Author: Emma Symes

Image of a pregnant woman

Treating PTSD During Pregnancy?

Only a limited number of research studies have examined treatment outcomes for PTSD following traumatic birth in the postnatal period. There is even less research documenting outcomes for treatment of PTSD during during pregnancy. However, in private practice and maternity settings woman are frequently referred during pregnancy with symptoms of

Read More »

Styles of maternal Care

Joan Raphael-Leff (1993) Raphael-Leff is a well-known psychoanalyst with extensive experience working with pregnant women and mothers.  In her practice and her writings, she has observed a range of approaches to baby care routines.  She has described these different approaches along a spectrum of what she called “facilitator to regulator”

Read More »

Should PTSD be Treated During Pregnancy?

In perinatal clinical practice, especially in maternity settings, women are frequently referred during pregnancy for treatment of PTSD.  The symptoms of PTSD are often the result of a previous traumatic birth.  But this raises questions such as….. Is it safe to provide PTSD treatment during pregnancy?  What about the possible

Read More »

Working with Birth Trauma using Cognitive Processing Therapy

PTSD occurs when a person develops rigid, unhelpful beliefs about why a traumatic event occurred. When something frightening and distressing happens, people search for explanations for why.  We construct stories to create meaning.  We crave a sense of coherence and control.  Sometimes we also lay blame, on ourselves or others.

Read More »

The Transition to Motherhood – Psychological Factors Associated with Pregnancy, Labour and Birth. Article published in APS InPsych, Feb. 2017

The Transition to Motherhood – Psychological Factors Associated with Pregnancy, Labour and Birth By Dr Emma Symes, MAPS, CCLIN. The Centre for Women’s Mental Health, The Royal Women’s Hospital The ‘ordinary miracle’ of pregnancy and birth is a time of enormous physiological, social and psychological change for women. How a

Read More »
Birth trauma

Traumatic Birth and PTSD

Assessment Considerations Birth trauma is increasingly gaining attention.  Women are beginning to speak more honestly and openly about their experiences in childbirth, and in the case of traumatic birth, to share their stories of pain, anxiety and also recovery.  However, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is still too often overlooked as

Read More »
Image of a preterm baby

Mental Health Support for Parents Following Preterm Birth

The experience of having a very preterm baby admitted to NICU is enormously challenging for families. An infant admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is critically unwell and may face a serious, long term health complications such as brain injury or lung disease. Parents can find themselves catapulted into

Read More »