim your mental health, and move forward towards a more positive and fulfilling postpartum experience. EMDR is particularly helpful in treating birth trauma. You can read more about that in my blog post.
Reach out to a Birth Trauma Therapist Today
I provide a safe haven to discuss the thoughts you keep hidden.
How Birth Trauma Therapy Can Help:
Validate and process your emotions: Birth Trauma Therapy can help you navigate the complex emotions that arise from birth trauma. It provides validation and support as you work through your feelings of fear, helplessness, guilt, anger, and sadness.
Strengthen your coping strategies: We will work together to develop effective coping strategies to manage anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and other symptoms you may be experiencing. Birth trauma therapy can empower you to regain a sense of control and build resilience.
Restore your self-confidence: Birth trauma can shake your confidence in your ability to parent and trust your body. A birth trauma therapist can help you to regain confidence as you navigate the challenges of motherhood.
Strengthen your relationships: An experience of birth trauma can strain relationships with partners, family members, and friends. Through birth trauma therapy, you can learn effective communication skills, rebuild trust, and foster healthy connections with those you love.
As a Postpartum Therapist in California, I offer many services utilizing evidence-based treatments. Some services at Shameless Mama Wellness include treatment for postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety, birth trauma therapy, fertility counseling, therapy for miscarriage and loss, pregnancy therapy and treatment for NICU PTSD.
Online therapy available to new moms in California.
You can read about my personal birth trauma in the following article.
“Mourning the birth you hoped and planned for, and being grateful for a healthy baby are two different things.”
— Emily Allison