As a doula, OB/GYN, midwife, NICU nurse, or birth center provider, you walk with families through life-altering events—both joyful and devastating.

You hold space for traumatic deliveries, respond in medical emergencies, sit with grieving parents, and carry the emotional weight of outcomes that don’t always go as hoped.

Over time, this exposure can take a toll. Maybe it already has.

You might:

Replay traumatic deliveries long after your shift ends
Feel emotionally numb or unusually irritable
Dread going to work or feel intense anxiety before births
Struggle with sleep, concentration, or staying present with your own family
Carry guilt or question whether you “did enough”
Find yourself overwhelmed by others’ pain in a way that wasn’t true before

This is secondary trauma—and it’s real.

The Hidden Cost of Holding It All

Birth professionals are trained to stay calm in crisis, offer reassurance, and “be the rock.” But behind the steady voice and capable hands, many providers are quietly experiencing symptoms of trauma themselves.

Whether you’ve witnessed traumatic deliveries, supported a parent through stillbirth, or navigated emotionally charged NICU scenarios—your nervous system absorbs that stress.

This kind of exposure can lead to:

Compassion fatigue
Burnout
Secondary traumatic stress (STS)
Vicarious trauma
Even PTSD symptoms in some cases

It’s not a sign of weakness. It’s a human response to repeated exposure to high-intensity, emotionally devastating situations.

You Don’t Have to Push Through Alone

Just as your clients deserve healing, so do you.

At Regnier Restorative Counseling, I offer specialized EMDR therapy for birth professionals who are feeling the emotional aftershocks of attending to trauma day after day. Whether you’re silently carrying the burden of past births, feeling emotionally exhausted, or experiencing full-blown PTSD symptoms—this is a space for you to process, exhale, and heal.

What Is EMDR Therapy—and Why Is It So Effective for Birth Professionals?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based trauma therapy that helps the brain safely reprocess distressing memories so they no longer feel emotionally overwhelming or stuck.

It’s especially effective for:

Processing specific traumatic memories (a birth that went wrong, a death you witnessed)
Reducing anxiety or hypervigilance before work or specific patient scenarios
Addressing guilt or “what if” loops that haunt you
Helping your body and nervous system return to baseline after prolonged stress exposure
Preventing burnout by treating unresolved emotional overload

You won’t have to retell painful stories in detail or relive them over and over. EMDR allows us to target the memory or distressing emotion, reprocess it gently, and help your system let go of what it’s been holding onto for too long.

Who This Work Is For

I offer EMDR therapy for birth professionals across all roles, including:

Doulas and birth workers who hold emotional and spiritual space during labor
Labor and delivery nurses, often on the frontlines of emergencies
NICU nurses and neonatologists, managing life-or-death scenarios daily
OB/GYNs and midwives, supporting families across high-risk and traumatic cases
Birth center staff, who navigate both beautiful and heartbreaking deliveries

If you’ve ever felt emotionally flooded, over-responsible for a traumatic outcome, or haunted by what you’ve seen—this work is for you.

Why It Matters

You became a birth professional because you care deeply. You’re passionate about empowering families, supporting new life, and offering compassionate care.

But unprocessed trauma can interfere with that mission. It can chip away at your joy, your energy, and even your ability to connect with clients. Addressing it now not only supports your health—it helps you continue showing up fully, without sacrificing yourself in the process.

What Our Work Together Looks Like

At Regnier Restorative Counseling, I offer:

90-minute EMDR intensives in Reston, VA for deeper, focused trauma work
Virtual EMDR sessions across Virginia, Maryland, Washington DC, Indiana, and Michigan
A compassionate, confidential space where your role, emotional burden, and professional identity are deeply respected

We’ll work at your pace. You don’t have to justify what you feel or minimize what you’ve seen. You just get to be a human being with a nervous system that deserves care.

Because You Deserve Healing, Too

You’re used to being the one who holds the space.
But it’s okay to need a space held for you.

Whether you’re experiencing full-blown trauma symptoms or just know something doesn’t feel right anymore—EMDR therapy can help you reconnect with yourself, find emotional relief, and feel grounded again in the work you love.

Next Steps: Begin Healing from Birth Trauma

Schedule a free consultation to talk about what you’ve been through
Choose a therapy format that works best for your needs—virtual or in-person
Start processing your birth story in a safe, compassionate space
Feel more grounded, more present, and more like yourself again

You don’t have to carry this alone.

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

Are you a woman navigating the devastating aftermath of miscarriage, stillbirth, or a traumatic birth? Kate Regnier, LCSW and EMDR Therapist, specializes in helping women process perinatal loss, birth trauma, and postpartum PTSD. Through EMDR therapy, Kate supports you in easing the intensity of flashbacks, guilt, and anxiety—so you can begin to feel more grounded, safe, and connected again.

Kate offers EMDR therapy for women in Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C., Indiana, and Michigan, and works with those experiencing pregnancy loss grief, PTSD from labor, and postpartum trauma.

To learn more about working with Kate, visit the Meet Kate page or explore helpful insights on the blog.