Birth Trauma Coaching for Individuals & Couples

in-person sessions   ·   virtual sessions   ·   day-long retreats

Day-long Breathwork and Medicine Retreats

Through this work, you can begin to awaken to a deeper sense of safety and calm, face trauma without fear, strengthen your inner resources, and move towards a richer and more authentic expression of your true self. This process includes 1:1 preparation and integration sessions.

Birth processing can offer relief from:

  • Memories, images, thoughts, tastes as smells may invade your everyday life. Anything that reminds you of the birth can trigger the feeling that you are suddenly there again.

  • You may experience feelings of disappointment, grief, unmet expectations, anger, sadness, or numbness. Thinking about the birth or things that remind you of the birth can cause flooding of negative emotions.

  • For many, unresolved experiences can leave you feeling shut down or even numb. You may experience a. sense of detachment from your body, your baby, others people, or things that once brought you connection and joy.

  • While postpartum depression and anxiety are common, for some the onset of symptoms comes from unresolved feelings about how the birth went or the meaning of what happened. Processing the birth can help relieve symptoms or can clarify whether anxiety or depression were in response to the birth and postpartum experience.

  • After a difficult birth, many feel like they ‘failed’ at something. It is common to experience vague negative feelings about how the birth unfolded. Our minds want to make sense of why it didn’t go as intended, and we often blame ourselves. Gently sharing these thoughts in a safe place can help relieve the emotional pressure.

  • Many have difficulty understanding or processing the birth experience. They struggle to articulate what happened or think about the birth. The memory can feel foggy or far away. By gently inviting the story during our sessions, a person can regain their sense of ownership of the story.

Testimonials

"This single session shifted something inside of me and allowed me to start to heal"

— Kate, new parent, Berkeley

"These sessions have been so helpful. I feel like I got from Bekah what I didn't get during my labor and birth."

— Lisa, client, Santa Rosa

"I cannot describe what a huge shift happened between me and my wife after our first session."

— Mike, new parent, San Francisco

Rebekah Wheeler

Traumatic Birth Specialist, Birth Processing Coach

ABOUT Rebekah

I have worked as a birth professional for almost 20 years as a Registered Nurse and a Certified Nurse-Midwife. I am also a certified Perinatal Mental Health Counselor and hold a certificate in Trauma Studies. I know that it is possible to heal from a traumatic birth.

Through years of supporting new parents and extensive trauma training, I developed a method of transforming difficult birth experiences and helping people find true healing. In just a few sessions together, you can begin to come through the trauma and re-enter your life feeling whole and confident again. 


accreditations

Registered Nurse (RN)

Certificate in Trauma Studies

Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM)

Master of Science in Public Health (MPH)

Perinatal Mental Health Counselor

How 1:1 Sessions Work

free connection call

We'll start by having a conversation about your experience and what you are looking to gain from our time together. I can further explain my model of support and what it would look like to work together. If this feels like a good fit to you, we’ll schedule our first 1:1 session. 

First session

We begin with your story. We will take the necessary time to drop deeply into your experience, moving as slowly as needed to help you feel safe, soothed, and held. We will track responses in your body, rather than focusing only on the details of the story. We will begin to retrace the key moments of what happened and, at your pace, see what themes emerge. 

further sessions

At each session, we’ll return to the main themes from the previous session, beginning to let new meanings and emotions emerge. Most clients do 4-6 sessions, and at that point feel ready to shift out of the work and into next steps in their lives. 

How Common is Birth Trauma?

30% of people report that their birth experience was traumatic

Trauma imprints on our memory and our body, getting in the way of everyday life. Unresolved trauma can make a lasting impact, leaving you feeling defeated or broken long afterwards

What is Trauma?

Emotional trauma can occur when you have an experience that overwhelms your ability to cope

A traumatic event has the following elements:

  • A feeling of overwhelm

  • Loss of control

  • Fear for your safety or the safety of someone you love

  • An inability to get out or leave the situation

True healing is possible

The good news is that when an adult experiences an acute trauma, such as birth trauma, processing the experience with an experienced professional can help relieve these symptoms and shift the way the story is held in your memory and body. Unlike traditional therapy, birth trauma processing is intended to be just a few sessions aimed at reprocessing the story and allowing your body to release the impacts of what happened.

Get in touch

Reach out with any inquiries, or to schedule a free connection call. Rebekah will get back to you within two business days.