email: tamipdxboard@live.com
As a doula, I bear witness to one of the most intimate and life changing experiences in a woman’s life. I believe that each birth journey is unique and that in order for a woman to surrender to the instinctual nature of birth she must feel safe and supported. Birth isn’t something that just happens to us – we are empowered by becoming conscious and active participants.
As a mother of three (a singleton and a set of twins) and a grandmother of four, I have had the opportunity to personally experience birth in many different circumstances. I completed my birth doula training in 2007, was certified through DONA in 2008, and soon after joined PDX Doulas. I was privileged to serve as President from March 2009 – December 2010 when I stepped down and transitioned into my current position on the Board of Directors. What a joy these years have been! My life has been forever changed by these experiences and birth work has truly been food for my soul.
Our doula volunteers are the heart and hands of our program. They are making a difference in our community through their selfless service to birthing women and their families, and providing mentorship and training to their doula sisters. They are also building a bridge of collaboration to health care providers through their dedication to the spirit of professionalism. I feel privileged to be able to continue to support their efforts as they change the world one birth at a time.
“Each of us can look back upon someone who made a difference in our lives, often a teacher or a volunteer whose wisdom or simple acts of caring made an impression. In all likelihood, it was someone who sought no recognition for their deed other than the joy of knowing that, by their hand, another’s life had been made better.” ~ Stephen M. Wolfe