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BOOK AN APPOINTMENT FREE GUIDE: The Hidden Impacts of Birth Trauma Birth Debriefing Counselling Fees & Rebates Blog

 Birth Debriefing

When you talked about your birth experience in the past, you glossed over the details. Or maybe you shared some of your story, but you felt like nobody truly understood how you felt or how much it impacted you. How much it’s still impacting you.

You don’t want to be someone who had a difficult or traumatic birth experience, because deep down it feels like a failure.

So, you keep pushing through each day. You focus on the fact that you have a healthy baby and that you are both okay. And you are genuinely so grateful for this. But it’s not enough. 

It’s so hard to make sense of what happened. There were parts that were so overwhelming and now there is so much emotion left behind. Guilt, disappointment, grief, sadness, fear, anger, rage, resentment.

Those feelings are all sitting there, just beneath the surface some days.

And you worry about how they impact your relationships, your parenting and your sense of self.

The thought of having another baby feels so scary. Because you really don’t want to go through that again. You’re not sure you can go through that again.

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Why access a birth debrief?

Birth can be a deeply overwhelming experience.

Even if your birth was considered to be straightforward or 'textbook', you might have experienced significant emotional distress.

Each person will have a unique reason for accessing debriefing, and many include:

  • The negative impact of having multiple care providers 
  • Instrumental births
  • Medical interventions including induction of labour
  • Long difficult labour
  • Emergency caesarean section
  • Inadequate pain relief
  • Emergency scenarios including fear for yourself, your baby or your partner
  • Complications such as postpartum hemorrhage or infection
  • Physical injuries sustained in birth including tears or pelvic floor damage
  • Feeling alone and unsupported
  • Feeling pressured to make decisions
  • Loss of control over your birth experience 
  • Interactions with health professionals that felt dismissive or invalidating
  • Poor communication from health professionals
  • Separation from your baby post birth
  • Special care nursery or NICU admission
  • Retriggering of previous traumatic experiences

Birth trauma is not only about how you birthed.

It's about how you were treated and how safe you felt.

You want to move on, but you feel stuck.

Many parents who come for birth and perinatal debriefing are still feeling the impacts weeks, months and often years later.

If you have had a birth or other experience that was emotionally distressing or traumatic, then it might be still showing up for you in some of these ways:

  • Feeling disconnected from those around you 
  • Not bonding with your baby as you had hoped
  • Irritability or feeling on edge 
  • Flashbacks or intrusive thoughts
  • A sense of guilt or failure
  • Feelings of loss or grief 
  • Avoiding reminders of the birth 
  • Feeling resentment towards people who didn't support you
  • Relationship stress including physical intimacy or disconnection
  • Loss of parenting confidence
  • Fear and anxiety when you consider having another baby
  • Hypervigilance around your baby's well-being
  • Anger and rage
  • A loss of trust in yourself or your body
  • A lack of trust in the healthcare system
  • Feeling isolated and alone

Birth debriefing is not just talking about what happened.

It's also about understanding how it's still impacting you and finding ways to reduce that impact. Because you don't have to keep struggling without support.

Hi, I'm Bec.

And I'm here to create a space that finally allows you to be truly seen in motherhood. I'm here for the women who are feeling invisible and like nobody sees how much they carry. 

I have 10 years of experience working as a perinatal mental health nurse, providing counselling and evidence based treatment to women and families going through some of the hardest and most vulnerable times of their lives.

I'm also a mum who experienced traumatic birth, and the healing that can be offered through debriefing and counselling. This, combined with my professional experience, means I have a deep understanding of the things that mums go through.

My Approach

The work that I do with you is not about medicalising you or pathologising your experience.

It's about seeing you as an individual with so many strengths, acknowledging how much you are carrying and recognising what you've been through.

I bring with me a deep understanding of the systemic issues that contribute to birth trauma, perinatal mental illness and the shame that so many women carry.

After 10 years of working as a perinatal mental health professional, I approach this work with a deep respect and understanding of the complexity of your experience as a mother. It is an honour to walk beside you. 

What will the session be like?

We will go gently, at your pace. At the start of our session we'll talk about important things like confidentiality, your goals for our work together and how I can support you.

I'll also ask you some background information so I can get a sense of who you are. You do not have to provide any information that you don't feel comfortable sharing.

We will then unravel the parts of your story that feel important to you. And together we will help you to see them in a new light.

To develop a new understanding of your story and to help you let go of what feels unresolved. 

Because while nothing can change what happened, what you went through no longer holds the same power over you.

Healing starts with being heard. Book your debrief today.

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FEES

$220 for 90 mins

All sessions offered online via secure video call

Individuals or couples welcome

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Medicare Rebates 

Find out how to access Medicare Rebates here

CANCELLATION POLICY

Please note that 48 hours notice is required for cancellations. Cancellations and rescheduling within 48 hours of your appointment will incur a 50% fee - I thank you for your understanding with this.