TRAUMATIC BIRTH RECOVERY 3-STEP REWIND

What is Perinatal Trauma?

It’s been at least a couple of months since your baby arrived; you’re getting by with little sleep; maybe meeting up with other mums; and on the face of it you seem fine.

But your pregnancy, birth and/or postnatal time was traumatic for you. It was a time when you felt that you and/or your baby’s safety was threatened.

Maybe you get flashbacks, thoughts or dreams about your experience.

Maybe you feel anxious, panic, distressed or keep reliving that time in your head.

You try to avoid conversations about pregnancy, birth or the weeks after your baby arrived, you can’t remember much about that time, or you might feel numb and detached from it.

Thinking about your experience makes you feel down, about what happened, about yourself, about the future. You may be holding onto blame, or have lost interest in things you previously enjoyed.

Perhaps you are more jumpy, irritable, hypervigilant, angry or unable to sleep (but not because your baby is keeping you awake)

Or maybe you are now pregnant again. Your previous experience was traumatic, but you threw yourself into being a mum and your symptoms seemed to be manageable or subside. Now though, you are feeling anxious and everything you felt before is starting to resurface.

These perinatal trauma symptoms are a natural psychological response to experiencing a challenging pregnancy, birth and/or postnatal time. You may only be experiencing some, and you might be telling yourself that your experience wasn’t that bad. We so often hear, “Your baby is here now so that’s all that matters.” But the way your experience made you feel and the way it is still impacting your life now, does matter.

What can I do about my perinatal trauma?

TBR 3-step rewind can free you from these trauma symptoms. It detaches the memory of your traumatic pregnancy, birth and/or postnatal time from the associated negative emotions and symptoms you are continuing to experience. The memory can then be released into your long-term memory. Your trauma symptoms are lifted and the perpetual fight or flight response your mind and body are stuck in is released; Freeing you to move forward with your life.

What is the process of TBR 3 Step Rewind?

The 3 steps to this process make it a very safe and gentle way to lift your trauma symptoms.

Step 1 (Session 1): 90 minutes

If you would like to, you can share your experience, while I listen without interruption, comment or judgement.

We score how distressing your experience is to remember.

We discuss how your experience is continuing to affect you and impact your life now.

Then we explore how you would like your future self to feel, think and respond with these symptoms lifted.

We close with a relaxation exercise, which you continue to practice between this session and step 2.

Step 2 (Session 2): One week later; 60 minutes

After recapping your distress measure from step 1, and how you’d like to feel with your trauma symptoms lifted, we work through the rewind technique.

This starts by taking you through the relaxation you’ve been practicing and once in your relaxed state, remembering your traumatic event in the following ways:

First, in a double dissociated state (watching yourself watching a film of your memory)

Second, in a single dissociated state (watching yourself in a film of your memory)

Third, in an associated state (being in the film of your memory)

Between each state you rewind your memory from the end back to the beginning

You’re then invited to ‘see a film of yourself’ in the future, with your symptoms lifted and experiencing all the feelings, thoughts and behaviours you previously said you would like to have and be.

Step 3 (Session 3): 10-14 days later; 30 minutes

We discuss what your measure of distress is now and what changes you have seen and felt in your life since step 2.

You can expect to feel lighter, more positive and happier about the future, with your trauma symptoms lifted. You will still remember your traumatic event and know how traumatic it was for you, but it will no longer have the strong negative symptoms attached to it. Should these symptoms still feel strong for you, we revisit the rewind technique.

How do I know if TBR 3 Step Rewind is suitable for me?

TBR 3-Step Rewind is suitable for you if more than 8 weeks has passed since the birth of your baby and you are continuing to experience trauma symptoms. It is also suitable if you have experienced trauma through IVF and/or baby loss.

It isn’t a suitable therapy if you have had any pre-existing mental health conditions such as psychosis, clinical depression or bipolar disorder. It isn’t an alternative to counselling.

How is TBR 3-Step Rewind delivered?

I offer this therapy both in person at my home studio or online via Zoom.

During Zoom sessions it is vital that you have no distractions around you otherwise we cannot effectively work through the process. This means you will need to arrange for childcare during your sessions.

I HAVE ALL THE REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND INSURANCE TO ENSURE YOU HAVE THE BEST POSSIBLE EXPERIENCE

• iTEC Level 3 Certificate in Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology for the Complementary Therapist - January 2021

• iTEC Level 3 Diploma in Holistic Massage - September 2021

• iTEC Level 2 Award in Infection Prevention (COVID-19) for Complementary Therapies - September 2021

• Practitioner’s Diploma in Pregnancy Massage/Abdominal and Full Body - February 2022

• London School of Massage, FHT, CTHA Accredited, Deep Tissue Massage - May 2022

• London School of Massage, FHT, CTHA Accredited, Trigger Point Therapy with Stretch Massage - July 2023

• Restore Scar Therapy, C-section Scar Massage Specialist - January 2024

• Fully insured with Holistic Insurance Services and a member of the Complementary Therapists Association

• London Borough of Bexley Special Treatment Licence ensuring my home studio meets all required regulations to practice massage