Gentle Beginnings Birth Services

I think it’s fitting to call myself a Jill-of-all-trades, as I often find myself filling many roles and juggling many different "jobs" in the process.  For all practical purposes, I am the owner of Gentle Beginnings Birth Services, which as you may notice is a bit of a business-of-all-trades.  As for my "professional" experiences:  I have a master's degree in psychological counseling and am a licensed professional counselor (LPC: NJ).  I first started working as a professional in the field of mental health in 2005.  In 2011, I earned a PhD from Iowa State University in Human Development and Family Studies.  My research focuses on modern maternity care experiences in the U.S., primarily from a social and feminist lens and how these impact individuals as well as parent-child relationships and child development.  I am trained as a birth doula through DONA, International and certified childbirth educator through ICEA.  In addition to my work as a birth professional I am a lecturer in HDFS at Iowa State.