EMDR For Perinatal Trauma
What is Perinatal Trauma?
Perinatal trauma is any traumatic experience that occurs from the beginning of pregnancy through the first year postpartum.
Causes of Perinatal Trauma Include:
Infertility and medical struggles
Miscarriage
TFMR
Stillbirth
NICU stay
Pregnancy or Postpartum Complications
Unfortunately, many suffer from the effects of perinatal trauma and do not receive the support they need in order to process their experiences.
Common Signs of Perinatal Trauma Include:
Sleep disturbance (and possible nightmares)
Difficulty concentrating
Feeling disconnected from self or others
A lack of feeling safe
Negative beliefs about self, others, or the world
Recurrent thoughts or memories about the experience
Feeling “stuck” in the experience
Unexplained physical symptoms, like pain or tension
Anxiety, sadness, or irritability
What is EMDR?
EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, Therapy is an evidence-based trauma therapy that can be utilized for the treatment of Perinatal Trauma. EMDR works by targeting unprocessed traumatic memories. Unlike a typical memory, our system experiences these memories as if they are still happening. The goal of EMDR therapy is to reprocess these memories in order to neutralize disturbance, create groundedness in the present moment, and instill a sense of comfort in the future.
How Does EMDR Treat Perinatal Trauma?
When utilizing EMDR to treat perinatal trauma, a history is first collected by a therapist to learn more about your current symptoms, past experiences, and other important information about you. Then, you will work with your therapist to build upon tools you can use to manage distress. Together, you will identify specific traumatic memories that feel connected to your current symptoms. These are the memories that will be targeted for reprocessing. During reprocessing, your therapist will walk you through a protocol for a specific memory and utilize bilateral (or dual awareness) stimulation to allow for your system to desensitize and reprocess the target memory. The next step is to install a positive belief related to the memory, and then complete a body scan where there is no tension or tightness related to the memory.
EMDR is a powerful treatment approach for healing from perinatal trauma. It can help decrease triggers related to the traumatic experience(s), allow for reconnection with self and others, and improve a sense of safety or calm related to future pregnancies, births, or related experiences.
If you are interested in learning more about EMDR for perinatal trauma or would like to get started, reach out today for a free 15 minute phone consultation.
