In this powerful episode, we sit down with Lori Barklage, founder of Birthing Peace Within, to explore how unresolved trauma shapes our births—and how healing it can transform generations. Lori shares her own story of a traumatic hospital transfer at 42 weeks, the arrest of her midwife, and how her personal healing journey inspired her to help others do the same. Her perspective blends trauma-informed midwifery with ancient wisdom and energy work, offering a deeply compassionate path for parents and birth workers alike.

What You’ll Learn:

• ​ How Lori’s traumatic birth experience shaped her midwifery journey
• ​ Why some providers unknowingly treat clients from their own trauma responses
• ​ How secondary trauma in birth is often actually primary trauma
• ​ What it means to be “beholden to trauma” and how to get free
• ​ Why some families choose unassisted birth not out of desire, but trauma-driven fear
• ​ The RISE UP Method and how it helps shift generational patterns
• ​ How to use “The 4 Whys” to get to the root of fear in pregnancy and birth

Guest Bio:

Lori Barklage is the founder of Birthing Peace Within, where she helps families heal their traumatic births in order to better nurture future generations. Her understanding that healed people heal people is the driving force behind her work. Her sessions blend cutting-edge science with ancient wisdom to teach tools for healing intergenerational and epigenetic trauma.

Lori trained under Kam Yuen and Tapas Fleming and developed the RISE UP Method for personal compassion and trauma healing. Formerly an instructor at Ancient Art Midwifery, Lori carried forward the school’s legacy when founder Carla Hartley retired in 2016.

She is passionate about:

• ​ Breaking unhealthy energetic ties
• ​ Dispelling myths that trauma defines us
• ​ Teaching how to reclaim energy and power through neutrality and conscious investment
• ​ Understanding and dismantling trauma loops in the birth world

You can find her at:

• ​ Website: BirthingPeaceWithin.com
• ​ Facebook: Birthing Peace Within
• ​ Hashtags: #BirthingPeaceWithin #AAMidwifery

Recommended reads:

• ​ The Universe Fucking Loves Me by Sara Arey
• ​ The Neutrality Exercise Workbook by Nekole Shapiro

Links and Resources Mentioned:

• ​ BirthingPeaceWithin.com

If this episode touched something in you, please share it with a friend or leave us a review. If you’re a birth worker or parent looking to heal trauma and shift generational patterns, reach out—we’d love to hear from you.

Connect with us:

@sophiabirth

@bayareahomebirth

@bornwildmidwifery

#BirthingPeaceWithin #AAMidwifery

Stay Wild 🌳