The Pregnancy and Baby Loss Guided Journal

“Losing a pregnancy or baby is often a shocking and devastating experience for bereaved parents who are left not knowing how to grieve or process the horror of the event. This journal provides a concrete way for bereaved parents to put their feelings to words and make meaning of this traumatic experience. Rooted in twenty years of clinical practice, Rabinor’s thoughtful prompts, practices, and journal exercises invite these parents to reflect, process, and grieve their loss(es), and begin to heal.” –Rayna D. Markin, PhD, associate professor of counseling at Villanova University, in private practice at Attune Philadelphia Therapy Group, and author of Psychotherapy for Pregnancy Loss–Rayna D. Markin, PhD“Rabinor has captured the essential elements to assist when grieving the unspeakable loss of a baby in pregnancy or shortly after birth. As a therapist, she uses the best techniques we know to guide the reader, utilizing the powerful tool of journaling. Documenting the process and feelings, the reader feels truly understood and supported with practices that validate this profound grief experience. This journal is a must-have resource for clinicians and mourning parents.” –Sharon N. Covington, LCSW-C, Center for Reproductive Mental Health, editor of Fertility Counseling, and assistant clinical professor in the department of OB/GYN at Georgetown University School of Medicine–Sharon N. Covington, LCSW-C“Rabinor provides an excellent and comprehensive set of tools and exercises to help process any type of reproductive loss in this book. It is well researched and self-paced. I believe there is a richness in the loving-kindness used here which could be used for many difficult life events.” –June Melin, MD, FACOG, retired from thirty-three years of OB/GYN practice in San Diego, CA; physician and wellness committee member at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego, CA; and medical board expert–June Melin, MD, FACOG“Rachel Rabinor has created an extremely useful work for anyone who has experienced a pregnancy loss. Readers are invited to use the journal in the fashion that suits them best. The strategies provide realistic and honest approaches to the process grieving individuals encounter, clearly recognizing there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to experience grief or utilize the tools offered. Rabinor provides guidance to address aspects of healing, both internally and within the individual’s social network.” –William D. Petok, PhD, clinical associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA; and coeditor of Psychological and Medical Perspectives on Fertility Care and Sexual Health–William D. Petok, PhD“This is an invaluable resource for the unbearable grief and trauma of pregnancy and infant loss. In a society that is hardly built to support the ‘normative’ reproductive experiences, we are failing even more miserably to support those who endure loss and trauma. As a perinatal therapist specializing in loss, this journal includes much of what I do with patients in session–it serves as a trusted companion, guiding the individual through the multifaceted layers of grief and trauma; exploring, honoring, and nurturing one’s expressions of grief; identifying boundary-setting with supports; and navigating how to move forward (not on).” –Tracy Gilmour-Nimoy, MS, LMFT, PMH-C, psychotherapist, loss mom, and writer–Tracy Gilmour-Nimoy, MS, LMFT, PMH-C“This journal is a beautiful space to honor and grieve the loss of a child. Rabinor gives words to the complex emotions of losing a baby, while also offering a road map for grief and hope for healing. Rabinor’s prompts, mantras, and exercises are comprehensive yet accessible for any stage of the grieving process. She offers compassion, wisdom, and a holding space, which is exactly what’s needed during this overwhelming time.” –Chelsea H. Sybrandt, LMFT, maternal mental health therapist–Chelsea H. Sybrandt, LMFT“This journal is an absolute must for anyone who has experienced pregnancy or baby loss. Rachel’s warm and gentle language–combined with thoughtful journaling prompts, affirmations, and activities–provides a loving framework to honor reproductive loss and support healing. It beautifully articulates the multifaceted experiences many feel alone in, offering tangible strategies to guide the journaler. I will definitely be recommending this book to clients as a therapy companion.” –Emily Remba, LCSW, PMH-C, psychotherapist, and founder and president of Reproductive Mental Health and Wellness–Emily Remba, LCSW, PMH-C

Rachel Rabinor, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker providing individual and group therapy in San Diego, and virtually throughout the state of California. Rachel specializes in reproductive mental health, and is certified in EMDR—a trauma-based therapy—and perinatal mental health. She is a member of: The Mental Health Professional Group (MHPG) of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), Resolve, the national infertility association, the Pregnancy Loss and Infant Death Association (PLIDA), and a current member and former board member of the Postpartum Health Alliance. Rachel is author of The Postpartum Depression Journal, and coauthored two chapters on “Fertility Counseling with Groups” in the second edition of Fertility Counseling: Clinical Guide and Case Studies, published by Cambridge University Press.