Trauma-Informed Healing for Maternal Wellness
Welcome to the Trauma-Informed Healing chapter of the SheReclaims Mini Academy! This nurturing space supports you through pregnancy and motherhood's emotional complexities.
Our mission—Heal, Balance, Thrive—offers daily grounding rituals to help process stressors and past traumas.
Why Trauma-Informed Healing Matters
Emotional Safety for Mothers
During pregnancy, old wounds or fears can unexpectedly re-emerge—especially from past losses, difficult births, or stressful upbringings. Trauma-informed healing creates a space where you feel heard and never judged, so you can openly express your feelings and nurture a sense of security within yourself and your environment.
Building Everyday Resilience
Simple grounding rituals, like mindful breathing or gentle self-touch, help to calm anxiety and anchor you in the present. Compassionate self-talk and regular self-care build your ability to recover from overwhelming moments, ensuring you have everyday tools to face both past and new challenges with confidence.
Cultivating Community Support
Healing thrives in connection. A trauma-informed community offers private, judgment-free spaces where you can share experiences, receive encouragement from mothers who understand, and access group resources such as online circles, guided journaling, or expert Q&A sessions—helping you realize you are not alone on this journey.
Grounding Rituals for Emotional Safety
Mindful Breathing (5 Minutes)
Find a comfortable seat or lie down with one hand on your belly. Close your eyes gently, relax your jaw, and inhale slowly through your nose for a count of 4. Hold your breath softly for 4 counts, then exhale through your mouth to a count of 6, imagining stress leaving your body. Repeat this pattern for five minutes, allowing your shoulders and belly to soften with each breath.
Gentle Body Scan (7 Minutes)
Begin by sitting or lying comfortably. Bring attention to the crown of your head, noticing any sensations or tension. Slowly guide your awareness to your forehead, jaw, neck, shoulders, arms, hands, chest, back, belly, hips, legs, and down to your feet. If you notice discomfort, send compassion to that area. With each body part, gently tell yourself, “I notice you. I care for you.” Move at your own pace from head to toe.
Short Meditation (5 Minutes)
Sit or recline somewhere peaceful. Visualize a safe, cozy space—a sunlit room, a soft garden, or wherever you feel protected. Imagine gentle light filling this space, wrapping you in warmth. Silently or aloud, repeat the affirmation: “I am here, and I am safe.” If your mind wanders, gently return to the image and mantra, allowing calmness to settle in.
Creating a Safe Inner Space
Designing Your Safe Space
Close your eyes and imagine a sanctuary—perhaps a sunlit room, a quiet forest, or a gentle seashore. Think of details that make you feel comforted: soft blankets, the scent of lavender, gentle music, or dim golden light. Sketch or describe your sanctuary using calming blues and greens in our digital journal to make it vivid and personal.
Accessing Your Safe Space
Practice entering your safe inner space whenever you sense stress or overwhelm, even for a moment. Pair this visualization with a physical cue: gently press a cherished pendant, wrap your hands around a warm mug, or take a deep, grounding breath. Over time, these cues become quick portals to emotional safety.
Integrating Safety into Daily Life
Return to your safe space before appointments, at bedtime, or when difficult memories arise. Combine it with self-soothing techniques—like wrapping yourself in a cozy shawl or journaling your emotions. At the end of your day, reflect: How did your safe space help you today? What new details can you add to strengthen its comfort?
Asking for Help with Confidence
Recognizing When You Need Help
Notice if you feel emotionally drained, have trouble sleeping, or become easily irritable for several days in a row. If self-care rituals no longer reduce your stress, honor these signals—they’re reminders you don’t have to do this alone.
Communicating Your Needs
Be direct and specific: Try, "I’ve felt anxious and haven’t slept well this week—can you watch the baby for an hour so I can rest?" Or, "I need someone to talk to. Would you have a few minutes for a phone call?" Use "I" statements and describe what would be most helpful.
Connecting with Support Systems
Reach out on the Reclaim Wall for encouragement from other mothers, or message a trusted friend. Consider texting a maternal mental health hotline or scheduling a session with a trauma-informed counselor. Local mom groups and parenting circles can also help you feel less isolated.
Compassionate Self-Talk for Healing
Understanding Self-Talk
Notice when your inner voice becomes harsh, especially during moments of fatigue or when facing difficult parenting situations. For example, if you think, "I'm failing as a mother," gently reframe it to, "I'm doing my best, and it's okay to have tough days."
Practicing Compassionate Phrases
Create a list of nurturing phrases such as, "I am worthy of care and rest," or, "It's normal to feel overwhelmed, and I deserve support." Practice saying these aloud or writing them on sticky notes placed around your home for daily reminders.
Integrating Self-Talk with Rituals
Pair self-compassion statements with grounding practices—during a gentle body scan, softly repeat, "I am safe in my body," or while taking slow breaths, affirm, "Each breath helps me find balance." Keep a journal to reflect on how these rituals increase your sense of emotional safety.
Building a Trauma-Informed Healing Practice
Craft Your Daily Practice
Create a gentle 5–10 minute routine. Include one grounding ritual, a visit to your safe inner space, and a compassionate phrase.
Reflect and Adjust
Take time each week to review what is working for you. Adjust your approach based on your needs or your current healing stage.
Share Your Journey
Celebrate progress by posting on the Reclaim Wall. Connect with others to reinforce growth and healing.
Sustaining Your Trauma-Informed Healing
Practice Daily
Dedicate a few mindful minutes each day to nurture your healing.
Honor Your Pace
Move gently and pause when your emotions feel intense.
Stay Connected
Share your journey and support others in a caring community.
Your Next Steps
1
Sign Up
Create your free, anonymous account at shereclaims.life
2
Start Gently
Begin with one approachable grounding ritual.
3
Join Community
Connect with other mothers on the Reclaim Wall.
A Note from SheReclaims
Community Support
Join a community that honors your unique healing journey.
Digital Resources
Access gentle tools designed for trauma-informed healing.
Your Journey
Take the first step toward healing at shereclaims.life today.