ABOUT MY PRACTICE:
My desire is to help my clients get clarity about what THEIR definition of a joyful birth experience would be and then to assist them in creating and living that experience as much as possible.
I believe that women and their supporters DO have an opportunity to significantly influence how their birth experiences unfold. Utilizing skills and techniques from my work as a life coach, as well as my more traditional skills as a massage therapist and a doula, I encourage clients to take steps toward stacking the odds in their favor that their birth experience will unfold in a way that will be joyful for them.
I delight in supporting partners and other support team members in their preferred roles and levels of involvement, whatever they may be. I also happily support my clients’ individual birth preferences, including a vast assortment of choices about care providers, birth locations, medicinal and non-medicinal comfort measures and pain relief, medical interventions and preferred type of birth (vaginal or cesarean). I love supporting the diversity of my clients, including those who may be creating non-traditional families.
I believe that women and their supporters DO have an opportunity to significantly influence how their birth experiences unfold. Utilizing skills and techniques from my work as a life coach, as well as my more traditional skills as a massage therapist and a doula, I encourage clients to take steps toward stacking the odds in their favor that their birth experience will unfold in a way that will be joyful for them.
I delight in supporting partners and other support team members in their preferred roles and levels of involvement, whatever they may be. I also happily support my clients’ individual birth preferences, including a vast assortment of choices about care providers, birth locations, medicinal and non-medicinal comfort measures and pain relief, medical interventions and preferred type of birth (vaginal or cesarean). I love supporting the diversity of my clients, including those who may be creating non-traditional families.
TRAINING:
I am a Certified Doula (CD) through DONA International, which is the largest doula-certifying organization in the world. I completed my DONA International birth doula coursework in June of 2009 and since August of 2009, I have supported more than 200 births as a birth doula (on average, approximately 2.5 births per month). I continue to actively read books, take classes and attend monthly local peer review meetings to expand my knowledge and refine my skills.
EXPERTISE:
Beyond the standard DONA International birth doula training, I have additional expertise in the following:
- Pre- and Perinatal Massage Therapy, including supporting women with special needs
- Yoga and Fitness Instruction for Pregnancy, Labor and the Postpartum Period
- Movement and Positioning for Stalled Labor (Dystocia)
- The Bradley Method/Partner-Coached Childbirth
- HypnoBirthing, Hypnobabies and Other Hypnosis-Based Deep Relaxation Techniques for Childbirth
- Birthing From Within/Expressive Art Therapy Techniques for Childbirth Preparation
- Meditation for Pregnancy, Birth and the Postpartum Period (Calm Birth)
- Homeopathy for Labor, Birth and the Postpartum Period
- VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean Birth) Preparation & Support
- Supporting Families with Twins or Multiples
- Life Coaching
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:
I am a member of DONA International.