Credentials:
Certified HypnoBirthing Childbirth Educator (HBCE) since 2005
Former Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator (LCCE)
Certified Hypnotherapist (CH); Certified in Clinical Hypnotherapy
Licensed Massage Therapist (Illinois, Texas, & California) & Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCTMB)
Certified Massage Doula
Certified Prenatal Massage Therapist
Certified Infant Massage Instructor
In addition to what is listed above, I also have a vast and varied background in movement, bodywork and alternative health; I hold a B.A. in Dance, have studied modalities such as neuromuscular massage therapy, acupuncture/acupressure, Oriental medicine, yoga, tai chi and holistic nutrition. Although I have spent many years working in the massage field, I chose to specialize in pregnancy in 2003. After discovering the joy of working with women during this enlightening time, I then began attending the births of my clients--and soon became certified as a doula and a HypnoBirthing practitioner. I was a Lamaze-Certified Childbirth Educator between 2008-2011 (but I have always exclusively taught HypnoBirthing!).
I possess an insatiable passion for interpreting the research and truths about childbirth. I believe that most parents want the safest, healthiest birthing experience possible. Sifting through the conflicting messages provided by medical staff (who are often trained to deal with emergencies or crises) can be confusing. In addition, parents often have many fears about the process. HypnoBirthing helps moms & dads to see birth as a natural, normal process; while providing skills for relaxation, visualization, and advocacy that can be used in all areas of life--and last longer than just a CD or book.
I have taught HypnoBirthing for over 7 years to hundreds of moms & couples. In addition to teaching HypnoBirthing, I have a masters degree in Clinical Psychology, with a thesis examining cortisol reactivity to acute stress in co-occurring anxiety and depression. My other research interests are in stress and coping, mindfulness, postpartum depression, PTSD, and long-term survivors of interpersonal/sexual violence. Clinically, I have worked with substance abuse and sexual trauma. In the first half of 2010, I served as a research assistant at the University of California, Irvine for the Health Psychology department, for a major pregnancy & postpartum study. I am involved in multiple studies involving mindfulness-based interventions and biological stress reactivity. I am currently working towards my Ph.D. in Psychology at New Mexico State University.
I possess an insatiable passion for interpreting the research and truths about childbirth. I believe that most parents want the safest, healthiest birthing experience possible. Sifting through the conflicting messages provided by medical staff (who are often trained to deal with emergencies or crises) can be confusing. In addition, parents often have many fears about the process. HypnoBirthing helps moms & dads to see birth as a natural, normal process; while providing skills for relaxation, visualization, and advocacy that can be used in all areas of life--and last longer than just a CD or book.
I have taught HypnoBirthing for over 7 years to hundreds of moms & couples. In addition to teaching HypnoBirthing, I have a masters degree in Clinical Psychology, with a thesis examining cortisol reactivity to acute stress in co-occurring anxiety and depression. My other research interests are in stress and coping, mindfulness, postpartum depression, PTSD, and long-term survivors of interpersonal/sexual violence. Clinically, I have worked with substance abuse and sexual trauma. In the first half of 2010, I served as a research assistant at the University of California, Irvine for the Health Psychology department, for a major pregnancy & postpartum study. I am involved in multiple studies involving mindfulness-based interventions and biological stress reactivity. I am currently working towards my Ph.D. in Psychology at New Mexico State University.
