Whether you are struggling with a recent miscarriage, pregnancy after loss, difficulty getting or staying pregnant, recurrent pregnancy loss, ectopic pregnancy, or a stillbirth, many women experience three difficult and devasting psychological consequences, (1) intense feelings of grief and loss without a well-defined way to mourn, (2) unresolved trauma associated with these losses and experiences, and (3) feelings of shame and inadequacy. Dr. Markin specializes in helping women and couples going through these sorts of reproductive traumas to process grief and loss, work through unresolved trauma, and reduce feelings of shame and restore self-esteem.
Dr. Markin similarly works with other adverse reproductive events such as childbirth trauma or post-partum stress, depression, and anxiety.
Importantly, Dr. Markin treats the whole person, which includes the totality of an individual’s past and current experiences and does not have a singular focus on experiences with infertility and loss. Who we are, our past and present experiences in relationships and with loss, impact how we experience and cope with fertility struggles and pregnancy loss. Often clients ask if they can talk about other issues besides infertility and loss and the answer is most definitely yes!
Lastly, Dr. Markin works with medical providers in reproductive medicine whose mental health is often overlooked. Medical providers in reproductive medicine can experience what is called vicarious trauma and burn out, especially when going through experiences of infertility and/or loss themselves. Dr. Markin offers supportive and understanding care to medical providers so they can better care for themselves and their patients.
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Founder of the Therapy Center for Pregnancy Loss, L.L.C.
Rayna D. Markin, PhD, received her doctorate in Counseling Psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park and is currently an associate professor in counseling at Villanova University and a licensed psychologist with a private practice. Her research and clinical work focus on psychotherapy from a relational-attachment perspective for individuals and couples coping with pregnancy loss. She is the author of the new book Psychotherapy for Pregnancy Loss: Applying Relationship Science to Clinical Practice, and co-author of the book Attachment in Group Psychotherapy.
Hear from Dr. Rayna Markin
In this short video, Dr. Markin describes what makes her attachment based approach to psychotherapy for pregnancy loss unique and how this clinical approach can help patients coping with pregnancy loss and infertility
