Perinatal trauma is used to describe the emotional and psychological distress experienced by individuals during pregnancy, childbirth and/or the postpartum period. It can manifest through feelings of fear, sadness, depression, anxiety, panic attacks or even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It can arise through subtle yet intrusive thoughts to large scale debilitating shifts in all parts of one's life. It can effect everyone differently and every experience is valid. It's often a confusing and overwhelming experience, but it does not have to be isolating. If you’re reading this, you’ve likely had the unfortunate experience of one or more of these symptoms. You are not alone and there is effective resolution.

In this blog post, we discuss a rapid way to recover from perinatal trauma and why I believe Accelerated Resolution Therapy is one of the most effective ways to gain resolution and find relief. 

Recovering from perinatal trauma is crucial for the well-being of both the parent and the child. It begins with seeking professional help. A licensed mental health therapist who specializes in trauma can offer a safe space to process your emotions and provide appropriate therapeutic techniques. It was previously believed that cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) were the most effective tools for addressing these and related symptoms. Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) is an evidence based therapy designed to help individuals process negative emotions, physical sensations and memories. It is an effective tool to resolve issues stemming from significant stressors, trauma, grief to other unresolved problems and experiences. 

ART works directly to reprogram the way in which distressing memories and images are stored in the brain, so that they no longer trigger strong physical and emotional reactions. ART incorporates vagal nerve and body sensations for deeper integration, allowing long lasting results. This therapy has been bringing rapid results in a few sessions compared to traditional treatment methods.  Clients often complete and recover from problems in as little as one to five sessions, and the effects are long lasting. 

Let's explore some of the ways Accelerated Resolution Therapy provides recovery for perinatal trauma:

Traumatic Birth

A traumatic birth is not only life changing but its impact is truly unmeasurable…it can return over and over in the form of flashbacks, nightmares, intrusive thoughts or avoidance of reminders of your birth experience. It steals your birth story, your memories, and your ability to experience the full capacity of joy and happiness. Accelerated Resolution Therapy has been proven effective in resolving issues in as little as one to five sessions. The emotional triggers, reactions, and sensations connected with the memory of the traumatic birth can be erased and replaced. The facts of the memory remain and you own your story, but the pain and suffering associated with it do not have to linger. You do not have to continue reliving this pain. 

Bonding with your Baby

Your ability to successfully remove negative sensations, reactions and emotions through ART will only allow you more opportunity for bonding with your baby. You’ll be able to be more present in your own body and fully attuned to your child’s needs. A mother's close contact  with baby helps them regulate their body temperature, energy conservation, acid-base balance, adjustment of respiration, crying and nursing behavior (1). Your ability to resolve your own dysregulation and be in a parasympathetic nervous system state will also allow your baby to learn and grow in that way, too. Your baby learns from you: mind and body. Your experiences are completely valid and your struggles have been immense, and with ART you can finally put down the pain, pick up your baby, and walk into this next chapter. 

Postpartum Healing

Pregnancy and childbirth is a complex biological event that affects the entire body. Childbirth puts immense stress and change on a mother's body, which can disrupt the many biological components once it reaches over a certain threshold, effectively disrupting the entire nervous system and others. Rapid recovery is vital to allow the body opportunity to naturally heal and with Accelerated Resolution Therapy we can finally offer just that.

Bonding with your Partner

Chances are that the experience of perinatal trauma will also seep into your relationships, specifically with your partner. When we are in a dysregulated state, it is difficult to fully identify your needs, express your feelings and communicate in general. It can impact intimacy with your partner more than expected with evolving roles into parenthood. Accelerated Resolution Therapy utilizes visualization techniques to target images and sensations in the body, allowing recovery to go beyond desensitization to positization. Relationships benefit because emotional blocks are removed and symptoms such as guilt are resolved. This resolve allows one to return to a regulated state. thus allowing connection with your partner and family to occur. When this happens, their presence and ability to help is easier to receive and welcome. 

Childhood Memories

Becoming a mother is a humbling experience. It can also be very triggering in ways we do not expect. Unresolved childhood adverse experiences may creep into our unconscious now that we have this newfound identity and responsibility. This is where ART comes in, targeting those very specific memories, to resolve the deeply rooted beliefs that are hindering your full potential. It allows you to resolve your past, so you can be in your present for the future of you and your family. 

The examples of how ART can effectively integrate recovery into a mother’s pregnancy, birth and postpartum experience are endless.

Let's acknowledge the obvious:

The immense expectations placed on a mother is unreasonable and yet ongoing...

There are no unified responses nor direct supports upon discharging (sometimes) hours to days after giving birth, no complimentary doctor or midwife home visits, no complimentary baby supplies and no mandated paid maternity leave. The unspoken pain and suffering should not be normalized as part of being a mother.

As a mental health therapist, I cannot directly change the lack of support given to mothers, but I can give recovery in the form of therapy and resources, so I will share one more significantly important resource that is making a difference on a larger scale: Moms Mental Health Initiative. 

Moms Mental Health Initiative is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping moms navigate perinatal mood and anxiety disorders by sharing information, connecting them to resources and providing peer-driven support. Myself and many other skilled, compassionate and effective providers are a part of this very important resource. 

If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms of anxiety and/or depression during pregnancy or after childbirth, you are not alone. Visit Moms Mental Health Initiative by clicking here for more information on provider resources, peer support, groups, and other means of support.