Kate was inspired to become a doula as a result of family birth stories she heard growing up which eventually taught her the value of labor support, the innate abilities of birthing women, and cultivated a deep sense of respect for the family life cycle. Kate began attending births in the US in 2002 and gave birth to her first child in 2007. Since moving to Bangkok in 2004 she has continously been supporting women and couples in hospital births throughout the city. In 2009 she completed a 2 month midwifery apprenticeship in Ubud, Bali, at Yayasan Bumi Sehat.

Kate believes that every woman and, therefore, every birth experience is unique. For a woman to surrender to her birth experience — no matter what that birth might look like — she must feel safe, fully supported, and respected. Kate encourages every woman to cultivate confidence to birth her baby as she desires by staying present with herself and her baby throughout her journey into motherhood. Kate believes that the role of a doula is to fully support choices that women and their partners make in pregnancy, labor, birth, and to faciliate a positive birthing experience, regardless of how a woman births her baby.

In addition to offering doula services, Kate teaches childbirth classes, prenatal yoga, partner massage prepare women for childbirth. Kate encourages couples to examine evidence-based childbirth practices so they understand their options and can make informed decisions. She teaches couples relaxation and self-hypnosis methods that integrate body and mind, and active birth techniques that can faciliate normal birth physiology and place a woman in the center of her labor experience. She encourages women to identify fears, limiting thoughts, and beliefs so they can reframe perceptions and trust their instincts in birth and beyond.

Kate teaches prenatal yoga classes that integrate elements of a traditional yoga class with an emphasis on preparing for labor. Since birth happens from the neck down, we can't "think" our way through labor. Prenatal yoga facilitates an awareness of the "mind-body-baby" connection and reinforces the power of conscious breathing and observation when moving through physical, mental, and emotional challenges.

Kate's approach as a pregnacy massage therapist is holistic and client-centered. She is committed to creating a session that is safe, informational, and deeply relaxing.

Kate is a US-trained certified massage therapist, infant massage instructor, birth doula, midwife assistant (The Farm Midwifery Center), Hypnobirthing® practitioner, certified hypnotherapist (NGH) and prenatal yoga teacher. She is a certified doula through DONA International and trained with Penny Simkin in 2002. Kate completed a massage therapy program at the Potomac Massage Training Institute in Washington, DC, is a certified pregnancy massage therapist trained in Bodywork for the Childbearing Year®, and is a certified infant massage instructor through the International Loving Touch Foundation®. She also holds a Master in Business Administration and a Master in Public Policy.

Kate is a member of the American Massage Therapy Association (www.amtamassage.org), Doulas of North America International (www.dona.org), and is a certified Yoga instructor (Yoga Alliance RYT).