Fear of Childbirth and Emotional-Focused Approaches

Fear of childbirth is universal, often non-pathological, harmonious, and situational. Psychosocial approaches, physical exercise, and therapeutic interventions are used in fear of birth. Although fear is an emotion, it is determined that emotion-focused approaches are not used in coping. In emotion-focused approaches, the aim is to reach and effectively transform nonadaptive emotional schemes that are seen as the cause of fear of childbirth within an empathic relationship and environment. Throughout the therapeutic care process, the focus is on the transformation of nonadaptive emotions into adaptive emotions, so that the individual can give adaptive responses to the birth experience. In emotion-focused approaches, (i) attachment and awareness, (ii) association and scrutiny, and (iii) change and transformation approaches are used. The purpose of this article is to create a conceptual framework for addressing the fear of childbirth with emotion-focused approaches.