After the birth of my daughter Violet in 1998, I began pursuing a career supporting women to have satisfying, healthy births and to support good health with effective alternatives. I have run a private practice as a doula, birth advocate and educational counselor since 1999, and as a clinical herbalist since 2003. For two years I trained with and worked for WIC in the Boone County Health Department in Columbia offering breastfeeding education and support and developed the breastfeeding education and support classes currently being taught there.

One of the turning points for me was my training with Robin Sale of Whole Birth Resources in 2000. I have since organized and co-taught teacher trainings with Robin and offer 6 week sessions regularly in Columbia. Along with mindfulness, one of the key concepts of Whole Birth Yoga are the techniques taught to Robin by Dr. Gayle Peterson who has also mentored Pamela England, author of "Birthing From Within." I went on to study with Dr. Peterson and certified in Birth Educational Counseling and Body Centered Hypnosis.

I am currently a masters student in the School of Educational and Counseling Psychology at the University of Missouri Columbia. I am also pursuing the graduate minor in Women's and Gender Studies and and work in that department as a teaching and research assistant.

My work in Women's and Gender Studies has provided tools that make visible many of the problematic discourses in the natural childbirth movement and within the midwifey model. One of my goals is to offer a feminist critique of these discourses to encourage the inclusion of a diversity of women and couples and to do so through an analysis that includes the inersections of race, class, sexuality, gender, ability, and religion. Because I value the midwifery model and many of the tenents of the natural childbirth movement, I approach this critique and analysis with kindness and with encouragement.

While my daughter was I young, I also developed Violet Moon Organics, an herbal product businesses in which I formulate all my products from the ground up harvesting the plants from surrounding woods and fields as well as from my own substantial organic herb gardens. I was inspired to create these simple, organic herbal products in response to a lack of natural and effective products that were also pesticide and chemical free. In the past I have offered herbal classes in wildcrafting, gardening, medicine making, using herbs for family health, and the childbearing year. However, I have set this aside as I finish school. However, if you would like to learn more about how to use herbs or if you have a specific herbal question, feel free to contact me for an appointment.

As an herbalist, I am primarily self taught through my own use of the herbs, independent readings, and in my relationship with the plants. However, I have also studied with Kahla Wheeler of Prairie Wise herb school and Michael Tierra of Planetary Herbology and I have had the honor to study at the feet of many other accomplished herbalists such as Mathew Wood and Susun Weed. I am a member of the American Herbalist Guild (AHG) and I served as the chair of the AHG council of students for 2 years.

I have many goals.....one is to open a practice with a yoga/class room and an office for a counseling practice. I hope to develop a doula training that focuses on advocacy to make change in the big picture of birth and to be inclusive of all women, and educate about reproductive rights and justice.