Trauma in the Womb
How Prenatal Experience Impacts Adult Clients
NOW CLOSED
Friday 21 October 2022
A live webinar with Dr Cherionna Menzam-Sills
CE Credits: 3 hours
- Includes a subtitled recording of the event and a transcript with access for a year (14 days post event)
- Bookings close at 4.00am EDT Tuesday 18 October
The field of pre- and perinatal psychology highlights memories of influential, often traumatic events before and around the time of birth. These early experiences can profoundly affect relational and behavioural tendencies. This seminar focuses on experiences of loss in the pre and perinatal period, the most common being early twin loss.
READ MORE...We will also explore the “haunted womb” – one that has felt the impact of miscarriages, abortions, or stillbirths.
Maternal loss and stress can affect the flow of love and connection that the baby in utero requires to thrive. It is suggested that babies developing within this traumatized space may live their lives in the shadow of a mysterious sense of longing and dissatisfaction. How might we shine the light on such shadows and access the original potential that they occlude?
This online seminar offers an overview of common early loss and its effect for the baby in utero, including how such experiences might be sensed and remembered. We will also be offered the opportunity for some experiential exploration of this material, both in ourselves as therapists and clinically with our clients.
FULL PROGRAMME
09.00 EDT
Introductions
09:05
Introduction to pre- and perinatal memory and sentience within the maternal field
Cherionna will begin by guiding participants through a meditation to enhance a sense of mindful presence, resource, and social engagement to support self-regulation in meeting the material presented. This will be followed by a presentation introducing findings in the field of pre- and perinatal psychology on very early memory and sentience. We will consider the important influence of the mother’s psychological state, including effects of extreme or ongoing stress, ancestral/epigenetic influences, and available support. When challenges are too much, the baby’s needs, even in utero, for love and connection can be relatively unmet, leaving them longing for what they have missed.
10.15
Break
10:30
Overview of the trauma of twin loss, haunted womb, and umbilical affect
Pre- and perinatal loss often relates to losing a twin in the womb or at birth. It will be suggested that unacknowledged loss generates unconscious shadow material, driving the surviving twin to mourn and seek their lost twin. Similarly, that losing a sibling prior to one’s conception can create confusing, lifelong tendencies toward depression, sadness, fear and anxiety, and a sense of never being good enough. A child conceived after miscarriage, stillbirth or abortion develops in a “haunted womb,” characterized by a sense of fear, terror, death, grief, and disappointment. Babies also take on maternal emotions communicated umbilically as “umbilical affect.” How can we recognize and help resolve these issues?
11.15
Q&A
11.30
Break
11:45
Experiential
Following another guided meditation, including the element of holding our “inner little one”, Cherionna will guide participants in enquiry into their own early loss and its potential effects through journaling. Exploring this material may stimulate an infantile nervous system state. Unable to self-regulate, babies settle through co-regulation. They cannot differentiate between their own and others’ emotions or between past and present. The enquiry includes practicing essential clinical skills in addressing this material: self-regulation, differentiation, mindful receptive presence, and orienting to resource and to one’s current age in present time.
12.45
Q&A
13.00
End
FEES (USD)
Bookings close at 4:00am EDT Wednesday 15 June
Live Webinar:
$96 (Member $48)
(Click here to become a member)
Includes a recording of the event
CE
This event is accredited by:
- NBCC
Certificates of attendance for 3 hours will be provided.
To receive the full CE credits, you are required to attend 100% of the live event. No partial credit will be given.
This event is NOT accredited by the following organisations:
- ASWB
- NYSED (Psychology)
- NYSED (Psychoanalysis)
- NYSED (Social Workers)
Please note that if you are unable to attend all of the live event, you will need to undertake our event specific test in order to receive the CE certification. This will be made available soon after the live event has taken place.
Please contact events@conferonline.org for any further questions.
Confer has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7136. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Confer is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
VENUE
This is a live online webinar using Zoom software. Zoom is free to download and use.
For more information about Zoom click here.
To download Zoom free of charge click here.
For special accommodations for individuals with disabilities see our FAQs.
SCHEDULE
Friday
09.00 EDT Introductions
09:05 Introduction to pre- and perinatal memory and sentience within the maternal field
10.15 Break
10:30 Overview of the trauma of twin loss, haunted womb, and umbilical affect
11.15 Q&A
11.30 Break
11:45 Experiential
12.45 Q&A
13.00 End
CONTENT LEVEL
- Intermediate
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Articulate a basic theory of pre and perinatal somatic memory.
- Recognize how early twin loss may affect personality and relational tendencies.
- Define the concept of “haunted womb”.
- Identify the two key skills of differentiation and self-regulation.
TARGET
AUDIENCE
- Psychologists
- Counselors
- Social Workers
- Psychotherapists
- Addiction Professionals
- Marriage and Family Therapists
- Psychiatrists
- Other related mental health professions.
BOOKING CONDITIONS
Regrettably, refunds cannot be given in any circumstances except as follows:
- You cancel in writing to info@conferonline.org 60 days before the first date of the event you have booked, in which case you will be entitled to a 100% refund.
- You cancel in writing to info@conferonline.org 30 days before the first date of the event you have booked, in which case you will be entitled to a 50% refund.
This does not apply to parts of an event such as a seminar within a series but only to a whole event or complete series. You may give your place to another person if you let us know that person's name at least 24 hours before the event begins.
We reserve the right to change a speaker at one of our conferences without offering a refund. However, if a solo presenter cancels we will offer a full refund OR transfer of your fee to another Confer event. If the entire event is canceled we will offer you a full refund.
We reserve the right to change our prices at any time. Regrettably, discounts offered after you made your booking cannot be claimed or applied retrospectively.