We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Christie Davis a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Christie, appreciate you joining us today. Setting up an independent practice is a daunting endeavor. Can you talk to us about what it was like for you – what were some of the main steps, challenges, etc.

I began my career in birth work in 1999. I worked as a doula and midwife assistant working my way into certification as a midwife in 2013. I have been in private practice ever since. However, the long hours, on call 24/7 lifestyle and burnout of private practice had me wondering how to make my time in this field more sustainable. I examined what really matters to me and found that helping clients who have had a previous traumatic delivery to be the most exciting part of the work. From that, I got motivated, got trauma specific training and decided to create the Perinatal Trauma Center at Blue Columbine. I wrote a program for helping parents who have survived traumatic delivery process and heal the experience. From there, it has grown into working with providers in secondary trauma as well. I received more specialized training in Compassion Fatigue and have begun doing seminars and retreats. It’s been exciting, scary and humbling. Putting myself out there with this program that I’ve created from the ground up has taken me to the edge and beyond the limits of my comfort zone. But to see the affect I’ve been able to have on the lives of families and providers who have gone through my trainings has shown me that it is all worth it. I’ve only been going for a couple years, and I’m still growing, still pushing to get established. But I love what I’m doing and cannot wait to continue to share the program!

Christie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

40% of birthing people describe their birth as traumatic. I am positive, based on my experience, that that number is significantly higher, even though some may not identify with the word trauma. I have such a strong reaction to this! Giving birth is a transformative experience that should impact us in powerful and largely positive ways, and yet, for many, it does not. At the Perinatal Trauma Center, I am working to help resolve these traumas and help birthing people find their power and confidence. By working through the birth, we have the ability to have a much better parenting experience. I had a client recently who had not been able to get her baby to nurse and was so discouraged and exhausted. After a session in which we worked on specific grounding techniques, she went home and nursed the baby and has been nursing ever since! To be able to help people come back into their bodies and connect to their nervous systems is profound and I love every minute of it!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

So much of processing traumatic birth is centered in the nervous system. When our nervous system feels aroused, we notice things like butterflies in our stomach, shortness of breath, shaky or sweaty hands etc. I find it really ironic that as I’m working through this type of nervous system arousal with trauma survivors, every step of creating the business has had me in a state of arousal as well! So I’m constantly having to use the tools I’m teaching to keep my own system in check so that I’m not doing damage to myself as I grow this business. When I first began seeing clients, I had hired a lovely woman to do marketing for me. We decided that it would be great for her to go through my program so that she could get a better understanding of my brand. As she went through the program, she discovered that she was holding on to trauma from her most recent birth! She didn’t even know! By pushing past my own fears of failure and not being enough in those early days (and every day since…) I was able to help a mom who didin’t even know she needed it. These are the things that keep me pushing!

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

Hands down creativity and adaptability! I have created something truly unique! There are many therapists doing trauma work and midwives doing deliveries. To be able to combine my clinical birth knowledge with my trauma training, I’ve come up with a winning combination for this program. And as the program grows, I am learning how to be fluid with the needs of those that work with me. All of this is shaping the Trauma Center into a one-of-a-kind center of healing.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.perinataltraumacenter.com
• Instagram: @perinataltraumacenter
• Facebook: Perinatal Trauma Center

Image Credits
Kate Carlton