What to Expect from this Trauma Focused Therapy

We'll start with where you are and what's been happening for you. You may be looking for support with learning to manage difficult emotions and uncertainty, reclaiming your inner strength, building confidence in your abilities to parent or fostering a healthy attachment between you and your baby. Goals may also include grieving the losses that come with difficult pregnancies and birth complications, adjusting to life at home with your baby, or reconnecting with yourself or your partner. In addition to your goals you will have a chance to process your birth experience and be supported with the strong and sometimes scary feelings that may be coming up. All of your feelings are valid.

We’ll talk about the physical, neurological and emotional effects of stress and trauma and how these may impact your daily routines and experience. Breathing, relaxation and mind/body awareness exercises will be introduced as grounding tools and we will talk about how thoughts and feelings work together to drive actions. Tools to challenge and modify beliefs and actions that may not serve you are also available. We are more than our thoughts.

Presence, self-compassion and acceptance are themes that will be woven into our sessions. Practice with these will lessen suffering even in the presence of difficult emotions and stressful circumstances. Mindfulness is awareness without criticism or judgement.

You already have innate skills, abilities and gifts to parent well. Tuning in to these skills and your unique gifts will allow you to experience precious moments of connection with your baby that will strengthen your bond. There is joy to be found.

The story of your pregnancy and your child’s birth experience is powerful. You'll have the opportunity to share it if and when you're ready.  Telling your story can be intense and emotional so we will plan for this thoughtfully.  This is your story to tell.

EMDR is the primary modality I utilize to process traumatic, stuck memories and charged issues.  EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) is a short-term exposure therapy that combines bilateral stimulation with guided visualization to process traumatic memories.