An interview with Billie Harrigan

In this episode we get to interview the wonderful Billie Harrigan. Billie is the Owner and Director of Birth Trauma Ontario, which provides education and training for maternity providers and allied birth professionals in trauma-informed care, as well as providing information and support for parents and loved ones that are dealing with birth-related trauma or birthing after trauma.

Billie is a traditional birth companion, certified birth and postpartum doula, and childbirth educator. 

We delve into some deep topics in this episode; what is trauma-informed care, how 1/3 of women experience trauma following birth, the importance of language and we discuss the skill of “affective empathy” and how this is key to gain an emotional resonance with another person. How affective empathy changes outcomes, improves client trust, how it reduces burnout in clinicians, and improves overall job satisfaction. 

I think you’ll find this episode both challenging and game-changing. And as Billie says it's time to start equipping women with the tools they need.    

LINKS:
Billie Harrigan website: https://billieharrigan.com/

Dr Rachel Reed book: https://rachel-reed.website/reclaiming-childbirth-as-a-rite-of-passage/


MUSIC: Joesph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music
PRODUCTION: Katie James