health & mental health support throughout the u.s.

TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE for women & birthing people in ALL STAGES of early parenthood

Connecting women & birthing people who are trying to conceive, going through infertility, pregnant, and postpartum to providers who embody the 6 principles of trauma-informed care:

  • Safety

  • Trustworthiness & transparency

  • Peer support systems

  • Collaboration & mutuality

  • Empowerment, voice, & choice

  • Cultural & gender responsiveness

You deserve compassionate care.

Find a trauma-informed provider to support you through your fertility journey, pregnancy & new parenthood.

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The Trauma-Informed Maternal Health Network was created to fill a gap in the maternal health space.

Simply put, too many women are being traumatized and retraumatized by their healthcare providers.

Every.

Single.

Day.

What does this look like?

  • Mary just experienced a miscarriage and is asked multiple times at her next doctors appointment, “how are mom and baby doing?”

    It’s clear that Mary’s providers didn’t read the note in her chart.

  • A doctor enters the exam room and says to their patient Joy, “you’re okay with a student observer, right?”

    Joy is already undressed from the waist down and her feet are in stirrups. As a trauma survivor, she feels scared, vulnerable, and exposed. Even though she isn’t comfortable with an observer, she says yes and dissociates during the exam.

  • Tonya has been in active labor for over 24 hours. She is pressured into receiving an epidural.

    Her providers use scare tactics and do not thoroughly explain the benefits and risks of the intervention.

Find a trauma-informed provider

Trauma UN-informed care is a huge problem.

  • Too many women are being harmed by their providers.

  • They’re rushed during appointments.

  • Their concerns are minimized.

  • They feel like it’s “us against them” rather than being in partnership with their providers.

  • They feel like a number rather than a human.

So let’s change that.

It IS possible to feel safe. There are providers out there who will…

  • Ask for consent EVERY time they touch you.

  • View themselves as part of a team— not the only “expert” in the room.

  • Gently ask about your trauma history, including potential triggers and what they can do to help you feel safer.

  • Treat you with kindness and compassion, not judgement or shame.

THIS IS CALLED TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE

THIS IS CALLED TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE

Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) identifies 6 principles of a trauma-informed approach:

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SAFETY

Trauma-informed providers can create safety for their patients by asking, “what does safety mean to you?” Safety is awareness of physical, emotional, social, psychological, & interpersonal factors.

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COLLABORATION & MUTUALITY

Trauma-informed providers work to break down power differentials in the room, and look to patient for valuable information about what works best for them.

What is Trauma-Informed Care?

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TRUSTWORTHINESS & TRANSPARENCY

A culture of connection can be established with trustworthiness (i.e. valuing and listening to patient’s voices) and transparency about the process.

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PEER SUPPORT/ SUPPORT SYSTEMS

Establishing deep connections that are authentic and allow for vulnerability &
providers have knowledge of community resources.

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EMPOWERMENT, CONSENT, & CHOICE

Trauma-informed providers believe in the possibility of recovery from trauma. Trauma survivors are resilient, and choice and control are essential. Providers are aware patients are the experts of their own lives.

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CULTURAL & GENDER RESPONSIVENESS

Trauma-informed providers are aware of and challenge against discriminatory attitudes in healthcare. They are constantly working through their own biases and responsive to a patients ‘whole picture’.

Safety ~ Empowerment ~ Communication

Trauma-Informed Maternal Health Directory

We created this one-of-a-kind online directory to connect you to a perinatal provider who is:

  • Licensed, pre-licensed, or certified professional in their field of health or mental health.

  • Trained in trauma-informed care (TIC) and answers this question on their profile, “what is your approach to Trauma-Informed Care?” to help you find safe provider(s) who speak to you.

Spans across multiple types of:

  • Professions (i.e. therapists, psychiatrists, doulas, midwives, OB-GYNs);

  • Phases (i.e. infertility, pregnancy, labor & delivery, postpartum)

  • Services (i.e. therapy, medication management, support groups, prenatal care, education, bodywork)

  • Embodies the values of safety, diversity, and inclusion.

Psychotherapists

Doulas

Midwives

Psychiatrists

OB-GYN

Infertility

Pregnancy

Postpartum

Trauma

Psychotherapists Doulas Midwives Psychiatrists OB-GYN Infertility Pregnancy Postpartum Trauma

Join the Trauma-Informed Network

you’re a great fit if:

  • You are a licensed health or mental health practitioner (or provisionally licensed under supervision)

  • You have knowledge, advanced training or certification(s) in trauma-informed care

  • You specialize in maternal health or perinatal mental health

  • You live in the United States

Liz GRay, LCSW, RPT & Olivia verhulst, lmhc, pmh-c

Meet the co-founders of Maternal Trauma Support.

Welcome! We are Liz and Olivia, clinical psychotherapists with a deep passion for increasing accessibility of trauma-informed care to the maternal health population.


What People Are Saying:

  • Amazing Directory!

    ★★★★★

    This [directory] is amazing. Thank you so much for sharing. I really struggled finding a therapist to help me through my miscarriage this last year and this list truly makes things so much easier!

    - Sarah

  • Compassionate & Supportive Community

    ★★★★★

    I am incredibly grateful to be part of such a compassionate, supportive, and welcoming community. I've had the privilege of connecting with talented professionals who are deeply passionate about providing trauma-informed care to the maternal population.

    Liz and Olivia consistently offer valuable resources, opportunities, and events that foster networking, learning, and personal growth. Thank you!

    Lauren Rapp, LSW, Perinatal & Maternal Psychotherapist

  • Wonderful Resource

    ★★★★★

    The Trauma-Informed Maternal Health Directory is a great source for connecting clients to providers who are both trauma-informed and trained in perinatal mental health. It's also a wonderful resource for clinicians looking for learning opportunities and unique ways to reach clients, such as by writing blog posts.

    We all know that private practice can be isolating, but the Trauma-Informed Maternal Health Network gives you a community and support network for you as a clinician, on top of all of the benefits of a specialized directory.

    - Emily Guarnotta, PsyD, PMH-C

  • A breath of fresh air

    ★★★★★

    It has been such a pleasure to be part of the Trauma Informed Maternal Health Directory. Working with Liz and Olivia has been a breath of fresh air. They are not only formulating a much needed community, but also providing a safe and fun space for providers to connect!

    - Francesca Emma, LMHC

  • Phenomenal resource!

    ★★★★★

    The Trauma-Informed Maternal Health Directory is a phenomenal resource for clinicians and clients, alike. I have deeply enjoyed the Sunday Series and learning from such enlightened, educated, clinicians.

    Their social media account (Instagram) posts such helpful content that is worthy of sharing with other clinicians and even clients. Both co-founders are truly inspirational humans! I deeply enjoy being a part of this directory and look forward to what the founders will bring to us next.

    - Amy DeBlase, LMHC, LPC, PMH-C

  • Truly Excited About This Network!

    ★★★★★

    I am truly excited for the work of the Trauma-Informed Maternal Health Network. I work with many military clients who move often, so the Trauma-Informed Maternal Health Directory is a great resource to refer clients to continue care after they move out of state. I have peace of mind when I refer clients using this network because I know that all providers have been screened and are trauma-informed. I also had the pleasure of presenting at the Sunday Series. This series is an amazing opportunity to help spread information amongst providers to increase knowledge and patient care.

    - Madalyn Caldwell, PhD, LPC, PMH-C

  • Incredibly Rewarding, Humbling, & Inspiring

    ★★★★★

    Being a speaker for the Trauma-Informed Maternal Health Network "Sunday Series" was an incredibly rewarding experience. Sharing insights on perinatal grief and loss with a dedicated audience of mental health therapists and others was both humbling & inspiring.

    The platform provided a space to address a deeply important and often under-discussed topic, fostering meaningful conversations about how to better support birthing people and families navigating perinatal loss. The engagement and thoughtful questions from attendees reflected their genuine commitment to enhancing their practice, and the concern they have for moms. I am grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with such a passionate and knowledgeable organization.  Liz and Olivia are a pleasure to work with and they make the process of presenting very easy and accessible. 

    - Nicole Wallace, LCMHC, NCC, PMH-C

Say yes to trauma-informed care.

Begin your journey toward healing today and access the care you deserve.

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