EMDR Intensives for Birth Trauma

EMDR Intensives for Birth Trauma in Irvine, CA

If your birth experience left you with memories that won’t settle, your body reacting in ways that catch you off guard, or lingering beliefs like “my body failed me,” “I did something wrong,” or “I wasn’t enough,” an EMDR intensive can help.

You may notice flashbacks to specific moments, tension that won’t release, anxiety in medical settings, or certain sounds or sensations that bring you right back. These experiences can be accompanied by self-blame or a sense of failure, even when you know logically that it wasn’t your fault. Your nervous system remembers what happened, even when your mind tries to move on.

You can be deeply bonded to your baby and still carry physical tension, numbness, grief, or disconnection. These responses are not signs that something is wrong with you. They reflect how your body and nervous system processed an overwhelming experience. EMDR intensives support healing not only the memories of what happened, but also the beliefs about yourself that were shaped in those moments.

EMDR Intensives can also Support other Perinatal Experiences

While this page focuses on traumatic birth experiences, EMDR intensives may also be supportive for individuals who have experienced pregnancy loss, stillbirth, complicated pregnancies, or medical events during pregnancy that felt overwhelming or frightening.

The nervous system responses that follow loss or perinatal medical trauma can include grief, fear, intrusive memories, and body-based distress that do not always resolve with time alone. A consultation can help clarify whether this intensive format is an appropriate fit for your specific experience.

What Are EMDR Intensives for Birth Trauma?

EMDR intensives provide extended, structured sessions designed to support trauma processing with continuity and care. Rather than meeting weekly for 50-minute sessions, intensives involve longer appointments , typically 3 hours or more with preparation beforehand and intentional integration afterward.

This format allows the brain and nervous system uninterrupted time to process traumatic birth experiences, while remaining grounded in safety, pacing, and collaboration. For many postpartum parents, setting aside dedicated time for deeper work feels more realistic than committing to weekly therapy during an already demanding season of life.

Why Birth Trauma Often Responds Well to EMDR Intensives

Birth trauma is often linked to specific moments where the nervous system felt overwhelmed, powerless, or unsafe, such as emergency interventions, medical complications, loss of control, or unexpected outcomes. Even when the experience unfolded over time, there are often particular memories or sensations the body continues to return to.

Birth trauma is also deeply embodied. It may show up as physical tension, startle responses, hypervigilance, dissociation, or difficulty feeling present in your body. Longer EMDR sessions allow space to work with both the memory of what happened and how it is still being held physically.

With fewer interruptions, the nervous system can move through activation and toward resolution at a more natural pace.

What an EMDR Intensive is Like

EMDR intensives are collaborative and paced with careful attention to your nervous system. We move at a speed that feels contained and supportive, with flexibility to pause, regulate, or integrate as needed.

During the intensive, we attend to:

• Memories related to the birth experience

• Emotional responses as they arise

• Body sensations and nervous system activation

• Beliefs about yourself that may have formed in the moment, such as “I wasn’t enough” or “my body failed me”

• Stabilization and grounding throughout the process

Many clients notice meaningful shifts when their nervous system is given enough time and support to process in this way.

My Approach to Birth Trauma EMDR Intensives

I am an EMDR-certified therapist and a Perinatal Mental Health Certified clinician (PMH-C), with training in somatic-based approaches. I also bring lived understanding of navigating infertility and postpartum challenges into my clinical work, which informs how I support parents during this vulnerable and complex season.

I developed EMDR intensives for birth trauma after working with many parents who were seeking focused, trauma-informed care that could fit alongside the realities of postpartum life.

EMDR therapy supports the brain and nervous system in processing traumatic birth experiences so they no longer continue to surface through intrusive memories, body-based responses, or ongoing emotional distress.

Sessions are guided by attunement and respect for your pace, with careful attention to safety, preparation, and integration.

Is an EMDR Intensive Right for You?

EMDR intensives for birth trauma may be a good fit if you:

• Experience ongoing emotional or physical responses connected to your birth

• Have specific memories or moments that feel unresolved

• Feel emotionally stable enough for deeper trauma processing

• Are interested in focused, structured trauma-informed support

This format is not the right choice for everyone. Some people benefit more from the pacing and ongoing support of weekly therapy. A consultation helps determine which approach fits your needs and circumstances best.

What to Expect Next

If you are curious about whether an EMDR intensive for birth trauma may be a good fit, the next step is a consultation. This allows us to talk through your experience, what feels most present for you now, and whether this format makes sense at this stage of your healing.

There is preparation work before the intensive and intentional integration afterward, so you are supported throughout the process.

I offer EMDR intensives for birth trauma in my Irvine office and via telehealth throughout California. Because these sessions are longer, availability is limited.

Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to learn more about EMDR intensives for birth trauma