Healing Through Shared Stories: The Power of Somatic Counseling in Fertility and Birth Experiences

Siblings noticing the little fingernails and eyelashes of their new baby

My Own Birth Stories Are My Compass

There is a reason my work keeps circling back to fertility, pregnancy, and birth.

As a mother of four, each with their own distinct birth narrative, I have come to recognize that my body retains the memories of these experiences. My journey through fertility and childbirth has illuminated the profound ways in which our bodies encompass and reflect our personal histories. I understand the complex emotions that accompany this journey—the anxious anticipation that often underlies feelings of excitement, as well as the weight of fear that can feel too burdensome or intricate to articulate. I appreciate the serene and beautiful moments that can arise unexpectedly, like to the gentle flutters of movement that signal new life.

My birth stories were tender and traumatic and have inspired me to ground my counselling practices in body wisdom somatic work. These stories remind me that healing does not come from pushing through or making sense of everything, but from moving slowly through the emotions. This is the lens I bring into my work: one that honours the intelligence of the body, the truth of lived experience, and the power of feeling safely held.

I have known the beauty of being deeply supported by midwives—being seen, listened to, and held with care during one of the most vulnerable times of life. I have also known the shock and trauma of emergency C-sections, where plans dissolve in an instant and your body and heart are asked to endure more than you ever imagined. The mixture of shadow and light in my own experiences as a mother have grounded me in understanding how layered and complex each experience can be.

Many women I work with share the common experience of feeling like they lost their birth or fertility story.

Fertility, pregnancy, and birth unfold within the body in profoundly personal ways, yet they are frequently surrounded by images of perfection and quiet pressure to appear grateful or glowing. Sometimes these journeys are tender and beautiful, and sometimes they are marked by medical trauma or loss of agency, becoming something that extends far beyond the individual living the transformation.

Our birth stories live in the body long after appointments end and babies are born or lost. They shape how we see ourselves, how safe we feel in our bodies, and how we relate to the world around us.

I meet women who are navigating fertility challenges and carrying grief, fear, or exhaustion that no one else can see. I meet women considering pregnancy who feel unsure whether their bodies can be trusted. I meet mothers who experienced traumatic or complicated births and were told to “focus on the healthy baby” while their own nervous systems were left in survival mode.

If this resonates, you are not alone.

Each fertility and birth story is unique. Some hold themes of immense joy alongside grief, fear, or anxiety.

Somatic work recognizes that fertility, pregnancy, birth, and early parenting are deeply embodied experiences.

They are not just thoughts or emotions, they are lived through the nervous system, the muscles, the breath, and the heart. When something overwhelming or traumatic happens, the body often holds onto it, even when the mind tries to move on. What I’ve learned, both personally and professionally, is that when experiences around fertility and birth are not processed, they don’t simply disappear. They live on in the body as tension, anxiety, disconnection, or a quiet sense of something unfinished. They can shape future pregnancies, parenting, relationships, and self-trust.

Somatic therapeutic counselling offers a compassionate, supportive space to slow down and attune to what your body may still be carrying. Together, we explore sensations, emotions, and patterns to honour the body’s wisdom while also supporting emotional and relational healing.

Counselling can be supportive if you are:

• Navigating fertility challenges or uncertainty

• Considering pregnancy and feeling fear or hesitation

• Healing from a traumatic or complicated birth

• Processing pre- or post-partum experiences

• Feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or unsupported

You are not meant to carry this alone.

As a mother, I know how deeply birth stories can live in us. As a counsellor, I believe healing happens when women feel safe enough to tell their stories fully, honestly, and at their own pace. There is something profoundly beautiful about being witnessed.

My hope is to offer a space where your story is welcome exactly as it is. A space where fear, grief, joy, confusion, and hope can all be welcome.

Your fertility and birth journey is uniquely yours. It deserves care, compassion, and support.

🤎For more information

🤎 Reach out for support https://handstoheart.janeapp.com/#staff_member/1