When Survivors Give Birth

"When Survivors Give Birth" courses will prepare anyone working with childbearing women to gain knowledge and skills working with women who express emotional concerns about childbearing.

About "When Survivors Give Birth"

This important client care workshop focuses on understanding and healing the effects of childhood sexual abuse on childbearing women. Join maternity care, mental health and allied providers to focus on the issues of the least understood of pregnant clients.

  • Advance your understanding of an all too common issue for childbearing women and families.

  • Expand your care practices for women at risk of poor physical and psychosocial childbirth outcomes.

  • Improve your response to women who express emotional concerns about childbearing.

Anyone working with childbearing women will gain knowledge and skills in this one-of-a-kind workshop, which is the culmination of decades of collaboration between Penny Simkin, PT, CCE, CD(DONA), and Phyllis Klaus, MFT, LMSW. Together they also wrote the 2004 book of the same name, When Survivors Give Birth.

There are three different formats to choose from:

  • When Survivors Give Birth - An Introduction (Day 1 Only). This workshop is is approved for 7.5 contact hours from DONA International, 6.5 CEUs from the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Washington State chapter, and 7.5 Bastyr University contact hours.
  • When Survivors Give Birth - Intro and Advanced Counseling (2 Days). This workshop is is approved for 15.5 contact hours from DONA International, 13 CEUs from the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Washington State chapter, and 14.5 Bastyr University contact hours.
  • When Survivors Give Birth Educators Workshop is approved for 24 Bastyr University contact hours. Approval is needed in order to attend this workshop.Your application will demonstrate your understanding and successful application of the education and/or counseling process. Includes written records of your work with several women using the WSGB techniques. More information about the workshop and approval process is available here: http://whensurvivorsgivebirth.net/118-2/​

Provider number is #1975-361.

Workshop Description

  • Definition of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and other child abuse
  • Common manifestations of any type of child abuse on the childbearing woman
  • Unique manifestations of sexual abuse specifically on the childbearing woman
  • Neurological and behavioral sequelae of child abuse
  • Impact of childhood sexual abuse on conscious memory
  • Impact of childhood sexual abuse on the adult woman
  • Impact of CSA on pregnancy
  • Impact of CSA on labor and birth
  • Relationship between the woman and her caregiver
  • Modification of common childbirth preparation techniques for CSA survivors
  • Impact of CSA on postpartum recovery, breastfeeding, and postpartum mood disorders
  • Self-help techniques to reduce distressing symptoms
  • Counseling strategies to prepare nulliparas with fear about the upcoming birth
  • Counseling after a traumatic birth
  • Counseling the pregnant woman with a previous traumatic birth

 

Required Texts

When Survivors Give Birth: Understanding and Healing the Effects of Early Sexual Abuse on the Childbearing Woman by Penny Simkin, PT, CCE, CD(DONA), and Phyllis Klaus, MFT, LMSW

The only book of its kind, When Survivors Give Birth, provides survivors and their maternity caregivers with extensive information on the prevalence and short- and long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse, emphasizing its possible impact on childbearing women. Challenges in the client-caregiver relationship are thoroughly portrayed, with much practical advice for improving trust and communication as well as self-help techniques to handle abuse-related distress. Chapters on birth counseling, psychotherapy, and clinical care of survivors make this book a useful resource for survivors and all who work with them (450 pages).

Instructors

Workshop leader Penny Simkin PT  is a renowned author and speaker.  Penny has devoted much of her 40-year career to exploring the impact of early trauma on pregnant women in our maternity care system and developing strategies to avoid retraumatization during birth and facilitate the process of healing.  

If you have any questions, call us at 425.602.3361

Upcoming Sessions

No workshops currently scheduled. Please contact simkincenter@bastyr.edu to be notified when new workshops are planned.

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