The Nottinghamshire Perinatal Trauma & Bereavement Service (PTBS)

The Nottinghamshire Perinatal Trauma & Bereavement Service (PTBS) offers therapy and support for anyone experiencing mental health difficulties relating to a perinatal trauma or bereavement.

The service has three pathways:

• Treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following birth trauma
• Treatment for severe fear of childbirth – also known as Tokophobia
• Bereavement work relating to the death of a baby or miscarriage at any stage, stillbirth, termination of pregnancy for any reason and neonatal death.

 

Who we are

We are a specialist service with a range of mental health professionals. These include Clinical Psychologists, an Art Psychotherapist, a Trauma-Informed Midwife, and a Peer Support Worker. They are all trained in working with mental health difficulties and specialise in working with trauma and bereavement in the perinatal period.

People often worry about seeking help. Some feel that their worries will not be taken seriously, or that professionals may act in a way that frightens them. We would like to assure anyone who uses our service that we are a team of professionals who are passionate about supporting and listening to people who have experiences of trauma and bereavement in the perinatal period. We work hard to ensure individuals accessing our service feel heard, validated, and supported with the difficulties they are accessing support for.

 

Partners

We know that trauma and bereavement in the perinatal period often has an impact on the partners of individuals too. They might also be experiencing difficulties such as PTSD, low mood, or anxiety. We encourage partners to attend an assessment with us so that we can offer information, advice, and guidance as well as signpost them to the appropriate services that can offer support.

 

Accessing our service

We are currently accepting referrals from professionals working in maternity services. This includes midwives, obstetricians, maternity support workers, neonatal nurses, paediatricians, and sonographers.