Training & Reflective Practice for the NHS

Evidence-based training and reflective practice packages for NHS professionals, focused on understanding, identifying, and sensitively responding to parents experiencing what was called ‘gender disappointment’ but now RIFis.

RIFis refers to the complex emotional experience that can arise when the sex of a baby does not align with a parent’s hopes, expectations, or imagined future.

While often hidden due to shame and stigma, RIFis can be incredibly distressing and may intersect with:

Perinatal mental health difficulties

Antenatal and postnatal anxiety or depression

Fertility journeys, IVF, or pregnancy after loss

Identity, cultural, and societal pressures

Without sensitive recognition, parents may feel isolated, misunderstood, or unable to disclose their distress to healthcare professionals impacting their help-seeking behaviours.

NHS Training Packages

RIFis Awareness & Understanding

For maternity, perinatal mental health, health visiting, and primary care teams

Covers:

What RIFis is (and what it is not)
How RIFis may present emotionally and behaviourally
Myths, stigma, and professional discomfort
Intersections with trauma, fertility treatment, and loss

How to Talk to Parents about RIFis

Communication-focused training

Covers:

How to create safe opportunities for disclosure
Language that validates without reinforcing guilt or shame
Responding to distress compassionately
What not to say and why
Supporting parents who feel “bad” or “wrong” for their feelings

Reflective Practice Packages

Supporting staff wellbeing and emotional resilience

Reflective practice sessions support NHS professionals to:

Process emotional responses to complex parental experiences
Explore uncertainty, discomfort, and ethical tension
Reduce burnout and compassion fatigue
Strengthen team cohesion and psychological safety

These sessions are particularly valuable for teams working in perinatal mental health, maternity care, and safeguarding contexts.

Delivery Options

I offer flexible delivery to meet NHS needs:

Virtual training (live, interactive sessions)

In-person training (UK-based)

One-off sessions or ongoing reflective practice packages

Tailored content aligned with service priorities

All training is inclusive, trauma-informed, and evidence-based.

Who This Training Is For

Midwives

Health Visitors

Perinatal Mental Health Teams

GPs and Primary Care Staff

Psychologists and Therapists

Maternity Support Workers

Safeguarding and Family Support Teams