Reproductive and Family-Building (Trauma-Informed) Therapy

Trying to build a family can be deeply meaningful and deeply hard.

 

For many people, infertility, pregnancy, the postpartum period, adoption and experiences of traumatic loss come with layers of emotion that are difficult to name and even harder to carry alone.

 

You might be holding grief alongside hope. You might feel changed by medical experiences, losses, or long periods of waiting. Some losses are visible, while others are not always recognized by those around you. These experiences can affect how you feel about yourself, your relationships, and your sense of safety in the world.

 

At Making Space Psychotherapy, we offer trauma-informed therapy for individuals and couples navigating reproductive and family-building experiences, including experiences of traumatic loss. This work is about slowing things down, making room for what has been lived, and finding steadiness during times that can feel uncertain or isolating.

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Infertility, Reproductive Trauma, and Loss

 

Infertility can involve repeated cycles of hope and loss, invasive medical procedures, and grief that is often carried quietly. For some, this includes pregnancy loss or the loss of imagined futures and timelines.

Therapy offers space to gently process both visible and invisible losses, to reconnect with your body, and to find steadiness amid ongoing uncertainty.

 

Perinatal, Postpartum, and Traumatic Loss

 

Pregnancy and the postpartum period do not always unfold as expected. For some, this time includes pregnancy loss, birth trauma, medical complications, NICU stays, or sudden or frightening events that leave lasting emotional impact.

 

This process can also bring up your own stuff - experiences from childhood, traumatic events from your past, and possibly things you didn't even realize you were carrying until now. 

 

Trauma-informed perinatal =therapy supports you in integrating what has happened at a pace that feels safe. This work makes room for grief, fear, love, and confusion, without asking you to move on or minimize any part of your experience.

 

Support for Adoptive Parents

 

Adoption journeys can include profound meaning alongside grief and loss. It is a time where you can feel multiple ways at the same time (and you may feel like you have nobody to safely express this to). 

 

You may be dealing with long waiting periods, system-related stress, and experiences of loss prior to or during the adoption process can shape how this transition is held emotionally.

 

It's also not uncommon to experience depression after you become a parent. And this can feel very strange alongside the joy you feel as a new parent. There may also be things happening with extended family.

 

There is often also the pressure to be perfect, to feel only gratitude (and not all of the other stuff), to navigate an open adoption relationship flawlessly, and to step into parenthood like a superhero and not with the grace we would otherwise give to a biological parent. This pressure may be coming from others, or it may be coming from within you and your expectations for yourself.

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Therapy for adoptive parents offers space to honour these layers, support attachment readiness, and build resilience as you prepare for or adjust to parenting. 

 

Our Approach

 

Our work is grounded in trauma-informed and attachment-oriented care, with close attention to grief, nervous system responses, and pacing. We follow what feels most important for you, knowing that loss and healing are not linear.

 

Sessions may draw from Internal Family Systems, EMDR, Somatic, Narrative approaches and more. How we work with you is always guided by your needs and capacity.

 

Is This for You?

 

This support may be a good fit if you find yourself:

• carrying grief or loss related to infertility, pregnancy, postpartum experiences, adoption, or other traumatic losses
• feeling emotionally changed by what you have been through
• noticing fear, numbness, or overwhelm that lingers
• feeling disconnected from your body, emotions, or sense of trust
• wanting a space that allows grief and healing to exist side by side

• longing for somewhere you can safely express all of it: the good, the bad and the (seemingly) ugly

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You do not need to be certain how to describe your experience. If something in your journey feels unresolved or heavy then it deserves care.