When postnatal debriefing silences women: A critique through the lens of set and setting.
Midwifery July 16, 2025 Orli Dahan, Sapir Bar 2 citations
Postnatal debriefing, intended as a therapeutic conversation to help women process birth and prevent distress, can have variable effects, especially for those who experienced trauma. This commentary argues that when debriefing focuses only on women's expectations while ignoring the institutional and relational context of the birth, it can become a form of subtle coercion. This risks shifting responsibility for trauma from systemic failures onto the individual woman, reinforcing gaslighting and epistemic injustice. The authors propose that debriefing should be viewed as an ethically charged relational act, not a neutral task. A set and setting-informed approach may foster deeper validation, accountability, and healing.