Miscarriage, pregnancy loss, and perinatal loss of any kind can be painful experiences for body and mind. Sometimes there are simply no words to express your grief. Miscarriage and perinatal loss are unique (and often unacknowledged) grief experiences that can be tough to talk about. And therapy for miscarriage and perinatal loss may be exactly what you need.
You may not expect the swell of emotion that comes with the loss, or you may be overwhelmed by the unexpected devastation of what your loss means. Loved ones and supports may say the wrong thing, or simply not know what to say. You might feel like you don’t have anyone to talk to or anywhere to put your pain.
When you reach out for support from a grief counselor, you are taking a big step. Your loss is real and deserves care and attention.
Miscarriage Loss: A Unique (and Surprisingly Common) Grief Experience
When I experienced my first pregnancy loss, it was devastating. I was caught off guard with how hard it was to talk about. Not only was it painful to share my experience with others, but I got the sense that it wasn’t something you were supposed to talk about about. That was the first time I realized the unspoken and unacknowledged pain of miscarriage and perinatal loss.
Something else I realized, however, was that I was not alone in the loss I experienced. The number of friends and family members that pulled me aside to share their sympathy and tell of their own pregnancy loss experiences took me by surprise. Why didn’t I know? Why hadn’t they shared this before? Those questions got me thinking about whether I should be sharing my loss so openly.
I felt like I had suddenly been initiated into a secret club where no one wants to be a member. And the first rule of the club: don’t talk about the club.
You Don’t Have to Suffer in Silence
1 in 4 pregnancies ends in miscarriage. That is a lot of loss. With such a common experience, you would think it would be more socially acceptable to talk about. The experience of suffering in silence also applies to those who have had an abortion. If it’s not OK to talk about miscarriage, the shame surrounding abortion in the US makes even less acceptable to talk about the grief of abortion.
The societal impact this has on the grief experience is profound. Keeping your pain inside can result in mental health symptoms and significantly impact your ability to heal. That is why finding a safe place to process everything you are dealing with can be so incredibly helpful.
Getting Support
If you live in Pennsylvania, and you are interested in starting therapy for miscarriage and perinatal loss, I offer a free 15-minute consultation to make sure I am a good fit for what you are looking for. Please feel free to browse the website, explore the therapy services I offer, and check out the rates for therapy.
When you are ready, click below to see available appointment times and book your free consultation to get started.
Mental Health Symptoms of Miscarriage and Perinatal Loss
Beyond the physical symptoms of miscarriage and perinatal loss, there are mental health symptoms that impact body and mind.
Here are the mental health symptoms of miscarriage and perinatal loss:
- Mood swings and emotion dysregulation
- Relationship conflict
- Depressed mood
- Anxiety
- Panic attacks
- Posttraumatic stress
- Hypervigilance and anxiety during future pregnancies
- Persistent feelings of pessimism, guilt, worthlessness, bitterness, or anger
- Obsessive thoughts about what went wrong
Benefits of Therapy for Miscarriage and Perinatal Loss
Getting therapy for miscarriage and perinatal loss is not always an easy decision. It can be scary to think about processing your pain. But when you take into consideration all of the potential benefits, it can make the decision to get support a little easier.
Here are a few of the benefits of therapy for miscarriage and perinatal loss:
- Space to Process Your Grief
- Validation and Acknowledgment of Your Loss
- Caring Support from a Certified Grief Informed Professional
- Tools to Memorialize and Honor Your Loss
- Increased Emotion Regulation Skills
- Reduced Stress and Anxiety
- Decrease in Mood Swings
- Healing in Body and Mind
- Improved Relationships
- (Re)Instillation of Hope
Therapy Services for Miscarriage and Perinatal Loss
The right kind of support can help you process your grief. Finding a therapist who has both professional and personal experience with miscarriage and perinatal loss can be especially beneficial. At the Center for Creative Counseling, I offer a number of services that can help you with your experiences of loss.
Individual Therapy and Grief Counseling
As a certified grief informed professional, I not only understand that each person’s experience with grief is unique but I also understand that your history, mental health, and social supports inform your healing journey. During individual therapy and grief counseling sessions, I will guide you along that journey at a pace that works for you.
Art Therapy
My experience as an art therapist has taught me that for some things, words just aren’t enough. The use of art therapy interventions and art as therapy activities can aid the grieving process in ways that talk therapy alone cannot. What’s more, when we mourn, rituals, memorials, and tributes can be incredibly effective in helping us process and manage our grief. Art therapy offers the ideal platform from which to explore these healing activities.
Couples Counseling
When you experience pregnancy loss, you don’t always experience it alone. Your partner may be dealing with their own grief as well. This can sometimes result in unprecedented conflict in your relationship, or intensify existing conflict. It can be really difficult to know how to support one another when you both of you are hurting. Couples counseling for miscarriage and pregnancy loss can help improve communication, reduce conflict, and assist in developing new ways to heal together.
Interested in Therapy for Miscarriage and Perinatal Loss?
Here at the Center for Creative Counseling, I provide specialized therapy for individuals who have experienced miscarriage and perinatal loss. As a Certified Grief Informed Professional (CGP), I have a solid understanding of the unique ways miscarriage loss can impact both mental and physical wellness. I also have lived experience with miscarriage loss and secondary infertility.
Services include individual therapy, art therapy, couples counseling, and grief counseling. I have helped clients navigate and heal from their grief experiences and would be honored to support you along your own grief journey.
Therapy for Miscarriage and Perinatal Loss in Pennsylvania
If you live in Pennsylvania, and you are interested in starting therapy with me, I offer a free 15-minute consultation to make sure I am a good fit for what you are looking for. Please feel free to browse the website, explore the therapy services I offer, and check out the rates for therapy.
When you are ready, click below to see available appointment times and book your free consultation to get started. ?
A Note from Owner and Therapist Hayley Wilds
My journey toward motherhood was not an easy one. And I know what it’s like to feel like your dreams and expectations for your family’s future were stolen from you.
While navigating the feelings surrounding my own miscarriage experiences, I leaned on the support of my therapist to help me along my grief journey. I learned invaluable lessons and useful tools to support my healing. And I would honored to share them with you.
References
- Leis-Newman, E. (2012, June). Miscarriage and loss. American Psychological Association. Retrieved July 17, 2022, from https://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/06/miscarriage
- Nynas, J., Narang, P., Kolikonda, M. K., & Lippmann, S. (2015). Depression and Anxiety Following Early Pregnancy Loss. The Primary Care Companion For CNS Disorders. https://doi.org/10.4088/pcc.14r01721
- UPMC. (2022). Mental Health Concerns Related to Pregnancy Loss | UPMC in Central Pa. UPMC | Life Changing Medicine. Retrieved July 17, 2022, from https://www.upmc.com/services/south-central-pa/women/services/behavioral-health/conditions/pregnancy-loss
