Holding Space: Integrating Trauma-Informed Care into Perinatal Support

Hosted by: Trauma Talk, LLC

Facilitated by:

Courtney Butts, LCSW-S, RYT-200, CD

Alexis Edwards, LCSW-S, CD

This session provides perinatal professionals with guidance, practical tools, and a trauma-informed framework to better support survivor clients throughout pregnancy and postpartum. Participants will explore how to create safer, more supportive care experiences for birthing persons impacted by current or past abuse through the principles of consent, connection, and coregulation.

We will examine the many forms of trauma that can affect perinatal mental health, including (but not limited to) intimate partner violence, sexual trauma, race-based trauma, and birth trauma. Participants will gain a foundational understanding of trauma, common trauma responses, and the ways trauma impacts the brain, body, relationships, and overall perinatal experience.

This training also explores how existing systems, policies, procedures, and cultural norms within perinatal care can unintentionally reinforce harm or retraumatization. Through a trauma-informed lens, participants will build skills to recognize these patterns and enhance their ability to provide compassionate, survivor-centered care rooted in safety, trust, collaboration, and empowerment.