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 (www.houstonnvc.org). Susan can be contacted at www.wildins.net.
Milan and Nora
Nora and Milan are 14 and 14 years old and not white. They are in 9th and 10th grades attending Westside and Lamar High Schools. You can find them doing a number of things for fun: Nora enjoys photography and reading; Milan enjoys doing theater at Lamar and working out (getting RIPPED) at the gym. Both of them love doing art (Milan prefers digital, while Nora prefers traditional) and writing. They met in 2020 via email, but never really clicked. In April of 2022 their families met at a park — the first time they met IRL — but the real event driving them into friendship was a slightly poorly conducted joint interview. Ever since then, they’ve been good ol’ pals.
Udoro
I am a human who desires to see other humans, God’s lovely creations, live in their wholeness. I am Udoro Ekpin, and I have the pleasure of wearing some meaningful hats: A Mother of Three, A Sister to Four, A Friend to a Select Few, and A Child of One. Raised in Houston, TX, I am a Nigerian-American who is proud to be a graduate from Texas schools. From my formal teaching years to my consulting work through Restorative Empowerment for Youth (REY), I remain a life-long learner. My background in restorative justice (RJ) processes lends to my understanding about others and the world around me—making certain being seen and heard is not simply a cliché—moving from conversation to action.
Angelique Geehan
As a consultant, facilitator, and organizer, Angelique (any pronouns) works to support and repair the connections people have to themselves and their families, communities, and cultural practices. She builds intergenerationally, with colleagues across disciplines, to question and depolarize the beliefs and practices that can lead to isolation and feelings of powerlessness — co-creating or reclaiming ways (like carrying children in fabric close to their caregivers) that can promote resilience and healing from historical and social harms. A queer, agender, asian mother, she coaches individuals and groups; trains community and health care workers and educators; and offers lectures, classes, and workshops on topics including consent, cultural awareness, community building, relationships, parenting, and conflict and communication, in alignment with social justice and transformative justice frameworks. She invites you to connect via her website: angeliquegeehan.com.
Alex Barrera is a men’s life coach that is passionate about helping men build lasting relationships at home with their wife and kids, by focusing on relationships, communication, and confidence. As a husband and father of three, he is aware of the struggle that many men (himself included) face when entering fatherhood. Alex is co-host of the Men of Conviction podcast that talks all things men and Alex can be found online at thealexbarrera.com
Mary’s first encounter with a midwife was on the night she was born as she slipped into her mothers awaiting hands. It was in her early twenties that she heard the call and set out on her own path to become a midwife, first attending workshops and assisting Pamela Hunt and the other midwives at The Farm. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing Science from Tennessee State University and her Masters in Nursing from Vanderbilt University. In addition to being a Certified Nurse-Midwife she is also a Family Nurse Practitioner with experience in pediatric primary, urgent, and emergency care. When not catching babies or thinking of ways to fix a particular problem, Mary enjoys cooking, gardening, sewing, and folding laundry. She is married and shares four wonderful children with her husband. https://www.heartofhoustonbirth.com/
William Green is a lifelong student of psychology and esoteric sciences. He holds a degree in Psychology, with an emphasis in Religious studies. He is a board certified Structural Integration Practitioner and currently has a private practice in Houston, Texas. He is a father of three children as well as a grandfather. He has directly supported midwives and doulas for over 25 years. He is a certified health and wellness coach and has been supporting fathers and fathers to be for the past three years on his platform – masculinemedicine.com
Lynn Schulte is a Pelvic Health Physical Therapist for over 30 years, and she is the principle instructor at the Institute for Birth Healing. She has successfully healed thousands of women from all the issues women experience after birth and is now teaching courses to body-workers to help them do the same. She found a common birth pattern that shows up in the pelvis after birth and knows how to effectively release these patterns. Knowing we are more than just our bodies, Lynn works on all levels, physically, energetically, and spiritually with women to help them access their full potential. She also teaches body-workers how to work with the energy of the body and how to access and use your intuition in your bodywork sessions. She offers a certification process to help birth professionals become Birth Healing Practitioners. Lynn holds a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy from St. Louis University, St. Louis Missouri.
Hottie Hooper Healer – Rowan became a CPM in January 2019 and has extensive birth center and home birth experience. Prior to earning midwifery boards, they worked as a doula and a birth assistant. They also are a licensed massage therapist with certifications in Arvigo Maya Abdominal Massage, a Spinning Babies Aware Practitioner and is pursuing certification for scar remediation (STREAM). As a trauma informed provider, they are great all around at helping you feel more at home in your body. A co-founder of Preggers Can Be Choosers, all-in-all they have more than 25 years of experience with all things birth and healing. Their side passions are pool crashing, flow arts, and making something from nothing.
Max is an LGBTQ2S+ affirming birth doula who brings a unique perspective to the pregnancy and laboring experience. His background in body work and physical therapy gives a distinctive understanding of how to apply skills as a doula to physiological birth. He is passionate about empowering all pregnant and birthing people. Strengths are adaptability; allowing for fluid support for families in their choices. He is a homebirth parent, runs a suburban goat farm and has two giant fur babies that try to steal his bed. He enjoys dad jokes, puns, and free books. He identifies as a transmasc, nonbinary human, and uses they/he pronouns.
FRANCES COLEMAN, MPH, LM, CPM
Mrs. Coleman is owner of Full Circle Family Services in Houston, Texas. In addition to being a Certified Professional Midwife, she holds a master’s degree in Public Health/Women’s Health. Before becoming a midwife, Frances worked for a local HMO doing program planing and education. After the birth of her twins she became a doula and provided support for families in Houston for 3 years before becoming a midwife. Currently she offers midwifery care and a variety of educational classes related to the perinatal period.
ANDIE WYRICK, DNP, MSN, CNM
As a certified nurse midwife and doctor, Andie has been in the Houston birth community for over fifteen years. Her experience includes elementary school nursing, hospital L & D, birth center, and home birth. She has been joyfully dating her husband of 19 years since junior high and has five children. Her passions beyond bellies, birth, and breastfeeding are mission work, reading, and movie theater popcorn.
JAELIN STICKELS, MSN, CNM, WHNP-BC
Jaelin is a certified nurse midwife and women’s health nurse practitioner who is honored to work with women and their families as they experience pregnancy, labor, birth, and the postpartum period. Jaelin followed her passion into midwifery and has been practicing with women and babies since 2010. She has spent the last 36 blissful years married to her high school sweetheart. She has three children and one grandchild. In addition to her passion for women’s health, she loves quilting and spends her spare time running sheis.com & enamored with her granddaughter. She is currently pursuing her doctoral degree.
Dr. Eric English is a clinical psychologist licensed in Maryland. He received his PhD in psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1981, after completing a Masters degree at UW-Madison in physiological psychology in 1976 and an internship in clinical psychology in 1979 at Worcester State Hospital in Massachusetts.
He has been a licensed psychologist for 37 years, including 34 years working for the State of Maryland Department of Health. He retired from the State of Maryland in 2018. Dr. English has three children, all born at home with a midwife.
