ABSTRACT

Pregnancy loss is a traumatic event that affects many families. 1 in 5 pregnancies end in miscarriage, and 1–2 out of every 100 births are stillbirths. Mothers report depression, shame, and guilt following a pregnancy loss. They also report a lack of social and emotional support, as Western culture tends to discourage mothers from grieving. Additionally, the impact on partners often goes unnoticed, as pregnancy loss is primarily framed as a birth parent’s issue. As couples struggle to deal with the emotions of pregnancy loss, many approach the process of grieving in ways that inhibit healing, which can negatively impact their relationship. Given the potential difficulties, many couples seek therapy to help them with the challenges that may follow pregnancy loss. However, there is a lack of literature that discusses how to systemically treat pregnancy loss. This article aims to address that gap by presenting a narrative approach to treating pregnancy loss. Narrative therapy is a natural fit when treating grieving couples as it allows them to coauthor their story of loss and coauthor a story of healing. Narrative therapy provides a space for couples to share their story, externalize problems related to the loss, find unique outcomes to support an alternative story, and solidify a new narrative related to their pregnancy loss.

摘要

怀孕流失是一种创伤事件，影响许多家庭。每5胎中就有1胎以流产结束，每100胎中有1-2胎是死胎。母亲报告说，失去妊娠后会感到沮丧，羞愧和内。他们还报告说缺乏社交和情感支持，因为西方文化倾向于阻止母亲悲痛。此外，对怀孕伴侣的影响通常不会引起注意，因为怀孕流失主要是由亲生父母承担的。当夫妻俩努力应对失去妊娠的情绪时，许多人会以抑制愈合的方式对待悲伤的过程，这可能会对他们的关系产生负面影响。鉴于潜在的困难，许多夫妇寻求治疗方法来帮助他们应对可能会流产的挑战。然而，缺乏文献讨论如何系统地治疗妊娠流产。本文旨在通过介绍叙事方法来治疗流产，以弥补这一差距。当对待悲伤的夫妻时，叙事疗法是很自然的选择，因为它可以使夫妻共同创作自己的失落故事，并共同创作治愈的故事。叙事疗法为夫妻提供了一个分享故事的空间，将与流产有关的问题外化，找到独特的结果来支持其他故事，并巩固了与流产有关的新叙事。