'Psychological Rebirthing' as a part of RAD therapy?

Question

I thought Adoption might be the best place to ask this question because most children with RAD have experienced separation from their parents.

How effective would Psychological Rebirthing really be to a child who has suffered losses that need to be aknowledged? Does it genuinely benefit the child or is it just a lack of validation of their feelings?

I'm genuinely curious about this and wondering if anyone has experience or knowledge of this kind of therapy.

And would it make a difference if the root of the disorder was embedded in profound neglect by their parents, or simply losing their parents?

TIA for your answers!

Answer 1

I think it's beyond abusive. It's monstrous.

http://www.childrenintherapy.org/victims...

http://www.childrenintherapy.org/victims...

Answer 2

This is considered Fringe Therapy and there is no eveidence that it helps at all.

There are several cases of deaths with therapists and parents attempting to use "Re-birthing" therapy.

This tactic only works with parents who think attachment is control. And that a child needs to become fully dependent on the parent for even the basic needs....  

Attachment is a Process and not an event.... and Attachment is a skill not a person....

It makes no sense to take a human back to the infant state which is required in order to rebirth... the goal is to have the adoptive parents re-do all the baby stuff including bottles, and baby talk..... idea being that the child will be born to the adoptive parents and thus totally dependent.

After the rebirthing comes the reparenting.... The total control of a childs life...The idea here is to make the child completely dependent. The methods here are actually scary and all about domination and control...

I fail to see how domination, control and putting a person into an infantile state would do much healthy.... Wouldn't a more loving parent simply be there for the child, not expect this kind of pain to vanish, and help that child have an age-appropriate relationship with their parents?

This kind of therapy was used on Autistic children in the past and it didn't help them either. Taking all the power away from someone is abusive if you ask me.

I always think of it this way--having been in a marriage with domestic violence, the last think I would have been able to deal with my second husband would have been having him re-birth me as a virgin... Not going to happen no matter how hard he held me down and rebirthed me,,, In fact he would have lost me had he tried....

Why on earth would a parent ever belive this would be healthy? We don't do these types of therapies with anyone else.....

Adoptive parents have to understand that this is part of the whole Gig! It takes time, and children with RAD are very rarely newborn adopted babies. Generally, RAD requires 3 or more primary caregivers and most new born adoptions the baby has no bonding time in the air with their mother--and only one change of primary caregiver.

RAD stinks and I know....but, I would never rebirth, reparents, or use any control tactics to heal RAD....

It takes time--time--time--time and the fact is that it takes time to trust...  It also takes the kind of parents who Do NOT think their kid needs to BELONG to them.... Children with RAD usually love their, birth family, a foster family and maybe two or three other families before being adopted. Parents who NEED to erase this miss the whole point....

My children don't only have to love and bond to me.... I love them as they are and if they choose to keep me in their lives when they become adults then I did the job right. My kids are not going to be kids forever--they have lots of people in their lives--they will get married and I don't have to be the ONLY thing they attach to...

I teach my kids the skill of attachment so that they will make good life mates and parents themselves. I don't see any need in taking them back to baby in order to mold them.

Answer 3

A while back I took a spiritual re-birthing class. Where we did poses and positions and breathing patterns that the fetus's do while growing in utero.

It was kinda cool. I liked it.

I do want to say that it was nothing like what is mentioned above. Two completely separate things with similar names.

It didn't heal any wounds for me, but it validated their existence which was better than suppressing them. I found permission to search from myself in that class. Its where I let go of the "guilt" from not wanting to upset others or stir waters and found the strength to do it because I wanted to.

Ahh... I gave my inner child strength. :)

I have no idea about what you're asking though on the psychological re-birthing classes, other than I don't think anyone should be forced to do anything they want. Forcing someone to revisit their trauma when they're not ready has killed some people. In my opinion trauma of separation and loss of mother is definitely one of the worst ones to a child. Not to mention abuse.

Validation on my feelings and empathy from friends gave me more than all of my years of therapy ever did for me.

Answer 4

I watched a documentary on psych. rebirthing some years ago.  I didn't know it still took place.  It is terrifying to the child and makes no sense at all to me.  Children have died in this abusive practice.  I would never, ever consider it.

Answer 5

lemme see...

PR involves physically holding down a child (usually by an adult), while the child struggles to get away, sometimes causing injury, psychological damage, resurgence of PTSDs (especially if the child has been a victim of violence by physical force)....i see no benefit to the child.  and any "calming" that might happen is probably due to the child's exhaustion to fight back anymore.

it's a bunch of c**p. and anyone who endorses the behavior should not be a parent.

Answer 6

Ha ha your a cat!

Answer 7

Are you serious people are still doing this to children?

Places fingers in ears.  lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala

If i ever heard of someone doing this i will report them to the police and social services right away.

My toddler, I just wrapped her up in a comfy blanket and just rocked her and sang to her until she final made eye contact.  Then she still had a bottle and i keep saying let mama do.  She eventually totally let me feed her a bottle and always made eye contact. I was consistent and loving and gentle.  That's what a child needs.  Its not rocket science.

btw it took months for her to let me feed her but i was patient and loving and one day she just handed me the bottle.  That was one of my best days ever.  She trusted me.

Answer 8

We had a horrid case in Colorado in 2001, where a child died during this process.  Horrible!  Personally, I think it is a bunch of bunk.  I don't see how it can really help a child attach to adoptive parents . . . except for terror from going through this experience.

http://www.rickross.com/groups/rebirthin...

Answer 9

i have/had rad...i think the rebirthing would have been a bad idea...i think i have dealt with my past now as i have met what is left of my birth family..but as a child with rad and an adult..the rebirthing would have meant nothing to me...i was neglected by my birth mom and she died seven months before the state adopted us out..and i dont know that she neglected me because there were other important things going on in her life or the simple fact she didnt know any better...i think for me the fact that she wasnt the greatest mom for the short time she was alive in my life was the hardest thing for me to face and accept...i hope i answered you somewhere in my ramblings...

Answer 10

I think that Psychological Re birthing is a load of c**p and I think RAD is dramatized far more than it ought to be, Just like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Just like any *disorder* that suddenly from nowhere becomes *popular* and all these people think that *must* be what they have - Personally I think people are as always just looking for excuses....and a easy way out, and as always a FAST Way to make a buck.

Cuddling children, showing them love and praise is far more beneficial than holding them down, forcing them to drink water, locking them up, forcing them to do things that YOU want against their nature.

I dont believe in any type of rebirthing - its just unnecessary and in the case of this type of rebirthing its inhumane

Answer 11

Wow....I did not know this was still going on....inhumane!!!