How EMDR Helps Heal Birth Trauma and Reclaim Your Story

Hey, Shameless Mamas - Let’s Talk about Maternal Mental Health

For many women, birth is not just a medical event—it’s a profound physical, emotional, and psychological experience. And when something goes wrong—or even just feels wrong—birth can leave behind a wound that’s hard to name, let alone heal.

If you find yourself reliving parts of your delivery, avoiding conversations about your birth, or feeling disconnected from your baby, you might be experiencing birth trauma.

The good news? You don’t have to stay stuck in survival mode. EMDR therapy is a proven, trauma-informed approach that helps new mothers process what happened and start to feel safe again—in their bodies, their stories, and their relationships.

What Is Birth Trauma?

Birth trauma is an emotional response to a birthing experience that felt frightening, disempowering, or overwhelming. You don’t need to have had a dramatic emergency to experience trauma. In fact, some of the most painful birth experiences happen in silence—where everything looked “fine” on paper, but felt terrifying in your body.

You might need birth trauma therapy if:

• You replay your birth experience repeatedly or can’t talk about it without distress

• You feel shame or blame yourself for how things went

• You experience panic, nightmares, or flashbacks

• You feel emotionally numb or detached from your baby

• You avoid OB/GYN visits or fear future pregnancies

These are not signs of failure. They’re signs of unprocessed trauma—and they’re more common than you think.

How EMDR Works for Birth Trauma

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a therapy designed specifically to treat trauma. It helps your brain reprocess painful memories so they no longer feel dangerous or overwhelming.

Instead of talking in circles or intellectualizing your experience, EMDR targets the sensory, emotional, and physical imprint that trauma leaves behind.

Here’s how it helps:

1. Reprocess the Experience Without Reliving It

EMDR doesn’t require you to describe your trauma in detail. Instead, you revisit key elements in a controlled way while engaging in bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements or tapping). This allows the brain to “unstick” from the trauma and create a new, calmer narrative.

2. Reduce Emotional Reactivity

After EMDR sessions, most clients report less distress, fewer intrusive thoughts, and greater emotional regulation. The birth memory doesn’t disappear—but its emotional charge diminishes. You can remember without reliving.

3. Reconnect With Your Body and Baby

Birth trauma can cause emotional and physical disconnection. EMDR helps restore your internal sense of safety and reestablish your bond with your body—and with your child.

4. Break the Shame Cycle

EMDR helps you release self-blame and understand that your trauma response was valid. This is where healing begins—not by erasing your story, but by reclaiming it.

Why EMDR Is Especially Powerful for Postpartum Women

For high-achieving, perfectionistic women who are used to managing everything, trauma often hides beneath functioning. You’re working. You’re parenting. You’re pushing through. But inside, something feels off.

As a birth trauma therapist, I work with women who are doing everything “right”—but who can’t shake the sense that something broke inside them during birth.

EMDR doesn’t just treat symptoms. It restores wholeness.

Birth Trauma Counseling That Honors Your Experience

Whether your birth was a week ago or a decade ago, it's never too late to heal.

At Shameless Mama Wellness, I offer birth trauma counseling and EMDR intensives tailored specifically for new mothers and birthing people who are ready to move beyond coping and into thriving.

My work is grounded in the belief that you are not broken—you’re a survivor, and your pain deserves compassion, not silence.

If you’re looking for:

• A birth trauma therapist who understands postpartum distress

• Trauma-informed postpartum therapy in California

• EMDR-based birth trauma therapy from a licensed, experienced clinician

…you’re in the right place.

EMDR Intensives for Birth Trauma: A Deeper, More Focused Approach

Some moms don’t have the bandwidth for weekly therapy. That’s why I also offer EMDR intensives—customized, accelerated sessions designed to give you deep relief in a shorter time frame. These are especially helpful if you’re:

• A professional mom navigating maternity leave

• A high-functioning woman who needs structure and results

• Already in therapy but looking for trauma-specific support

You're Allowed to Heal

You deserve to feel peace when you think about your birth—not shame, dread, or heartbreak. And you don’t have to wait until you’re “really struggling” to get help.

If you're searching for a “postpartum therapist near me,” know that I provide virtual therapy throughout California—including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, and beyond.

Let’s begin your healing—on your terms, at your pace.

With Warmth and in Solidarity,
Marilyn

I provide a safe haven to discuss the thoughts you keep hidden.

As a Postpartum Therapist in California, I offer many services utilizing evidence-based treatments. Some services at Shameless Mama Wellness include treatment for postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety, birth trauma therapy, fertility counseling, therapy for miscarriage and loss, pregnancy therapy and treatment for NICU PTSD.

Online therapy available to new moms in California.