About the film

IN UTERO brings together for the first time convincing data that explains that we are not only our genes but a product of our environment as well.

Through enlightening and oftentimes poignant interviews with experts and pioneers, IN UTERO paints a complex tapestry of the human experience from conception to birth. Tapping into cultural myths, popular movies, and technological trends, the film demonstrates how our experiences in utero – particularly traumatic events – preoccupy us throughout our lives, impacting our decisions and shaping society.

Stay tuned for information on IN UTERO II, a follow-up documentary about healing in utero trauma, which is currently in production.

Please note: IN UTERO is subtitled in the following languages: Chinese, Dutch, German, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Romanian, Slovenian, Spanish. To access during the film, click on the CC button in the bottom right-hand of the video player.

About Rachel Yehuda

Join us on May 3rd for a discussion with author Rachel Yehuda, for a conversation about the power of the prenatal Mother-Baby Bond with a focus on Surrogacy and Adoption.

Rachel Yehuda, PhD, is an Endowed Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Trauma. She is also Director of Mental Health at the James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Dr. Yehuda is a recognized leader in the field of traumatic stress studies having authored more than 500 academic papers, chapters, and books in the field of PTSD and intergenerational trauma. Dr. Yehuda's research on cortisol and epigenetic mechanisms has revolutionized our understanding of the neurobiology and treatment of PTSD. In 2019, Dr. Yehuda was elected to the National Academy of Medicine for her seminal contributions to understanding the psychological and biological impact of traumatic stress. Last year, Dr. Yehuda established and now directs the Center for Psychedelic Psychotherapy and Trauma Research, and has been named one of the most influential women in the psychedelic field.

Her research has focused on PTSD in combat veterans, the children of Holocaust survivors and the children of pregnant women who survived the 9/11 attacks.

About the Identity Development Institute

As the film was released a floodgate was opening globally around the subject of trauma. IN UTERO became an important part of that dialogue and, in the process, producer Stephen Gyllenhaal discovered a psychological methodology out of Germany that took things to a different level.

While IN UTERO outlined the problems of early trauma, it did not address any remedies. But there was a solution.

So in 2017, Stephen retired from narrative filmmaking, trained extensively in this work and founded The Identity Development Institute, to bring the methodology to North America.

The Institute's mission is to grow a community of practitioners, researchers, and educators who are Early Trauma-informed across North America.

The Institute offers experiential training programs and raise awareness of Early Trauma through various media sources.