What is The Birth Counsel?

In a nutshell, The Birth Counsel is a counselling service with a focus on pregnancy, labour & birth and the maternity care system. Athena is a counsellor and therapist who works with all kinds of people and issues, and has particular insight and expertise around birth trauma.

Who is it for?

The Birth Counsel is for anyone who has been up close to birth, and needs to talk about it. This includes but is not limited to:

• Childbearing women and people

• Partners

• Support people

• Family members

• Midwives and doulas

Why do we do it?

At The Birth Counsel we acknowledge the emotional impacts of being pregnant and having a baby. Research tells us that about a third of women come through these experiences feeling traumatised. Many, many women report that they, and their partners, are never given an opportunity to talk about what happens at birth. We give people the opportunity to have those conversations and to receive counselling & support from an experienced therapist, who also happens to be a midwife.

We acknowledge the emotional and psychological impacts of working up close to birth. Research tells us that the maternity care system is a challenging environment for midwives and doulas. And whilst they are very good at caring for others, it is not always clear where midwives and doulas can turn for help and support to meet their own needs. We give midwives and doulas the opportunity to talk, receive support and debrief difficult experiences with someone who understands the reality of their professions.