In an effort to encourage discussion of addiction and its effects on families, Whole Mother began our Addiction Series in July of 2018. We planned to do three shows. Fifty shows, four years and some change later, we are proud to present the last show in our series on addiction. When the Addiction Series began, it was dedicated to three young people my family knew who were lost and to their mothers. We added a couple of more names to the list since we began. Each show in our series remembers with love Garrett, Sarah, Sean, Judah, and Nick, may you rest in peace; and Kim, Pam, Lori, Lesli, and Lisa: may you find peace and comfort as we remember your children.
For the last show in the series, we are pleased to welcome again representatives from Santa Maria Hostel, a unique local resource supporting women in recovery, to discuss their collaboration with the Maternal Perinatal Addiction Treatment program.
Patricia “Trish” Perkins RN, CNM, is a Certified Nurse Midwife who began her career as a labor and delivery nurse working with the Baylor Midwives. After raising her own family, she realized her lifelong dream of studying midwifery. She worked at a freestanding birth center as a full-scope midwife. She was recruited by Baylor College of Medicine to be a part of opening The Center for Children and Women at Greenspoint, where she did prenatal care including high-risk prenatal care, well-woman care and Centering Pregnancy. Her experiences also include working as a lactation consultant at St. Joseph’s Hospital, helping them achieve Texas Ten Step status. Trish is passionate about providing quality, woman-centered, compassionate care and has the unique knowledge, skills, and experience to provide comprehensive, evidence-based midwifery care that women seek. She is excited to be a part of your journey into motherhood.
She will tell us some valuable information on midwifery care and the advantages of out-of-hospital birth plus some very valuable information on prenatal care including RhoGAM information.
Suzanne Juel, IBCLC, has been working in the lactation field for 19 years, primarily in private practice. She is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and has supported thousands of families. With her background in engineering and technology, she brings a focus on identifying the root cause of problems, rather than just treating symptoms, and is known for providing comprehensive, nonjudgmental infant feeding support, and helps with both breastfed and formula fed babies. Together with Tessa Gardin, IBCLC, she established Bayou City Breastfeeding in 2016.
Lauren Dikeman, Amanda Passanate, Sarah Guzman, Belle Lamb, Natalie Swirsky, Jessica Davis — all breastfeeding mothers with breastfeeding experiences to share.
Stephanie Larson, is a leading world expert on supporting birth through movement and instinct. She is the visionary founder of Dancing For Birth™. Stephanie created the Dancing For Birth childbirth method, and Dancing For Birth class ― the powerful fusion of pregnancy fitness, childbirth education, and celebration. Birth professionals can learn and utilize this proven birth method by attending a Dancing For Birth Professional Training. Stephanie calls for an end to forced lithotomy position, and for a worldwide shift to primal, powerful, blissful birth. Her appearances include Lamaze International, DONA International, Gold Perinatal, Evidence Based Birth, NBC, CBS, and ABC. Find a Dancing For Birth parent class or professional training at https://www.dancingforbirth.com.
Nikki Smith, PhD, MSN, RNC, LCCE, is a certified Dancing For Birth instructor. She holds a master’s degree in nursing with a focus in holistic practices and is currently pursuing her doctorate in nursing philosophy. Nikki holds certifications is childbirth education, breastfeeding education, and infant massage. Her passion lies in her work with women and mothers, utilizing dance and movement that facilitate healing, transformation, and co-creation of positive birth outcomes.
Jennifer Argueta is a spiritualist, yoga teacher, and inspirational speaker. She and her husband just moved to Fort Lauderdale in hopes of starting a new life. They are newlywed, first-time parents, excited to finally see their baby in November.
Dancing For Birth class participant Lindsay Jernigan Green is an integral development coach. She works with clients by guiding them to new levels of self-awareness and understanding so they can then feel empowered to make aligned decisions and continuously integrate new desires and dreams. She lives in Miami with her husband and they are expecting their first baby ― a boy ― in August!
Darlene Scrivner is a Certified Professional Midwife who holds both state and nationally recognized licenses and has been in private practice since 1992. She continued her education with EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) training in 1997. She remains current in Neonatal Resuscitation and CPR/First Aid and has taken many additional courses and continuing education courses including; Orthomolecular Nutrition, MTHFR and the Expectant Mother, Nutrition in the Childbearing Years, Herbs and Natural Medicine, Improving Perinatal Outcomes, and many more. Darlene is the owner and director at BioBirth and the educational instructor for the BioBirth Midwifery Academy.
Sherry Duson and Colleen O’Grady talk about Colleen’s new book Dial Up the Dream: Make Your Daughter’s Journey to Adulthood the Best for Both of You and her previous book Dial Down the Drama: Reducing Conflict and Reconnecting with Your Teenage Daughter – A Guide for Mothers Everywhere. Every mother can benefit from this valuable information, in addition to every person who supports mothering. The “college trap”: What does it mean to let go of your daughter, and what does a healthy relationship with your son or daughter look like?
Colleen O’Grady, MA, is a licensed therapist, coach, and trainer who helps moms reduce drama, reclaim their lives, and dial up their dreams with their teen and young adult daughters.
After fifty thousand hours of working with moms and daughters and having lived it with her own daughter, she published her award-winning and bestselling book Dial Down the Drama: Reducing Conflict and Reconnecting with Your Teenage Daughter – A Guide for Mothers Everywhere. Colleen has shared her message of practical hope with moms worldwide in Parents magazine, Wall Street Journal Lunch Break, popular parenting podcasts, and on the red carpet at TEDxWilmington. Colleen is the host of the Power Your Parenting: Moms with Teens podcast; in 2021, it was ranked No. 1 among podcasts on parenting teens.
Sherry Duson is a Texas and Arizona Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice, and the Founder and Director of The Center for Postpartum Family Health in Houston, Texas. Since 1999 she has focused her practice on helping new mothers and the needs of young families. In 2014, she opened the Center for Postpartum Family Health, using therapists training under her supervision, to provide services on a sliding scale to the community. Sherry is a proud graduate of UH-Clear Lake Family Therapy, and is certified in the perinatal mental health specialty.
Jackie Griggs, RN, CNM, has been a Nurse Midwife in the Houston area for the past 30 years. She is a mom of five sons, three born at home with the help of midwives. Jackie owns two birth centers, one in the Houston Heights and one in Beaumont. She helps with babies at home and birth center. She is also on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Birth Centers. She still loves being a midwife as much as ever.
Patricia “Trish” Perkins RN, CNM, is a Certified Nurse Midwife who began her career as a labor and delivery nurse working with the Baylor Midwives. After raising her own family, she realized her lifelong dream of studying midwifery. She worked at a freestanding birth center as a full-scope midwife. She was recruited by Baylor College of Medicine to be a part of opening The Center for Children and Women at Greenspoint, where she did prenatal care including high-risk prenatal care, well-woman care and Centering Pregnancy. Her experiences also include working as a lactation consultant at St. Joseph’s Hospital, helping them achieve Texas Ten Step status. Trish is passionate about providing quality, woman-centered, compassionate care and has the unique knowledge, skills, and experience to provide comprehensive, evidence-based midwifery care that women seek. She is excited to be a part of your journey into motherhood.
Patty Ghaly became a midwife because she strongly believes pregnant people and their partners/support system should have the freedom to be the primary decision-maker for themselves and their babies. She established Cy-Fair Birth Center with the goal of providing an informative and caring environment where birthing people and their families can feel heard and supported. She has been providing information on pregnancy, birth, nutrition, self-care, breastfeeding, and all pregnancy- and birth-related topics to Houston families for 10 years. For relaxation, she enjoys spending time with her three teenaged children who delight in finding creative and interesting ways to increase her gray hairs.
Susan was trained as a developmental and behavioral pediatrician, leaving medicine to raise her son. Susan started attending Nonviolent Communication (NVC) workshops in 2007 and became passionate about using and sharing NVC with others. NVC gives Susan hope that humanity can learn to live in harmony, partnering with one another to meet the fundamental needs of all people. She became a Certified Professional Coach in Coaching for Transformation in 2012 and completed a year-long course in facilitation in 2014, both at Leadership that Works. Susan also served on the board of Houston NVC from 2011 to 2020. Susan’s workshops can be found on the Houston NVC website. Susan’s website is www.wildins.net.
Charis Thornton is a wife, mother, activist, and the founder of Lady Power Inc. nonprofit. Her journey began with hearing her grandparents’ and parents’ experiences of prejudice and racism, especially within healthcare, then having traumatizing experiences herself. Her path of healing and wholeness has cemented her resolve to help others acknowledge and repair harm to realize their power and resiliency. While attending the University of Houston she began her calling for sharing the love of God through nonprofit work. Helping to empower families in many countries, has held the roles of Executive, Communications and Dance Director at nonprofits while partnering with organizations to uplift communities. She started Glory Cheer and Dance, as a solo dancer for events and workshops; while teaching the young and young at heart African, Hebraic, and Flag dance. Receiving Montessori educator training and attaining a Child Care Director license, she continued to give talks advocating for culturally responsive early childhood education.
In 2019 she and her husband received the shocking yet joyful news that she was pregnant at almost 17 weeks, and her desire for a quick, painless, birth in water was later realized with the assistance of her caring midwife at a birth center. This transformational experience led her to merge her passions and she founded Lady Power Inc. Lady Power Inc. provides resources for marginalized women through education, housing, early childhood education, health, and wellness care. Its program Birth Equity Initiative provides low-income women of color with scholarships for freestanding birth center, midwifery, and doula services or birth classes of their choice, to address maternal health disparities and improve health outcomes. She believes no family or mother should fear her death or the death of her baby due to lack of access and racism, especially in view of the fact that these deaths are mostly preventable. Charis has dedicated her life to shifting the national and global discourse toward elevating all humanity. She’s grateful for the privilege to help families become whole through social justice measures, to change the course of their lives.
