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Fiona Rogerson - Trauma and Perinatal Counsellor & Birth Educator, Perth

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Perth, WA
Fiona Rogerson - Trauma and Perinatal Counsellor & Birth Educator, Perth

Specialist counselling and EMDR for birth trauma, perinatal trauma, PTSD & cPTSD. Perth + Aus-wide.

25/11/2025

It’s not that you can’t cope. Or that you're a bad mum. Or any of the other negative self-talk labels you're giving yourself.

It’s that your nervous system is still carrying things you were never given the space or support to process.

That moment your baby cries and your chest tightens.
The way your whole body goes on edge when they won’t let go of you.
The sudden urge to shut down, or shout, or escape.
It’s not about bad parenting, or failure as a mum. And it’s not about not trying hard enough.

What I see so often in women navigating this, is that their triggers make sense when we look at what their body has been through. Birth experiences where they felt invisible, powerless, or terrified. Postnatal days where they had to push through, numb out, or put everyone else first.

None of that disappears just because time has passed.

And now, even totally normal moments... a cry, a meltdown, a need... can feel like a threat to your system. Because our nervous system remembers.

Trauma doesn’t always look dramatic from the outside. But inside, it changes how safe you feel in your body, in your home, even in your role as a parent.

But this ISN'T permanent. With the right support, your system can learn what safety feels like again. You can respond instead of react. And those everyday moments can feel easier, softer, more manageable.

If you suspect trauma, especially birth trauma, may be shaping your reactions, head to the link in my bio to book a session. This isn't how it needs to stay.

22/11/2025

Ever wondered why certain moments in parenting trigger you so much more than others?

Sometimes the hardest parts of parenting aren’t about how much we care.
They’re shaped by what our nervous system learnt a long time ago.

What we lived through as children, especially the things we had no language for, often become the patterns we carry into adulthood
Not because we chose them, but because they helped us survive

Those early experiences can quietly shape how we
• react when stress builds
• set limits or struggle to hold them
• comfort our children or feel unsafe doing so
• connect, even when we want to
• speak to ourselves in hard moments

This isn’t about blame
It’s about understanding

When we can see the thread between then and now, we open up a different way forward
Awareness makes room for choice
Choice makes room for healing
And healing is how the cycle starts to shift, not just for us, but for the ones who come after us

If you’re noticing that your own childhood experiences are influencing how you show up as a parent, support is available. We help parents make sense of those patterns and begin to rewrite them with intention. Send me a DM and we can chat about options.

19/11/2025

It’s the question that feels like a punch to the gut.

When are you going to have another baby?
A simple sentence that opens the floodgates to fear, shame, and self-doubt. What they don’t see is the quiet war you’re still fighting inside. The panic that rises at the thought of doing it all again. The grief in your body that hasn’t yet found peace. The ache of a story that didn’t go how you hoped, that left you changed in ways you can’t quite explain.

You’re not just saying no to another baby.
You’re saying no to risking the deep rupture you barely survived.
No to reliving the medical trauma, the helplessness, the not-being-heard.
No to pretending everything is fine when your nervous system still isn’t.

And that makes sense.
Because healing from birth trauma isn’t linear. And it’s not just physical.

It’s emotional. It’s cellular. It’s about rebuilding trust in yourself, your body, your care.
And when the world keeps asking when you’ll do it again, it can feel like your pain is being erased.

Here’s what I want you to know:
You don’t owe anyone a timeline.
You don’t have to explain why your body or your heart isn’t ready.
And you get to grieve the birth you had, while also honouring what you need now.

What helps?
Space to process, without pressure.
Support that doesn’t pathologise your fear.
A birth debrief that lets your story breathe.
Specialist perinatal and birth counselling that sees all of you, not just your role as a mother, but your lived experience as a person.

There is a version of you on the other side of survival.
She is not broken. She is wise. She is learning to trust herself again.

14/11/2025

Healing after birth trauma doesn’t always look like what people expect.

It’s not about pretending it never happened. Or being grateful that you and baby are okay. Or rushing into positivity before your body has even had time to process what it went through. The truth is, birth trauma healing is often invisible to the outside world, and deeply personal. It’s about what shifts inside you, not how you appear to be coping.

It might look like finally being able to tell your story without tears. Feeling more present with your baby instead of trapped in guilt or fear. It might mean advocating for yourself at your next appointment, even if your voice shakes. Or catching a trigger in the moment and gently choosing something different. Sometimes, healing looks like letting go of the story that you were too sensitive.

And sometimes, it simply looks like recognising that what happened to you mattered.

There is no timeline. No right way. No neat before-and-after moment. But what there can be is support. Understanding. And slow, steady safety, rebuilt one piece at a time.

If you’re ready, we’re here to help show you what healing looks like. Head to the link in my bio to book in directly.

11/11/2025

Avoiding your triggers can feel like self-protection, but it isn’t the same as healing.

When something reminds you of your birth or another traumatic experience, your nervous system moves quickly to keep you safe. It might look like shutting down, changing the subject, cancelling an appointment, or avoiding anything that feels too close. For a while, that helps you cope. But over time, it can keep you stuck in the same loop of fear and tension.

Healing starts when you have enough safety and support to face what comes up, piece by piece. It’s not about forcing yourself into situations that overwhelm you. It’s about learning how to notice the trigger, pause, and understand what it’s trying to tell you. In therapy we use gentle grounding and body-based strategies to help you stay present while your brain and body relearn that you’re safe now.

As you build this tolerance, you begin to move through the pain rather than around it. The pattern starts to shift, and the story changes. That’s when you find yourself responding instead of reacting, trusting yourself again, and feeling more in control.

Healing isn’t about avoiding the hard moments. It’s about meeting them with care, and finding a way to a different ending.

Save this post for the days you need the reminder.

10/11/2025

Birth trauma isn’t just about what happened in the delivery room. It’s about how it felt. The fear, the loss of control, the moments where no one seemed to notice you needed help.

And it doesn’t just disappear once you’re home with your baby. It can show up quietly in ways that catch you off guard. You might find yourself second guessing every medical decision because you don’t trust anyone to really have your best interests at heart. Or maybe you feel a wave of sadness when your partner leaves for work, like they get to escape while you’re still trying to make sense of everything.

Sometimes it looks like avoiding family visits because being around people feels too much, or wondering if you’ll ever be able to trust your body again. For some, it’s wanting another baby but feeling terrified at the thought of giving birth again. For others, it’s feeling tense when their scar is touched or reminded of a birth that didn’t feel like a choice.

These are all real experiences. They’re not overreactions or signs that you’re doing something wrong. They’re your body’s way of saying, “I’m not finished processing what happened.”

In therapy, we slow things down. We explore what happened, where safety or choice went missing, and how that still shows up in your body now. Together we build practical grounding and regulation tools you can use when things feel too much, like during feeds, appointments or sleepless nights. With EMDR therapy, we can work through the moments that still carry weight, helping your brain and body refile those memories so they no longer trigger the same alarm. You set the pace, you stay in control, and we stop whenever you need.

Healing doesn’t mean erasing your story. It means reclaiming your sense of safety, trusting your body again, and finding steadiness in the moments that once felt overwhelming.

If this feels familiar, it might be time to take that next step. Book a session through the link in my bio and we’ll start from where you are.

06/11/2025

Motherhood has a way of shining a light on the parts of ourselves we’ve kept tucked away. It doesn’t just challenge us in the moment, it brings us face to face with the wounds we’ve carried for years, the ones we thought were healed.

Because in caring for our children, we often find ourselves walking into the same spaces where we once felt unseen, unheard or unprotected. And that can feel incredibly confronting. Creating safety when you’ve never felt safe feels daunting. Being gentle when you were met with harshness feels unnatural. Speaking kindly to yourself when you grew up with criticism feels uncomfortable. Holding boundaries when yours were dismissed can feel lonely, and asking for help when you were told to cope alone can feel exposing.

These moments test us deeply, but they also hold the potential for healing. Every time you notice yourself pausing, choosing a different response, or offering yourself the compassion you didn’t receive, you are slowly rebuilding trust in yourself. This process isn’t easy, and it’s not meant to be. Healing while parenting is layered work, but it’s also some of the most powerful healing you can do.

You’re not broken for finding it hard, and you’re not failing because it feels messy or uncertain. You’re learning how to rebuild safety from the inside out. You’re reshaping patterns that were never yours to carry, and you’re teaching your children that love can be safe, steady and kind.

That is not failure. That’s growth, and it matters more than you realise.

Share this post if it resonates or save it for the days you need a reminder that healing takes time and that it’s okay if it feels hard.

04/11/2025

“I thought I’d be able to trust my body, but instead, I felt betrayed. The whole experience left me feeling powerless.”

Birth is often painted as a time to embrace the strength and wisdom of our bodies, a time when we’re told to trust the process. But when birth takes an unexpected turn, or leaves us feeling helpless and out of control, that trust can be shattered.

And for many women, the impact doesn’t stop there. It seeps into life afterwards, showing up as a deep distrust in themselves. Not just in their bodies, but in their instincts, their ability to parent, or their confidence in everyday decisions.

You might find yourself asking:
Am I doing enough?
Can I really meet my baby’s needs?
What if I get it all wrong?

That voice of self-doubt can be relentless, leaving you feeling like you’re constantly on edge, waiting to fail. But here’s the truth: this sense of distrust isn’t who you are. It’s what trauma does. It shakes the foundations of safety and control, and it changes how we see ourselves and our bodies.

Healing is about finding your way back to that trust. With compassionate support and trauma-focused therapy such as EMDR, it’s possible to reconnect with yourself again. To feel safe in your body. To feel steady in your choices. To believe in your own ability to care for yourself and your baby.

Imagine moving through motherhood without constant second-guessing. Imagine feeling grounded, calm, and confident in the way you show up each day. That kind of trust can be rebuilt, one gentle step at a time.

If this speaks to you, save this post as a reminder that it’s possible to heal the effects of trauma and rebuild your relationship with yourself.

02/11/2025

You think you’ve moved on. Then suddenly, that date creeps up, and your body remembers.

This is known as the Anniversary Effect. It’s the emotional and physical response that can surface around the anniversary of a traumatic event, often without you realising why.

For many who’ve experienced a traumatic or difficult birth, it can show up as sudden sadness, anxiety, irritability, or flashes of memory that seem to come out of nowhere. You might find yourself tense, tearful, or simply not yourself, and only later realise what week it is.

Your body is marking time. Even when your mind feels far from that day, your nervous system still remembers what it felt like to be there. This isn’t a setback. It’s a reminder that something meaningful happened, and that your body is asking for care.

When anniversaries or significant dates approach, try to move gently. You don’t need to push through or pretend you’re fine. Instead, think about what might help you feel held through it:

Perhaps it’s setting firmer boundaries with others, saying no to plans that feel too heavy, or being honest about what kind of support you need right now.
Perhaps it’s carving out quiet space, giving yourself permission to rest, to switch off, or to do something nurturing just for you.
Or maybe it’s naming what you’re feeling instead of bottling it up, talking to someone who understands, or allowing yourself to cry without apology.

There’s no right way to move through an anniversary, but there are gentler ways. Preparation and awareness can make all the difference.

If a difficult date is approaching and you’d like support to navigate it, you can book a session through the link in my bio.

31/10/2025

Grief isn’t one-size-fits-all. It looks and feels different for everyone, especially for those navigating motherhood, birth trauma, or perinatal loss. But it helps to understand the different ways it can show up.

Here are nine common forms of grief:

Normal grief: there’s no such thing as a ‘typical’ grief. Over time, this grief often softens, acceptance grows, and the pain becomes easier to carry.

Anticipatory grief: the grief that begins before a loss happens. It might appear in pregnancy as you prepare to let go of life as it was, or when a loved one receives a difficult diagnosis.

Complicated grief: when grief continues to disrupt daily life long after the loss, affecting your identity, relationships, and sense of safety.

Disenfranchised grief: grief that isn’t recognised or validated by others. Early pregnancy loss, birth trauma, infertility, or the loss of an imagined future often fall into this category.

Prolonged grief: grief that remains intense for a long time, where the pain doesn’t seem to ease or shift.

Exaggerated grief: grief that shows up through strong, sometimes overwhelming reactions, like panic, anger, or self-destructive behaviours.

Cumulative grief: when losses stack on top of each other, like in early parenthood, where identity shifts, relationships change, and life moves fast.

Ambiguous grief: when closure isn’t possible. It can appear in infertility, estrangement, or a loved one’s cognitive decline.

Abbreviated grief: when grief feels short-lived or replaced quickly by something new, often because the emotional bond wasn’t as deep, or life demands pull focus elsewhere.

If one of these resonates, it’s okay. Grief can be quiet, complex, or completely consuming. However it shows up for you, it’s valid.

Hold yourself gently if you’re navigating perinatal trauma, loss of identity in motherhood, or birth-related grief. Understanding what you’re feeling is part of healing too.

28/10/2025

It wasn’t just about the birth, was it?

It was the way they spoke over you. The way decisions were made without your input. The way no one looked at you, or seemed to notice that you were scared. The silence from your partner when you needed someone to say, this matters.

You left that hospital with your baby in your arms and a wound no one else could see. Maybe you’ve been carrying it ever since... the moment your body froze, the moment you realised you had no say, the moment no one noticed how much it hurt.

It shows up in small ways now. Tension you can’t shake, anger that catches you off guard, the feeling that your body still doesn’t fully trust the world.

This kind of trauma doesn’t always look dramatic. It lives quietly in the background, in the stories we avoid, in the emotions we try to explain away. Because it wasn’t only about what happened, it was about what didn’t. The care, protection and respect you should have had.

Acknowledging that matters. Not to dwell on it, but to name it for what it was. That’s where recovery starts, when you stop minimising what you went through and begin to understand why it still feels heavy.

If you’re ready to unpack this in a safe, supported way, head to the link in my bio to book your birth trauma counselling session.

26/10/2025

“I want a VBAC next time because my previous birth was so traumatic.”

It’s one of the most common things I hear from women preparing to birth again after a difficult or traumatic experience. The fear of history repeating itself can feel overwhelming. Many describe a mix of anxiety, dread and panic whenever they imagine going through birth again. After a traumatic labour that ended in a caesarean, it’s natural to hope that a VBAC might be the way to reclaim what was lost... control, confidence, or trust in your body.

But there's a piece that’s often left out of the conversation: a VBAC isn’t always the answer to birth trauma.

When the drive for a VBAC comes from fear, panic, or the need to “fix” what happened before, it can sometimes bring more pressure than peace. Because trauma isn’t about the mode of birth, it’s about how you were treated, how safe you felt, and whether your voice was heard in the process. A different kind of birth doesn’t automatically mean a different kind of experience.

True healing comes from understanding what happened, processing the emotions attached to it, and creating a sense of safety within yourself before you step into birth again. When you feel calm, informed and supported, your next birth - whatever it looks like - can feel entirely different.

If you’re considering a VBAC, give yourself space to explore your fears, not rush past them. The most empowering choice is one made from clarity and care, not from fear or pressure. Healing is possible, whether you birth vaginally, by caesarean, or choose another path entirely.

You deserve to feel safe, respected and supported, that’s where real healing begins.

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6/640 Beeliar Drive, Success
Perth, WA
6164

Opening Hours

Monday	8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

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+61402017425

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Who is Fiona Rogerson?

Thank you for being here. My work has developed from a culmination of my own personal experiences of birth and motherhood (which included secondary infertility, IVF, pregnancy loss, instrumental birth, postnatal depression and breastfeeding struggles, but ultimately beautiful positive birth) together with what I witnessed to be similar experiences of other mothers through my initial work as a professional pregnancy and birth photographer which first began in 2009, together with my work as a birth/postnatal doula and antenatal educator. What I found to be a crucial but missing element for the parents I worked with, and for myself as well, was genuine, professional support that could help them navigate perhaps the most intense phase of their life... their perinatal period.

Through my counselling I provide a safe, supportive space for mothers and fathers to feel validated and fully heard, unravel and identify confusing and troubling thoughts and emotions, find clarity among their feelings, and discover strategies and tools to move forward toward achieving fulfillment and happiness. I provide confidential support in all areas of perinatal difficulties for women and men, including birth trauma and debriefing, pre and postnatal anxiety, low-self-esteem, loss of identity, fertility, unplanned pregnancy, and grief and loss.

Dare to walk a different path. I will light your way.