EMDR for Birth Trauma | Trauma-Informed Therapy Ontario
EMDR for Birth Trauma: Your Guide to Healing and Recovery
By Mary Ajenifuja
Giving birth can change everything, your body, your relationships, and the way you see the world. But when the experience is filled with fear, pain, or loss of control, it can also change how you see yourself.
If you find that moments from your birth replay in your mind, your body reacts before you can think, or you feel detached from your baby or emotions — you may be carrying birth trauma. It’s more common than most people realize, and recognizing it is the first step to healing.
What Is Birth Trauma? How Common Is It?
Birth trauma refers to the emotional and psychological distress that can occur when birth feels frightening, unsafe, or overwhelming. It’s about how your mind and body experienced what happened and how it may shift your view of the world or yourself.
Many people are surprised to learn how ordinary or common situations can become deeply distressing:
A fertility journey that ended successfully but left behind exhaustion, fear, or medical trauma
A “fast and easy” birth that was praised by healthcare providers but felt like a total loss of control
A C-section that one parent experiences as traumatic, while another finds it empowering
Medical complications like for example gestational diabetes or preeclampsia that resolved physically but left lasting fear and hyper-vigilance
Feeling dismissed, unheard, or pressured by medical staff
Being separated from your baby, even briefly
Research shows that a number of parents may describe their birth as traumatic, and some may develop symptoms of perinatal or birth-related PTSD — such as intense distress, flashbacks, anxiety, or emotional numbing.
How Trauma Changes How You See Yourself and the World
After trauma, your brain and body stay alert for danger, even when you’re safe. You may start to view everyday experiences or yourself through a survival lens.
You might notice:
Feeling constantly “on edge” or jumpy
Difficulty trusting your body or instincts
Guilt or shame about how birth unfolded
Avoiding conversations about pregnancy or hospitals
A sense of being “outside” your own life
These reactions are your nervous system’s way of protecting you. But when these reactions no longer serve their intended purpose of preventing danger, they can cause harm. You can soften and heal these responses with the right tools and support.
How EMDR Therapy Helps Reprocess Trauma
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) helps the brain and body finish processing distressing memories that were never fully integrated.
When trauma happens, those memories can feel frozen, stuck in the same emotional state you were in at the time. EMDR helps your brain file them away properly, reducing the intensity of the images, sensations, and beliefs that keep you stuck.
During EMDR, your therapist guides you to briefly recall a memory while engaging in bilateral stimulation (like eye movements, tapping, or tones). This activates both hemispheres of the brain, allowing it to reprocess the memory and replace distress with calm and adaptive understanding.
You’ll still remember what happened but it won’t feel as painful or defining.
The 8 Phases of EMDR: What to Expect
History & Assessment: Explore your story and identify memories that still feel charged.
Preparation: Learn grounding and self-regulation tools before reprocessing.
Target Selection: Choose specific memories or sensations linked to distress.
Desensitization: Process the memory with bilateral stimulation.
Installation: Strengthen positive beliefs (“I did my best,” “I’m safe now”).
Body Scan: Notice how your body feels when recalling the memory — often lighter and calmer.
Closure: End each session grounded and stable.
Reevaluation: Review progress and identify remaining triggers to address.
Each step is designed to ensure safety, pacing, and integration. Avoiding reliving or forced exposure, just healing.
Group EMDR: Healing Together
For some, healing feels easier when done in connection with others who understand. Group EMDR combines elements of EMDR with mindfulness and nervous system regulation in a supportive, structured format.
In our Birth Processing Group, participants do not share personal stories in detail. Instead, the group works through shared themes using guided visualization and bilateral stimulation exercises. This approach helps regulate the nervous system collectively. It offers both relief and community without re-traumatization.
Our next session, “Making Peace with Your Birth Story,” takes place November 18.
**link here**
Finding a Certified EMDR Therapist in Ontario
When seeking EMDR for birth trauma, look for a therapist who is:
Certified through EMDR Canada or EMDRIA
Trained or specializes in perinatal mental health
Grounded in trauma-informed practice
At our practice, our therapists integrate EMDR with somatic and mindfulness-based tools to support deep healing. This helps you reconnect with your authentic self and rebuild trust in your body and story.
Healing Is Possible
You don’t have to relive your trauma to heal from it. EMDR can help you calm your body, process the past, and move forward with strength and self-compassion. You deserve to feel safe, empowered, and whole again.
If you’re ready to start your healing journey, **book consultation** or join our upcoming Making Peace with Your Birth Story group.
To read more about birth trauma and possible impacts on breastfeeding read here https://www.lllc.ca/moving-forward-after-traumatic-or-difficult-birth-experience
