Presenter: Clinical Psychologist Dr Lucy Frankham
Birth trauma is about more than just what happened during labour. According to the Integrated Theory of Birth Trauma (ITB), it’s shaped by a range of factors — not just medical interventions or emergencies, but how the birth was experienced. Feeling powerless, unsupported, or unheard can have a greater impact than the objective events of the birth itself.
Drawing on the Power Threat Meaning Framework, the ITB helps us understand the deeper psychological and contextual layers of birth trauma. It invites us to look beyond what’s visible and consider how power dynamics, life experiences, and the meanings made during and after birth all shape a mother’s trauma response.
This webinar explores how the ITB allows us to sensitively and efficiently treat birth trauma by identifying EMDR targets that facilitate healing compatible with the AIP model.
We’ll also consider how the transition to motherhood — including re-evaluation of attachment relationships and potential activation of past trauma — plays a crucial role.
By integrating the ITB with EMDR, therapists can better support mothers in healing not just from the birth event, but from the broader emotional and relational context — ultimately supporting healthier mother-infant relationships and reducing the risk of intergenerational trauma transmission.
Webinar Learning Objectives:
1. Understand and describe the ITB framework
2. Awareness of the perinatal and developmental context of birth trauma
3. Ability to apply the ITB when selecting memory targets for EMDR therapy
4. Awareness of the potential trajectories following the sequalae of birth trauma
This webinar will be recorded for those who cannot attend live.
