Psychotherapy for Pregnancy Loss: Applying Relationship Science to Clinical Practice

Pregnancy loss--the death of a conceptus, fetus, or neonate before the 21st day of life--affects a substantial number of women and their partners, and can lead to severe and long-lasting psychological consequences. Perinatal grief, however, is often invalidated, avoided, or dismissed in Western society. Therapy can offer bereaved parents an empathic and affect-regulating relationship in which to mourn.

In Psychotherapy for Pregnancy Loss: Applying Relationship Science to Clinical Practice, Rayna D. Markin applies cutting-edge research on the therapist-client relationship to individual and couples therapy for pregnancy loss and related forms of reproductive trauma, in such a way that is easy for clinicians to utilize in various settings. Through in-depth clinical illustrations and practical relational guidance, Markin demonstrates how the therapy relationship can help clients affected by pregnancy loss to mourn their losses, process and grow from trauma and loss, and restore healthy self-esteem. Guided largely by attachment theory and research on evidence-based relationships and responsiveness, this book is a guide on what exactly clinicians should do and how they should be in the therapy relationship to help clients not only grieve and process the traumatic experience of pregnancy loss but also achieve greater attachment security.

Psychotherapy for Pregnancy Loss will serve as a valuable go-to guide on how clinicians can establish and utilize the kind of therapeutic relationship that is needed to help clients process and grow from the trauma of pregnancy loss.

Rayna D. Markin, PhD, is an Associate Professor in Counseling at Villanova University and a Licensed Psychologist with a private practice specializing in pregnancy loss and infertility. She is Associate Editor of the journal Psychotherapy. Markin has more than 40 published articles, books, and book chapters on the psychotherapy relationship and psychotherapy for pregnancy loss, including the coauthored book Attachment in Group Psychotherapy.