Do you know a good counsellor for post-traumatic birth support?

[SuiGeneris]

If anybody has recommendations for a good London-based counsellor who deals with traumatic births/secondary tocophobia, please let me know.

I haven't been in this situation so can't recommend anyone, but didn't want your post to go unanswered. Hope this weblink helps....
www.birthtraumaassociation.org.uk/counsellors.htm

I was fortunate enough (if I can put it that way) to be referred to Teresa O'Connell at St Georges hospital on the NHS. I only got one session and she told me her usual work is counselling couples who have stillbirths/terminations due to serious conditions etc . She was amazing but effectively told me that my PTSD for birth wouldn't/couldn't be treated on the NHS, esp. as I have now got an elective cs for my second. She did however tell me to contact her if I wanted a recommendation of who to see privately if I wanted to deal with the PTSD. So, you might try to get hold of her to ask or even better get an initial referral before she recommends private treatment.

Should have said the no treatment on the NHS advice is due to budget constraints. The grieving couples get priority and rightly so.

I contacted the Birth Trauma Association, first by email and then via phone. I could have debriefed via the hospital but felt that the process as described was potentially too harsh on the midwife who attended me.

It was much more about me having to deal with what had happened during my two births (both emcs for quite different reasons, both with clinical justifications) and beating myself up about what I could have done differently the second time. I thought I could work this through with friends but of course people find it very difficult to just listen.

In the end, exchanges by email, a long phone conversation and writing down what had happened helped.

Good luck whatever you decide.

A referral to a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist through your GP is available in a lot (but by no means all) of areas. A lot of GP surgeries now have CBT therapists attached and PTSD due to childbirth and/or fear of childbirth are sadly relatively common problems which can usually be treated in around 12 sessions. EMDR is also a good treatment, but not so routinely offered on the NHS.

Thank you all, that is really useful. Don't live far from St Georges, so will try to speak to the lady mentioned by heretherrandeverywhere. Thank you also for the advice on possible approaches: it will make it easier to look for someone with an interest in the right areas. Have looked at the birth trauma association in the past, but no counsellors in our area unfortunately...