Birth Trauma is real and healing is possible
Therapy for Birth Trauma in California
Birth didn’t go the way you hoped- and it still hurts.
You feel stuck in the story everyone else has moved on from
You may replay moments from your birth experience over and over- wondering if things could have gone differently, feeling frozen in fear, or filled with guilt for feeling anything but gratitude. Maybe you felt ignored or powerless, or left the hospital with physical wounds and emotional ones no one asked about. And now, while the world tells you to focus on your healthy baby, you’re quietly carrying a weight that no one seems to see.
This pain doesn’t mean you’re ungrateful. It means something happened that was too much- too fast, too scary, or too out of your control. Birth trauma can leave you feeling anxious, on edge, disconnected from your body, or like you’re not fully in your life. You deserve a safe space to process what happened, reclaim your story, and begin to feel whole again- not just for your baby, but for you.
Your story deserves space, care, and healing
You’re allowed to name what happened and how it changed you.
Just because others have moved on doesn’t mean you have to. Your experience matters, and your feelings are valid- even if they’re messy, complicated, or hard to explain. You’re allowed to grieve, process, and heal at your own pace.
You’re not alone if…
You feel feel numb, detached, or like you’re going through the motions.
You replay parts of your birth experience and can’t seem to let them go.
You feel anxious, on edge or flooded with emotions that don’t make sense.
You struggle to feel connected to your body, your baby, or yourself.
because healing should include you, too
Therapy for trauma can help you release guilt, fear, and shame so you can reconnect to yourself and baby.
Birth trauma often leaves behind more than physical pain. You might feel guilt for not having the experience you hoped for, fear that something could still go wrong, or shame for struggling when everyone else seems to have moved on. These emotions can feel confusing, especially when you’re told to “just be grateful.” But the truth is, loving your baby and hurting from your birth can coexist- and both deserve care.
Therapy offers you a safe, supportive space to process what happened and how it’s still affecting you-mentally, emotionally, and physically. Together, we’ll work to release the weight of those unspoken feelings, so you can reconnect with your body, your voice, and the parts of you that may have felt lost in the process. Healing is possible, and you don’t have to carry this alone.
You’re not being dramatic
You went through something traumatic and you deserve space to heal from it.
What we’ll work on
What you can expect…
01 Processing the birth experience in a safe, supported way
We’ll explore what happened- at your pace, so you can begin to make sense of the emotions, memories, and lingering impact.
02 Releasing guilt, fear, and shame
You’ll learn to challenge the internalized messages that say you should “just move on” and begin to replace them with compassion and truth.
03 reconnecting with your body and sense of self
Through grounding techniques and body based work (such as EMDR Therapy) we’ll have you feel safer in your body and more present in your life and relationships.
It’s time to honor what you’ve been through and start to heal
You can feel safe, grounded, and whole again.
Questions?
FAQs
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Birth trauma refers to any distressing or overwhelming experience related to pregnancy, childbirth, or the postpartum period. It can include physical complications, medical interventions, lack of informed consent, feeling ignored or powerless, or even subtle moments that left you feeling scared or out of control. Trauma is defined by how your nervous system experienced the event- not just by what happened on paper.
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Yes. A healthy baby doesn’t erase a traumatic experience. You can be grateful your baby is okay and still carry fear, grief, or anger about what happened to you. Both truths can exist at once and honoring your experience is a powerful part of healing.
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Absolutely. Birth trauma doesn’t have an expiration date. Many people suppress their experience and only begin to unpack it later- sometimes during another pregnancy or when parenting becomes emotionally triggering. It’s never too late to process what happened and find relief.
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If you’re experiencing flashbacks, anxiety, fear around medical care, disconnect from your baby or body, or a persistent sense of grief or guilt after birth- you’re not alone, and therapy can help. You don’t need a formal diagnosis to get support. If your birth experience still weighs on you, that’s enough.
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EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a powerful, evidence-based therapy that helps your brain and body reprocess traumatic experiences. For birth trauma, EMDR allows you to revisit what happened in a safe, supported way so the memory loses its emotional intensity. You don’t have to relive every detail; EMDR gently helps release what’s stuck so you can feel more at peace, more present, and more like yourself again.
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Yes. Many parents who’ve experienced birth trauma report feeling numb, disconnected, or emotionally distant from their baby and carry a lot of guilt because of it. Therapy can help you process those feelings and reconnect with your baby in a way that feels more present, grounded, and authentic.
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You can schedule a free consultation call or a therapy session here or you can email me at: hello@happymomstherapy.com with any questions.
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