When Survivors Give Birth Foundational & Advanced Clinical Skills Training - Boston 2026
Recently updated, trauma-informed trainings for perinatal professionals on working with sexual trauma survivors before, during, and after their birth.
The When Survivors Give Birth Foundational & Advanced Clinical Skills Trainings offer perinatal professionals in-depth information and tools for serving clients/patients who have a history of sexual trauma. Because 1 in 4 pregnant, birthing, and postpartum people have experienced previous sexual trauma, this is a training that every perinatal professional should attend.
You will learn how to better care for all of your clients/patients, especially those with a history of sexual trauma, and ultimately have more ease in your practice.
This one-of-a-kind training is the culmination of decades of collaboration between Penny Simkin, PT, CCE, CD(DONA) and Phyllis Klaus, PhD, MFT, LMSW, and is being taught by the WSGB Executive Director & Chief Training Officer, Selena Shelley, MA, LMHC, CD, LCCE. Join medical, mental health, and other allied birth professionals to learn about the important and often overlooked topic of how trauma can impact the perinatal period and see how you can change perinatal and public health for the better!
Training Descriptions:
Day 1 - The Foundational Training provides essential knowledge for every perinatal professional. This course will educate participants on the profound impact previous sexual trauma can have on the perinatal period. Attendees will gain valuable insights and practical tools for effectively supporting trauma survivors, leading to a deeper understanding of their clients'/patients' experiences throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, and ultimately transforming their professional practice.
Day 2 - The Advanced Clinical Skills Training is designed for perinatal professionals wanting to deepen their clinical skills in working with sexual trauma survivors during the perinatal period. Building upon the WSGB Foundational Training, this course will help nurses, doulas, mental health providers, and more address the complex needs of survivors. Attendees will learn the most common perinatal trauma triggers and then divide up into smaller groups for in-depth discussions, case studies, and implementation strategies. Participants will leave this training equipped with refined clinical skills and a comprehensive understanding of best practices, enabling them to provide compassionate, effective, and empowering care to sexual trauma survivors.
CE Information:
6.5 CEs available per day through the American College of Nurse-Midwives.
Mental health CEs anticipated.
Pricing & Scholarships:
The WSGB Trainings are geared towards a variety of perinatal professionals: nurses, midwives, birth and postpartum doulas, doctors, childbirth educators, and more! The one-day Foundational Training registration fee is $275, and the two-day Foundational & Advanced Clinical Skills Training total registration fee is $450.
We are committed to training as many perinatal professionals as possible. Several partial scholarships are available for individuals from or who serve marginalized communities. To apply for a scholarship, please visit: www.whensurvivorsgivebirth.com/scholarships before you register for this training. Please note that we review scholarships on a rolling basis. If you receive a scholarship, you will be notified within six weeks of submission. We encourage strong candidates to apply as early as possible, as we only have a limited number of scholarships available. Applications will close when we have granted our maximum number of scholarships. Final determinations will be sent on February 22, 2026.
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