Do you know how to...

  • Discuss with clients their individualized needs for trauma informed care?
  • Design a plan with clients to avoid triggers and re-traumatization?
  • Predict how a trauma history may lead to Postpartum Depression, and select assessment tools and appropriate treatment actions?


Upon completion of this course, the learner will be able to:

1. Develop a plan to identify clients who may besurvivors of trauma in need of planned intervention to avoidre-traumatization

2. Define ways to elicit client-identified concerns and client-directedsolutions that will minimize triggers and positively impact outcome

3. Relate how Trauma-history is related to Postpartum Depression and show how to assess and take effective actions for treatment

Check out the full curriculum below for more details.

Note: While the course covers issues of general trauma history that will be relevant to previous birth trauma, it does not specifically address previous birth trauma.

Course completion does not authorize the learner to use skills outside their scope. Please refer to your state guidelines for determining scope of care.


HiveCE is an approved provider of continuing education by the California Board of Nursing, and this course is provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number 17686, for 4 contact hours, through November 30th, 2025. (This is widely accepted nationwide as continuing education for nurses and midwives. This course is accepted by NARM as Category 1 CE for CPM renewal.)

Accepted by NARM for the Midwifery Bridge Certificate, Category 3.

This course was previously approved by MEAC for 4 hours of continuing education through November 30th, 2023, under approval numbers M2122-34-1101DE and M1920-27-1031DE.

For information regarding our refund policy and other Frequently Asked Questions, please refer to our FAQ. If you have additional questions, please email [email protected].


Course curriculum

  • 01
    1: Introduction
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    • How To Use HiveCE
    • 1.1 Welcome!
    • 1.2 Before We Start
    • 1.3 Stories ~ "Janet"
    • 1.4 Stories ~ "Linda"
    • 1.5 Stories - "Valerie"
  • 02
    2: Expanding Our Understanding Of Trauma
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    • 2.1 What is trauma?
    • 2.2 PMD Risk Factors vs Trauma Survivor Data
    • 2.3 A Surprising Discovery in an NIH Study
  • 03
    3: Trauma Sources and Statistics
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    • 3.1 Trauma Statistics By Race
    • 3.2 Domestic Violence, Firearms, and Stalking
    • Printable PDF: Home Firearm Questions
    • Printable PDF: Creating A Safety Plan
    • 3.3 Adult Sexual Violence and Human Trafficking
    • 3.4 Trauma from War and Natural Disasters
  • 04
    4: Identifying Trauma Survivors
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    • 4.1 Developing Options for Disclosure
    • Printable PDF: Developing Intake Questions
    • 4.2 Increasing Voluntary Disclosures
    • Printable PDF: National Resources for Intimate Partner Violence
    • 4.3 Identifying Suspected Trauma Without Disclouse
    • Printable PDF: Identifying Trauma Survivors in the Absence of Disclosure
  • 05
    5: Care During Pregnancy (and preparation for birth)
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    • 5.1 Clinical Presentation by Age and Frequency of Abuse
    • 5.2 Identifying Triggers
    • 5.3 Taking The Punch Out Of Triggers
    • 5.4 Addressing Self-Harm
    • 5.5 Considering Co-Care
    • 5.6 Essential Elements of Care
  • 06
    6: Meeting the Relational Needs of Trauma-Impacted People
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    • 6.1 Why Understanding Relational Needs and Coping Mechanisms Matter
    • Printable PDF: Meeting the Relational Needs of Trauma-Impacted People
    • 6.2 Aggrieved/Adoring
    • 6.3 Submissive
    • 6.4 Crisis Oriented
    • 6.5 Control Driven
    • 6.6 Detatched
    • 6.7 Story of Dissociation at Birth
    • 6.8 Self-Focused
  • 07
    7: After The Birth
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    • 7.1 Postpartum Care
    • 7.2 Healing In Community
    • 7.3 Maintaining Your Own Emotional Health
    • Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) - English
    • Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) - Spanish
  • 08
    8: Post-Test and CE Certificate
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    • Evaluation Questions
    • Post-Test

  • Instructor(s)

    Maryl Smith, CPM, LDM, has an active homebirth practice and has been catching babies since 1984. Over the years she has cared for women from over 18 different nations, worked in two free-standing birth centers, taught as adjunct staff at Birthingway College of Midwifery and served in multiple roles in the promotion of midwifery in the state of Oregon. Her passion is supporting trauma survivors during the perinatal experience. Maryl frequently travels the world with her husband working to preserve indigenous spiritual expression in music. Her other activities include adventures with her granddaughters, herb gardening, writing and being active in her local Native American community.

    Maryl Smith

    CPM, LDM

Instant Unlimited Access

Take the course, print your CE certificate, retain access for later reference.

Course Evaluation Comments

Shared with permission from our

“I have read most of Penny Simpkin's book but you touched on numerous things that I either don't remember reading or didn't read. This topic was relevant now because I am waiting for a mom to deliver who has had trauma but has never talked about it. It gave me ideas of how to work around the concerns without putting her on the spot. Thank you!”

Peggy H

Midwife

“The presenter was excellent, spoke very clearly, was a pleasant voice to listen to. She presented the content in an easy-to-follow fashion, making sure to cover each topic completely. I learned more from this course than the Human Trafficking course I took!!”

Ginger K

Licensed Midwife

“This was a very informative course and eye opening to my own trauma. I will be signing up for part two. Thank you!”

Carrie W

Registered Nurse

“Maryl is a gem. Excellent presentation.”

Amy W

Certified Professional Midwife

“This course was very thorough, with practical tools I can immediately put into practice. I loved how the instructor centered midwives in the teachings by acknowledging how many of us are survivors ourselves, and going into how imperative it is that we take care of ourselves as well as our clients. ”

Kara S

Licensed Midwife

“I loved it. So much important information. I took lots of notes!”

Rebecca G

Doula

“It was a lot of information! I started out taking notes but sometimes she when so fast it was hard. Don't get me wrong, I thought it was a great class, but by the end I was feeling like it was too much information.”

Deborah F

Certified Professional Midwife

“Course was very insightful into client personality types.”

Participant, August 2022

Licensed Midwife

“Thank you for a lovely course.”