If you have had a difficult pregnancy, childbirth, or postpartum period, you might feel overwhelmed, isolated, or stuck in the aftermath of what’s known as perinatal trauma. Commonly referred to as birth trauma, these challenging experiences can leave a lasting emotional impact —but with the right support, healing is possible. Birth trauma therapy allows moms to process and work through traumatic events so that they can move forward and enjoy their postpartum journey.
As a therapist office specializing in birth trauma therapy, we have supported countless moms and dads who have felt the weight of trauma related to starting or growing a family. In this post, we’ll explore what birth trauma is, how it affects your mental health, and how therapy can help you reclaim a sense of peace and balance.
Our team of registered mental health professionals provide specialized support for parents. Trauma therapists help new moms and dads process and work through their painful pregnancy, birth and postpartum experiences so that they can move forward feeling lighter and less burdened. Birth trauma survivors may feel like their ability to enjoy their time with their baby has been stripped away from them. With our support, new moms share they are able to be present, enjoying the precious moments having a baby is supposed to bring rather than everything feeling heavy and hard.
What Is Perinatal Trauma?
Birth trauma is the emotional distress that arises from experiences during the perinatal period, which includes pre-conception, pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. Traumatic experiences during this time might include:
- A physically or emotionally distressing labor or delivery.
- Emergency medical interventions, such as an unplanned C-section.
- Feeling powerless, dismissed, or unsupported during childbirth.
- Complications during pregnancy, such as preterm labor or medical emergencies.
- Postpartum challenges, including difficulty breastfeeding or bonding with your baby.
It’s important to note that birth trauma isn’t about the event itself—it’s about how the experience felt to you. Even if others see it as “normal,” your feelings are valid. It is also very common for moms to feel as though they are fine and can struggle through without help, while their loved ones are noticing a big difference in how they have been acting. If your partner or loved one has concerns about your well-being after childbirth, it is always a good idea to book in with your health provider to complete a more thorough assessment. You may also want to book a therapy session with our team to help talk through any recent stressful events.
Signs You Might Be Struggling With Birth Trauma:
- Intrusive thoughts or flashbacks about the birth.
- Avoidance of anything that reminds you of the experience.
- Difficulty bonding with your baby or feelings of inadequacy as a parent.
- Persistent feelings of guilt, shame, or sadness.
- Anxiety, depression, or symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
If these feelings resonate with you, know that you’re not alone. Research shows that up to 1 in 3 individuals describe their birth experience as traumatic. That is a significant number of new moms and dads that are being unsupported through this huge life transition!
How Birth Trauma Therapy Can Help
Therapy for birth trauma provides a safe, compassionate space to process your experiences, validate your feelings, and work toward healing. Here are some key ways therapy can help:
1. Understanding and Validating Your Experience
Many people struggle to make sense of their trauma, especially when others minimize their feelings. Therapy helps you explore your experience in a way that feels safe and validating, giving you the space to express emotions you may have been holding in. Our therapists that specialize in birth trauma are also experienced nurses who have witnessed the medical system and how it can negatively contribute to developing trauma. We understand medical jargon and know what it can be like to try to explain your experiences to someone who doesn’t fully understand what it is like giving birth in a hospital setting. Our kind and compassionate nurse psychotherapists are here to support you through the other side of your birth and perinatal trauma.
2. Releasing Guilt and Shame
Feelings of guilt or self-blame are common after a traumatic birth, but they’re often rooted in unrealistic expectations or societal pressures. In therapy, you’ll learn to challenge these beliefs and replace them with self-compassion. Guilt and shame are often underneath the other ways we find to cope – such as anxiety surrounding your baby’s health and well-being, intrusive thoughts about your baby or yourself, or depression keeping you from being able to function the way you used to. When we release this guilt and shame, those coping mechanisms are relieved from working so hard to protect your inner system. This gives clients so much more space and openness to enjoy their postpartum experiences.
3. Managing Symptoms and Triggers
Birth trauma can leave you feeling on edge or easily triggered by reminders of your experience. Therapy can help you develop tools, such as mindfulness and grounding techniques, to manage these symptoms and regain a sense of calm. Using polyvagal theory, we help our clients become more aware of their bodies and minds, and how their nervous system responds to threat. We also are trained in brainspotting therapy, “a powerful, focused treatment method that works by identifying, processing and releasing core neurophysiological sources of emotional/body pain, trauma, dissociation and a variety of other challenging symptoms.” (Dr. David Grand, developer of brainspotting). Many therapists specialized in perinatal mental health are now becoming trained in brainspotting as they have come to realize how effectively it can treat birth trauma, providing rapid results for the moms and dads suffering.
4. Strengthening the Bond With Your Baby
For some parents, birth trauma creates a sense of disconnection or difficulty bonding with their baby. Therapy provides support to rebuild this connection and help you feel confident in your role as a parent. Many parents who have experienced perinatal or birth trauma share that they wished they would have been able to enjoy their baby more, but their trauma prevented them from being able to relax. Psychotherapy for birth trauma is very healing not only for the parents involved in therapy, but also the parent’s relationship together and to their infant and/or other children. When we feel unsafe in the world, our nervous system has a difficult time being at ease. This often results in the “on” switch of our sympathetic nervous system becoming stuck, causing families to feel dysregulated even when they are trying to relax and feel better. Processing traumatic lived experiences helps clients feel safer in the present. This is incredibly beneficial to babies and children, as emotional attunement is so important to child development. Trauma can impair a parent’s ability to stay present and attuned with their children. Healing trauma, including birth and perinatal trauma, supports clients to restore the connection to their children and partners too.
5. Empowering You to Heal
Healing from birth trauma doesn’t mean forgetting what happened—it means finding a way to integrate the experience and move forward with strength and resilience. Therapy is a space where you can explore this path at your own pace. Trauma therapy is not a one-size-fits-all. Our team of birth trauma therapists provide a holistic approach, supporting each client where they are in their healing journey.
Why Choose Virtual Birth Trauma Therapy in Ontario?
If you’re in Ontario and looking for birth trauma therapy, virtual sessions can be a convenient and effective way to access support. Here’s why online therapy might be right for you:
- Accessible: Whether you’re in Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, or a smaller community, you can access therapy without the stress of childcare or driving back and forth to appointments.
- Comfortable: Virtual therapy allows you to work through your trauma from the comfort of your own home.
- Flexible: Online sessions fit into your busy schedule, making it easier to prioritize your mental health. If you need trauma therapy during nap times, we are here to help coordinate.
- Specialized: Finding a trauma therapist that specializes in birth trauma treatment can be hard. Virtual sessions allows more access to high quality, compassionate support that understands where you are.
You Deserve Healing: Start Your Birth Trauma Therapy Today
If you’re struggling with the emotional impact of a traumatic birth, you don’t have to face it alone. Birth trauma therapy offers a safe and supportive space to process your experiences, manage your symptoms, and move forward with confidence.
At Attuned Therapy + Wellness, our team specializes in helping individuals heal from traumatic events, including perinatal and birth trauma. Through compassionate, evidence-based trauma therapy modalities, we help our clients feel better, sooner. Whether you’re looking for in-person sessions in Kincardine, Ontario or virtual therapy throughout Ontario that fits your busy life, we are here to support you.
Ready to take the next step? Contact us and complete the intake form and we will get back to you ASAP to book your first appointment. Let’s start your journey toward healing together—you deserve support, and you deserve to feel better.
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