Trauma experienced during the birth process is defined as "experiencing intense fear, helplessness and/or horror in reaction to a perceived or actual threat to her or her baby's life, serious injury to her or her baby, threat to her or her baby's physical integrity, or her baby's death during birth." 

Whether it was experienced due to a pelvic exam, an episiotomy, internal monitoring, vacuum extraction, c-section, premature delivery, long and complicated labor, unsupportive birth team, or negative birth outcome, if a family feels they have experienced birth trauma, they have.

This two-part class is for mothers, fathers, and other family members who have experienced a traumatic birth.  Through group learning dynamics, writing assignments, and art therapy students will learn to:

• develop coping tools
• identify and process feelings surrounding the birth
• identify potentially negative feelings about participants and/or care providers present at the birth
• begin to let go of negative birth-related emotions
• develop a plan to effectively deal with future moments of fear

Please plan to attend both classes: Monday, January 25 and February 1, 2010, 6:00-9:00pm.