Birth Trauma Therapy in Westchester, New York
Compassionate, evidence-based trauma therapy to help you heal and feel safe again
Begin Birth Trauma Therapy in Westchester, NY
If your birth experience left you feeling unsafe, overwhelmed, or deeply shaken, you are not alone. Many people carry emotional and physical reactions long after labor and delivery are over. Birth trauma therapy offers a way to understand what happened, make sense of your reactions, and begin healing in a supportive and grounded space.
I, Joanna N. Rosenblatt provide birth trauma therapy in Westchester, New York for adults who are struggling after a traumatic pregnancy, labor, or delivery. If your experience felt frightening, out of control, or left you questioning your body, your safety, or your sense of self, therapy can help you move forward with greater stability and trust.
What Is Birth Trauma?
Birth trauma refers to the psychological and emotional distress that can result from a difficult or frightening birth experience. It is not defined by whether a birth was medically complicated or whether others believe it should have been traumatic. Birth trauma is about how the experience felt to you.
For many people, birth trauma occurs when something goes wrong or feels deeply unsafe. This may include emergency C sections, unexpected medical interventions, insufficient pain management, loss of control, or feeling dismissed or unheard by medical providers. Others experience trauma related to fear for their baby’s life, lack of communication during labor, or sudden changes that left them feeling powerless.
Birth trauma can also follow experiences involving the NICU, pregnancy loss, stillbirth, or the death of an infant. Even when a baby survives, the sense of danger during birth can leave lasting emotional effects. In these moments, both parent and baby were, or felt like they were, at risk.
Many of the clients I work with struggle because their pain feels unrecognized or minimized. There is a strong cultural narrative that pregnancy and birth should be joyful and natural. When your experience does not match that story, it can leave you feeling isolated, ashamed, or unsure whether your feelings are valid. They are.
Get Started with Therapy
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation today and explore whether Trauma Therapy is right for you.
Common Birth Trauma Reactions
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Panic Attacks
Panic attacks after birth trauma are intense physical and emotional reactions driven by the nervous system. Birth trauma therapy helps calm these responses and restore a sense of safety in your body.
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Nightmares
Nightmares and flashbacks related to birth trauma can make it feel as though the experience is happening all over again. These symptoms are the nervous system replaying unresolved fear, not a sign of weakness or failure to cope.
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Depression
A quiet heaviness that settles after childbirth, marked by numbness, sadness, and emotional disconnection, often tied to a traumatic birth experience.
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Hypervigilant
A persistent state of heightened alert after a traumatic birth, where the body stays tense and on guard, constantly scanning for danger even when nothing is wrong.
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Severe Mood Swings
Emotional shifts that swing suddenly after a traumatic birth, where overwhelming sadness, anger, or numbness can surface without warning, leaving the nervous system feeling unstable and hard to regulate.
How Birth and Labor Trauma Can Affect You
Even when labor and delivery are technically over, the effects of birth trauma can continue. Trauma often shows up in both emotional and physical ways, sometimes without clear warning.
You may experience flashbacks or intrusive memories that feel as if the birth is happening again. Nightmares are common, as are panic attacks or sudden waves of fear. Some people feel disconnected from their bodies, while others feel constantly on edge and hypervigilant.
Birth trauma can also lead to depression, irritability, mood swings, or difficulty sleeping. You may notice avoidance of reminders related to birth, hospitals, or medical care. Being touched, engaging in intimacy, or having sex may feel triggering or uncomfortable.
Many parents struggle with bonding after a traumatic birth. You may feel disconnected from your baby or overwhelmed by fear about their safety. These reactions can be incredibly painful, especially when you believe you should feel grateful or happy instead.
These responses are not signs of weakness. They are normal reactions to an overwhelming experience.
How Birth Trauma Therapy Helps
Birth trauma therapy focuses on helping you process what happened in a way that feels safe and manageable. Trauma does not simply live in memory. It is held in the nervous system and the body. Even when the event is over, your system may continue reacting as if danger is still present.
In therapy, I work with you to create a supportive environment where you can explore your experience at your own pace. There is no pressure to talk about anything before you are ready. The goal is not to relive your trauma, but to help your nervous system recognize that the threat has passed.
Birth trauma counseling can help reduce symptoms such as anxiety, panic, intrusive memories, emotional numbness, and ongoing fear. It can also support you in reconnecting with your body, your sense of safety, and your ability to feel present in your life again.
My Approach to Birth Trauma Therapy
My approach to birth trauma therapy is centered on helping you feel safe, grounded, and supported. I work collaboratively with you and move at a pace that respects your nervous system and your lived experience. There is no pressure to talk before you are ready, and no expectation that healing should look a certain way.
Together, we focus on understanding how trauma has affected your body and emotional responses. Birth trauma often leaves the nervous system stuck in a state of threat, even long after the birth itself. I help you learn practical skills to regulate your body when you feel overwhelmed or triggered. This includes grounding techniques that bring you back into the present moment and mindfulness practices that support awareness and self compassion.
I also support you in learning how to sit with difficult emotions without being overtaken by them. This may involve gently working through feelings of grief, guilt, anger, or shame that often accompany traumatic birth experiences. These emotions are approached with care and without judgment.
Over time, this work can help you rebuild trust in your body, reduce fear based reactions, and develop a stronger sense of emotional stability. The goal is not to erase your experience, but to help it feel more integrated and less controlling in your day to day life.
Long Term Impact of Birth Trauma
When birth trauma goes unaddressed, it can quietly affect many areas of life. Some parents do not immediately realize how much they are struggling. You may feel unlike yourself but have difficulty explaining why.
Birth trauma can interfere with breastfeeding, disrupt bonding, and create strain in relationships. It often increases the risk of postpartum depression and anxiety. Research suggests that individuals who report traumatic birth experiences are significantly more likely to develop postpartum mood disorders. Some studies estimate that a percentage of mothers go on to develop post traumatic stress symptoms following birth trauma.
Despite these risks, many people are told that as long as the baby is healthy, the birth does not matter. This message can deepen feelings of shame and silence, making it harder to reach out for support.
Your experience matters. The way birth affected you matters. Healing is possible, and you do not need to go through it alone.
Working with me as your Birth Trauma therapist in Westchester, NY
In my work providing birth trauma therapy in Westchester, New York, I focus on helping you feel safe, grounded, and supported. Therapy is collaborative and paced according to your needs.
We work on understanding how trauma has affected your nervous system and your emotional responses. You will learn practical skills to help regulate your body when you feel overwhelmed or triggered. This includes grounding techniques that help bring you back into the present moment and mindfulness practices that support awareness and self compassion.
I also help clients learn how to navigate difficult emotions without becoming overtaken by them. This can include working through feelings of grief, guilt, anger, or shame that often accompany traumatic birth experiences.
Over time, therapy can help you rebuild trust in your body, reduce fear responses, and develop a stronger sense of emotional stability.
Book a Free Consultation
Taking the first step toward healing after a traumatic birth can feel overwhelming, especially if your experience left you feeling unsafe, unheard, or disconnected from your body. You do not have to navigate this alone. As a provider of birth trauma therapy based in Pleasantville, New York, I invite you to schedule a consultation so we can talk about what you have been carrying and what kind of support may feel most helpful for you.
This initial conversation is a chance to ask questions, share your concerns, and learn more about my approach to birth trauma therapy. We can explore whether working together feels like the right fit and what next steps might look like. Reaching out can be the beginning of relief, emotional steadiness, and a renewed sense of trust in yourself and your ability to heal.
EMDR and Birth Trauma Therapy
When appropriate, I incorporate Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, known as EMDR, into birth trauma therapy. EMDR is a trauma focused approach that helps the brain process distressing memories in a way that reduces their emotional intensity.
EMDR does not require you to relive your birth experience in detail. Instead, it allows traumatic memories to be integrated so they no longer feel immediate or overwhelming. Many clients report fewer flashbacks, less anxiety, and a greater sense of emotional relief after EMDR work.
This approach can be especially effective for birth trauma, labor trauma, and medical trauma. It can help your system recognize that the event is over and that you are safe now.
Healing Takes Time
Healing from birth trauma is a process. There is no timeline you need to meet and no right way to feel. Some days may feel easier. Others may bring up unexpected emotions.
Therapy supports you in moving at a pace that feels right. Practicing self compassion and allowing space for grief and loss are important parts of recovery. Over time, many people find that they feel more present, more connected, and more confident in their ability to cope.
I offer birth trauma therapy in Westchester County, New York for adults who are struggling after a traumatic birth experience. I work with clients from Pleasantville, Chappaqua, Bedford, Mt. Kisco, and surrounding areas.
If you are ready to explore birth trauma therapy, I invite you to schedule a consultation and learn more about how we can work together toward healing.