Adjunct EMDR Therapy for Perinatal Grief and Loss

Adjunct EMDR Therapy for Women Navigating Birth Trauma and Perinatal Loss

After a miscarriage, stillbirth, or traumatic birth, it can feel like the world has stopped—but everyone else keeps moving. You're left trying to survive the aftermath: flashbacks, intense guilt, sleepless nights, panic, and moments of complete emotional shutdown. It can be hard to function, hard to explain, and hard to find support that truly understands both the grief and the trauma.

Even if you already have a supportive therapist or are in a grief group, you might still feel stuck—like you can’t escape the pain of what happened.

That’s where adjunct EMDR therapy can help.

What Is Adjunct EMDR Therapy?

Adjunct EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy is a focused, short-term treatment designed to help process trauma more deeply and efficiently. It doesn’t replace your ongoing therapy—it complements it. Many women come to me while still working with their talk therapist or coach. I focus specifically on helping them reprocess the traumatic moments surrounding their pregnancy loss, traumatic labor, or postpartum experience—so the memories stop feeling like they’re happening all over again.

Why EMDR for Perinatal Loss and Birth Trauma?

After a traumatic or unexpected end to pregnancy or birth, your brain and body often stay stuck in survival mode. You may know you're “safe” now, but your nervous system doesn’t feel that way. This is why you may still be experiencing:

Flashbacks of the delivery room or hospital

Panic when triggered by sounds, places, or dates

Emotional numbness or shutdown

Feelings of guilt or blame you can’t turn off

Trouble sleeping, concentrating, or functioning

A sense that talking isn’t helping anymore

These are symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder after giving birth, and they deserve real care—not dismissal or rushed healing.

EMDR Can Help When Talking Isn’t Enough

Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR allows your brain to process traumatic memories through bilateral stimulation (like eye movements, back and forth beeping/tones, or tapping). You don’t have to relive every detail out loud—but you’ll finally have a space to work through the pain in a way that’s gentle, effective, and designed for trauma.

EMDR therapy is especially helpful for:

-Miscarriage grief support

-Stillbirth and fetal loss counseling

-Newborn birth trauma

-PTSD from labor or postpartum experiences

-Pregnancy loss grief

A Collaborative Approach to Healing

Many women I work with are already in therapy when they come to me. Their therapist may refer them, or they may seek EMDR on their own as a way to move through the most traumatic parts of their loss. I work in collaboration with your existing support system (with your permission) so that everything you’re doing to heal is aligned and integrated.

What to Expect in EMDR for Birth and Pregnancy Trauma

Whether we meet virtually or in person, here’s what our work together will look like:

Step 1: Understanding What Happened

We gently explore what happened and how it continues to impact your life.

Step 2: Creating Safety

You’ll learn grounding skills to manage flashbacks, panic, or overwhelm outside of sessions.

Step 3: EMDR Reprocessing

Using bilateral stimulation, we’ll begin to process painful memories so they feel less sharp, overwhelming, or present.

Step 4: Moving Forward With Compassion

You’ll begin to feel more settled in your body, more clear in your mind, and more connected to what matters—without losing your connection to your baby or experience.

Ready to Begin Therapy for Perinatal Grief and Loss?

If you’ve experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, traumatic birth, or postpartum trauma, and you’re feeling stuck in grief, panic, or numbness, you are not alone. And you don’t have to keep reliving the worst moments of your life.

Adjunct EMDR therapy can help you find relief and reclaim your sense of safety—without having to let go of your love, your story, or your grief.

I offer virtual EMDR therapy in Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C., Indiana, and Michigan, as well as in-person intensive sessions in Reston, VA.

Schedule a consultation to take the first step toward healing.

Let’s get started:

1. Contact Kate to schedule an appointment.

2. Begin meeting an a regular basis with EMDR Therapist Kate Regnier.

3. Begin reprocessing trauma to feel grounded again.

Other Services Offered with Kate Regnier, LCSW and EMDR Trauma Therapist

Are you a woman struggling after a miscarriage, stillbirth, or traumatic birth experience? Kate Regnier, LCSW and EMDR Therapist, helps women process the trauma of perinatal loss and birth trauma so they can begin to feel calmer, less overwhelmed, and more at peace in their bodies and minds. Kate offers EMDR therapy for women in Virginia, Maryland, D.C., Indiana, and Michigan coping with distressing flashbacks, guilt, and postpartum PTSD.

To learn more about Kate’s approach, visit the Meet Kate page or explore the blog. Healing starts here.