Therapy for Birth Trauma
If you are a birth trauma survivor, know that you are not alone. Birth trauma can be a very isolating experience, but it doesn't have to be. Whole Mother Therapy holds a space for you to share your experiences and find healing. Our trauma-informed therapists are here to provide support and guidance as you work through your trauma.
Your Vision of the Birth Experience
We often have a vision and a set of expectations for the type of birth experience we wish to have. And we put a lot of time and effort into supporting this outcome. However, the birthing process inevitably unfolds in unexpected ways, and our desires may need to shift as we go through the birthing portal.
Birth trauma is “distress experienced by a mother during or after childbirth. While trauma can be physical, it is often emotional and psychological. Birth trauma is not just about what happened during labour and the birth. It can also refer to how you, as the mother, are left feeling afterwards.”
Birth trauma can come from feeling as if you are not in control of the birth experience, you are not given the opportunity to provide informed consent, or you are not being seen and heard. It can also be caused by undergoing an emergency cesarean section, having your baby taken to the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit), or suffering physical injury to your body during delivery. In short, birth trauma is defined not only by the physical birth experience but also by the emotional and psychological experience.
Finding a Safe Harbor for Your Complex Feelings
The reality is that giving birth traditionally in today’s medical industrial complex can feel traumatic in its own right, especially for BIPOC, LGBTQ, and nonbinary birthing people who historically and persistently endure medical bias. But birth trauma can happen anywhere—at a birthing center or at home with a midwife—if the place or professionals are unable to provide culturally appropriate care and understanding.
Unfortunately, the systems we live in expect birthing people/mothers to bounce back quickly while turning all their focus to the care of the baby. All too often the birthing person/mother is abandoned to their own suffering with no safe place available in which to share their experiences. At Whole Mother Therapy we provide a safe harbor where you are seen, heard, and validated, and where you can talk openly about your thoughts and feelings, as difficult and complex as they are.
Issues That BIPOC, LGBTQ, and Nonbinary Parents Deal With When Giving Birth
For BIPOC birth trauma survivors, racism is often a complicating factor. This can manifest in a number of ways, from being treated poorly by medical staff to feeling as if your voice is not being heard. Racism compounds the trauma experience, making it difficult to feel safe before, during, and after the experience. For LGBTQ and nonbinary parents, there can be an added layer of discomfort in feeling as if those taking care of you are not willing to honor the authenticity or uniqueness of your birth experience. This can make it difficult to feel fully supported and understood during this powerful transition.
One of the main challenges that BIPOC, LGBTQ, and nonbinary individuals face is that no matter where you turn, care is almost always the same: white-centric and heteronormative. White providers often have very little understanding of the BIPOC experience, and heteronormative attitudes in health care don’t allow for the full breadth of human love, connection, and identity. Not having your needs met in a hospital setting or while under the urgent care of doctors can further traumatize you.
At Whole Mother Therapy, we provide culturally competent care for all mothers and birthing people. We recognize that as a BIPOC, LGBTQ, or nonbinary mother or birthing person, your experiences will look and feel different because the systems we live in are not designed to hold and support your vitality and powerful motherhood. Our trauma-informed therapists are here to give voice to what wasn’t seen and heard during your birthing experience. Together, we’ll work to fully understand your trauma narrative and take the time necessary for you to process it and heal. We understand the unique challenges that BIPOC, LGBTQ, and nonbinary individuals face when dealing with birth trauma, and we are committed to providing therapeutic care that honors your values, identity, and personal history. Culturally competent care shouldn’t be so rare or inaccessible. Our Pasadena therapists are here to help!
Whole Mother Therapy’s Approach to Support for Birth Trauma in California
Birth is complicated. Becoming a mother is complicated. And for many people there is the added shock of not feeling connected to, happy about, or excited to be with their baby after giving birth, a challenging feeling that can be compounded by a traumatic birth experience.
Our Pasadena therapists have worked with a range of parents from different cultures, religious backgrounds, and communities. We are an LGBTQIA+- affirming practice that understands how people’s identities affect their journey through parenthood. And we empathize with BIPOC, LGBTQ, and nonbinary parents, who often face disparities in and barriers to quality health care when giving birth.
At Whole Mother Therapy, our therapists take an intersectional approach to therapy. We understand how cultural expectations and social systems impact people’s personal lives. Our team is committed to taking these different aspects into account as we help our clients navigate parenthood within the larger context of their lives and communities.
Our services are individualized and collaborative so you get the support you need in a safe, sacred space. We know you had different expectations for your birth experience, and as you learn to process and hold space for that loss, we are here to guide and support you.
Whole Mother Therapy’s Approach to Individual Therapy for New Parents
At our practice, we take an intersectional and decolonized approach to therapy. We believe that to best support our clients we must consider all aspects of their identity and the larger context of their experiences. Many parents don’t receive enough support from the cultural and societal systems they live within. We know that this has a great impact on their lives and on their ability to be the parent they want to be.
We believe that parenting and mothering is a revolutionary act. It’s an act of love and care not only for your child but for your community, too. It’s a courageous form of activism. Our Pasadena therapists are committed to supporting all parents on this journey.
We’ve been where you are, and we’re here to help.
Begin Therapy for Birth Trauma in California!
You were in a sacred space where you expected that you would be seen and taken care of. When your birth experience involved extra physical, emotional, and/or psychological challenges, you didn’t receive the full support you needed. We empathize with you in your suffering. Our trauma-informed Pasadena therapists will help you work through your feelings about the experience. Whole Mother Therapy in California understands how to help parents from marginalized communities feel safe, heard, and connected. If you are ready to seek out culturally competent, empathetic support, we’re here to help!
follow these simple steps to get started:
Take one step at a time as we help you recover and heal.
Additional Therapy Services Offered at Whole Mother Therapy
Being a new parent is not easy. It’s time that you get the necessary support for your mental well-being and relationships. Regardless of what brings you here, we can help. We have therapists who offer a wide range of mental health services at our Pasadena office. We provide individual therapy for new parents, marriage counseling and couples therapy for new parents, postpartum depression treatment, postpartum anxiety treatment, therapy for infertility, therapy for infant loss and pregnancy loss, therapy for parental overwhelm and life transitions, and virtual therapy.
We also offer an eight-week in-person Sacred Motherhood Circle to honor the transitions and transformations of motherhood. And we hold several support groups, including an online pregnancy support group and an online postpartum support group. Finally, you can read more about our services, values, and resources on our therapy blog.
As an inclusive practice with BIPOC and queer practitioners, we want you to know that this is a safe and affirming space. Our practice is LGBTQIA+-allied and welcomes diversity of race, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity. When you’re ready for support, we hold a healthy, inviting space for you to heal, grow, and develop with us.