Meet Our Speakers!
Dr. Shital Lathiya
Dr. Shital is a Physiotherapist,Teenage Health coach, Women Health Trainer, a Garbh Sanskar Coach, Founder of Mommy's Touch (The Garbh Sanskar Institute) and Author of - Khiltu Pushp (prayers for pregnant mothers). She has been working as a private practitioner in the field of physiotherapy since 2000 and helps women as a prenatal education coach since 2005 as well as conducting society awareness programs about maternity, general womens health and traditional values.
Dr. Darcia Narvaez
Darcia Narvaez, PhD, is Professor Emerita of Psychology at the University of Notre Dame (Indiana, USA). She is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science, the American Educational Research Association and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She studies moral development and human flourishing from an interdisciplinary perspective, integrating anthropology, neuroscience, clinical, developmental and educational sciences. She has published hundreds of papers and over 20 books including the multi-award-winning book, Neurobiology and the Development of Human Morality: Evolution, Culture and Wisdom. Recent books include Restoring the Kinship Worldview and The Evolved Nest: Nature's Way of Raising Children and Creating Connected Communities. She serves as president of KindredWorld.org and hosts the website EvolvedNest.org.
Laura Uplinger
Laura is the Vice-President of ANEP Brazil (National Association for Prenatal Education). Since the late 1970s, she has been a proponent of the powerful influence of a mother’s inner life on the formation of her prenate. She often leads workshops and gives talks about prenatal parenting at conferences and webinars for birth professionals and the public at large in the Americas and Europe. She also addresses high schools and university students on the subject of prenatal and perinatal psychology. The name of one of her most effective workshops is "Pro Mundo Nascer Feliz" (For the World to be Born Happy).
Sasha Stone
Rhodesia-Zimbabwe born, war-experienced former rock musician/artist Sacha Stone isan outspoken advocate of human rights and natural justice. Over the past decades he
has dedicated his life to setting up various initiatives like the International Tribunal for Natural Justice with ongoing investigations into human trafficking, the Lazarus Initiative
reintroducing suppressed cultural, technological and historical insights through monthly Symposiums and his latest wildly successful bi-weekly news-broadcast Arise! Guerilla News. Just recently he has broadcasted his widely shared first 5G Apocalypse Summit, focusing on 5G technology and the remedies to protect ourselves from harmful 5G radiation.
He has instigated peace initiatives and education programs, lobbied against human rights abuses around the globe and prosecutes for the protection of vanguard innovators, scientists and doctors. He is currently developing the NewEarth Sanctuary alongside Lake Bacalar in Mexico as well as working with high-ranking military people and inventors in Romania to push zero-point technology as the source code for the NewEarth blueprint.
Susana Lopes
Susana Lopes is the Secretary-General of the Prenatal Alliance, President of the Norwegian Association for Prenatal Education, a prenatal educator, prenatal and postnatal yoga teacher, author, speaker, and advocate for pregnant mothers and their conscious babies. With 20 years of experience, she has dedicated her career to empowering women and mothers to improve their overall health, manage stress and anxiety, and deepen their connection with their bodies and their babies to harmonize life’s natural cycles.
As a mother of three and author of Yoga e Maternidade, Susana draws from her rich personal and professional experience. Her background also includes specialized training in yoga for children and Pilates. Mother Earth with its rhythms, cycles, sounds, and sensations, has been one of her greatest mentors.
Raylene Phillips
Raylene Phillips, MD, MA, FAAP, FABM, IBCLC is the President of APPPAH - Association for Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health. She is also a neonatologist with a passion for the physical and emotional wellbeing of babies. After raising three children as a stay-at-home mother, she received a Master’s Degree in Developmental Psychology, became NIDCAP certified as a Preterm Infant Developmental Specialist, and then attended medical school at University of California, Davis, graduating in 2004. Dr. Phillips completed her Pediatric Residency and Neonatology Fellowship at Loma Linda University Children's Hospital in Loma Linda, CA and is currently an attending neonatologist at the same hospital as well as Medical Director of Neonatal Services and Pediatric Department Chair at Loma Linda University Medical Center-Murrieta. Raylene is an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and is a Fellow of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine. Her primary areas of interest are supporting the physical wellbeing of newborns and healthy emotional connections between babies and their parents before and after birth. Raylene Phillips lives in Redlands, CA, USA.
Kola B. Brönner
Since 2022 President of ISPPM - International Society for Pre- and Perinatal Psychology and Medicin. Kola is a Graduate social worker, non-medical practitioner (psychotherapy since 1996), Systemic Constellation facilitator (recognized by and member of the DGfS), Leader of trainings in System Constellations in Germany, Ireland and Spain. Co-founder (with partner Jochem Stienen) of the JoKo - Institute for Continuing Education 2006. Chairwoman of "Lahar" Association for Conscious Childbirth and Family e.V., 11 years instructor in childbirth preparation.
Olga Gouni
Olga Gouni, an expert in Prenatal Psychology, has been engaged in Education, Research and Development of Prenatal Sciences for almost 30 years. She founded the Research Institute of Prenatal Sciences SOPHIA and the International Journal of Prenatal & Life Sciences. An active member of COST ACTION for over 12 years, author, editor of collective authorship projects, designer of educational programmes in Prenatal Sciences, Professional Education Trainer of many successful educational courses in the field of prenatal psychology internationally and the specialization program in Whole-Self Prebirth Psychology and creator of the Health Promotion Program "WELCOME" for pregnant couples with a focus on the (unborn) baby. Her vision/ mission is to synthesize and organize the acquired knowledge in the field of Prenatal Sciences and bridge the Academia with the professionals in the field of Prenatal Psychology.
Isabella Polito
Graduate in fine arts. Venezuelan doula, perinatal educator, breastfeeding counselor and bioenergetic body therapist for 30 years. Guest lecturer and teacher in Colombia, Panama, Brazil and Bolivia. Coordinator and founder of the World Network of Doulas, an organization of Spanish-speaking doulas, founded in 2010 in Brasilia. Founder of Auroramadre, art and science of giving birth together with her husband, Dr. Beltrán Lares, obstetrician-gynecologist.
Dr. Nilima Patel
A Fellow Awardee of Indian Association of Physiotherapist (2008) Dr. Nilima Patel has an experience as An Academician & Clinician as Physiotherapy professional, (1982) Clinical Psychologist (1992) and A Ashtangyoga Teacher(2003). She was Ex HOD & Principal Government Physiotherapy College Vadodara Gujarat and currently working as Honorary Director, Faculty of Physiotherapy, Parul University Vadodara. She is recipient of numerous prestigious awards for her contribution for her work on “PhysioYoga” – Integrated Approach of Science & Spirituality in Rehabilitation. To name a few: Rashtriya Gaurav Award, Pride of Gujarat Award, Physio Ratna Award, Lifetime Achievement Award, Experience Excellence Award, Legend Legacy Award, Women Empowerment Award, Admirable Women Award, and many more. She has authored a book on Yoga & Rehabilitation. Her Vision, Passion & Mission is Postural Health for which has conducted more than 350 Seminars, Workshops Symposiums, Webinars & Education progamms all across India. She believes of herself still as a student as One is student for lifetime and learning is a continuous process. She endorses that God gave you skill but your patients’ faith makes you great. Her focus has always been Women’s Health: Menarche to Menopause to Geriatrics. She has contributed 5 Gold Medals every year to Female candidates in UG & PG Programm in Physiotherapy (2021) to motivate women from grass root level. Her journey as PhysioYoga expert, guide and educator will continue for lifetime.
Carla Machado
Carla is the founder and President of ANEP Brazil (National Association for Prenatal Education) since 2010, and is also an Astrologist, Psychotherapist, Flower Essences Therapist and Prenatal Educator. After having worked as a System Analyst for 12 years at IBM, she changed gears in 1998 after the birth of her first child and became a facilitator of therapeutic women's groups that work with fairy tales and art crafts.
Nese Karabekir
Nese is a Psychodrama Therapist and Trainer /Individual Psychodrama Therapist/ Birth Psychologist/ Birth With No Regret Educator / Lamaze Certified ChildbirthEducator / Active Birth Educator/HypnoBirthing Trainer. She is co-founder of Istanbul Psychodrama Institute(1996), Istanbul Birth Academy (2010), Birth With No Regrets and President of the Hand to Hand for Birth Association (2015) and Vice President of ISPPM. She currently gives Doula and Birth Psychotherapist training as well as continuing her therapeutic work in Istanbul. Recently she has been awarded the 2019 Educator Award for APPPAH.
Kate White
Award-winning educator and an advanced bodyworker. She is trained in somatic therapies, prenatal and perinatal somatic health, lactation, brain development, infant mental health, and has specialized in parent-baby dyad care using somatic prevention and trauma healing approaches for nearly 25 years. She is a mother of two children, holds a BA and MA in Communication, is a Registered Craniosacral Therapist in the Biodynamic Craniosacral method and a Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner. Her work combines somatic trauma healing, energetic therapies, bodywork, pediatric therapies and education about the nervous system to help give families with babies and small children the best possible start.
She is Founding Director of Education for the Association for Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health where from 2013 – 2019 she created and ran the Prenatal and Perinatal Educator Certificate program, a large online educational program for professionals. She went on to found Prenatal and Perinatal Healing Online and the Prenatal and Perinatal Somatics Institute. She teaches classes online and in person, and offers training called Integrated Prenatal and Perinatal Dynamics. She has a private practice in Charlottesville, VA called Belvedere Integrated Healing Arts and offers her own seminars through the Center for Prenatal and Perinatal Programs.
Barbara Harper
Barbara Harper is an internationally recognized expert on waterbirth and gentle birth, a published author who founded Waterbirth International in 1987, with one goal in mind – to ensure that waterbirth is an “available option” for all women. During the past four decades Barbara has worked as an obstetric and pediatric nurse, midwife, midwifery instructor, childbirth educator, doula and doula trainer and has used her vast experience to develop unique seminars which she teaches within hospitals, nursing schools, midwifery and medical schools and community groups worldwide. She was recognized in 2002 by Lamaze International for her contributions in promoting normal birth on an international level. Her bestselling book and DVD, ‘Gentle Birth Choices,’ has been translated into 9 languages, including a 2016 Mandarin Chinese edition. She is working on two new books, ‘The Essential Guide to Waterbirth” and ‘The Wisdom of Gentle Birth.” Best known for her Waterbirth Certification Courses, Barbara has dedicated her life to changing the way we welcome babies into the world. She is the mother of three adult children, two of whom were born at home in water, and grandmother of two boys. She lives in Boca Raton, Florida, where she is active in the community as a midwifery and doula mentor and Blissborn Birth Hypnosis teacher. Her website is www.waterbirth.org and Instagram @thebarbaraharper and @waterbirthint
Antonella Sansone
Dr. Antonella Sansone, PhD, is a mother, integrative clinical and health psychologist, researcher, educator, mindfulness facilitator, infant developmental massage teacher, author, and artist. She is an international speaker, pioneer, paradigm shifter, and advocate in the field of early parenting from before conception to infancy, prenatal and perinatal health, mindfulness, and promoter of mother-infant relationship prior and post-birth. Antonella has a special interest in the impact of the pre/perinatal period on human development, attachment, mental health, human virtues, consciousness evolution and peace, integration of primal wisdom and science, psychosomatics, embodiment, body language, and integrative mind-body approaches to health-enhancement and healing. One of her main goals is connecting the academic world with the lay community and implementing services that promote evolution of human virtues and consciousness, wellbeing, peace, and life sustainability on our planet.
Antonella designed and piloted the innovative Prenatal Mindfulness Relationship-Based (PMRB) program, focused on mother (and father)-baby sensorimotor and reflective interactions in her PhD completed in Australia, which reconceptualises Attachment. The program/model promotes maternal mindfulness, interoception, wellbeing, and human connection from before birth and can mitigate the risk of postnatal depression, anxiety, and stress and their effects on child development.
Dr. Gülnihal Şarman
Born and raised in İstanbul, Turkie. After graduating from Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul, Turkie, in 1987 as a medical doctor, Dr Sarman wanted to advance her career in the USA. Completing 2 years of research in cord blood and colostrum biology at University of Texas, Houston, USA. Subsequently, she completed her pediatric residency and neonatal subspeciality at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
Upon return to her home country, Turkie, she established modern NICU’s in 3 different hospitals. To help standardize newborn care in Turkey she worked on the resuscitation education team of the Ministry of Health. Due to her dedication to support mother’s milk feeding, she became an IBCLC. A strong supporter of parental knowhow in baby care, she founded and taught Prenatal Education classes in the hospitals she worked. She has been an educator in the team of Istanbul Birthing Academy, teaching the Newborn Care section since 2010. Her published books are: The Nutrition Book of My Baby ( in Turkish); Living with Multiples :Twins, Triplets ( in Turkish), editor and translator of the book Making More Milk ( by L Marasco, D West)
Dr. Carlos Eduardo Martínez Daza
Medical Doctor from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, with three decades of training in psychology and pre- and perinatal health. Researcher, professor, and author. His work includes the book "Tan solo 9 meses para construir una vida" (Only 9 months to build a life) and various educational materials focused on Health Humanization and Natural Prenatal Education. He has extensive experience as a speaker on prenatal attachment and psychoneuroimmunology applied to the humanization of health services. He has led social impact projects as Coordinator of the Humanization Process at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia School of Medicine (2004-2006) and served as advisor for reducing maternal and perinatal mortality in Villavicencio- Colombia (2008-2011). Currently dedicated to the application of artificial intelligence tools in the humanization of health services.
Dr. Akira Ikegawa
OB-GYN doctor, author, and lecturer with an extensive research background on the concept of Prenatal Memory. He distributed about 3,600 questionnaires consisting of 85 questions in 2002 and 2003 and continued interviewing people with Prenatal Memory. He guides how to communicate with babies in the womb for pregnant mothers at his clinic and delivers lectures nationally and internationally about the extraordinary stories he discovered from Prenatal Memory research. Videos with English subtitles are available on the Prenatal Memory YouTube channel.
Takehiko Uemura
Dr. Takehiko Uemura is currently Professor at School of International Liberal Arts, Yokohama City University, Japan. While teaching global politics and global public policy, he is researching such areas as global tax, global governance, world government and global basic income. He is a board member of: the Japan Association for United Nations Studies; the Global Solidarity Tax Forum; and the World Federalist Movement of Japan. He was Dean of the Department of Global, Regional and Urban Studies, as well as Director of the Global Cooperation Institute for Sustainable Cities at Yokohama City University. He received his Master of Laws degree from Osaka University, his M.A. (International Affairs) from Carleton University, and Ph. D. from Chiba University. After working for the Canadian Bureau for International Education, he worked for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations as People’s Participation/Environment Officer. He was also Lecturer at Nara University; Senior Researcher at the CSR Institute; and Associate Professor at Chiba University. Since 2012, he is Professor at Yokohama City University. He was a visiting fellow at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, a visiting professor at the University of Helsinki, and a visiting scholar at Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
Reiko Kishimoto
Reiko Kishimoto is a licensed midwife and RN. Her personal childbirth experiences in Boston/ revealed the delicate balance between physical and mental well-being. In 2008, she founded the Kishimoto Maternity Center in Japan, which focused on comfort and happiness. Reiko stands at the forefront of a movement, fostering a community that embraces natural hormone secretion with a holistic approach supported by doulas, birth attendants, and family members. Through her work, she envisions a future where childbirth is a shared, celebrated experience, transcending cultural norms and embracing women's innate strength. Aspiring to make SAN-BA a universal language.
Yoshiko Hanamori
Yoshiko Hanamori is an experienced acupuncturist and judo therapist with over 25 years of practice. A mother of two, she is dedicated to promoting an integrated approach to medicine that harmonizes Western and Eastern practices.
After experiencing her own struggles with infertility, she established a unique herbal medicine store specializing in rare Japanese herbal remedies that are not available elsewhere. Through her dedicated fertility support, she has achieved an impressive birth rate, assisting couples who had previously been unable to conceive. To date, her efforts have resulted in the birth of over 10,000 babies.
Hoshiko Shibata
With a decade of experience as a midwife and nurse, Hoshiko Shibata has worked in neonatal care units and intensive care units following pediatric cardiac surgery. Driven by a desire to deepen her understanding of the female body, she began studying bodywork to explore how to support bodily adjustments during pregnancy and postpartum.
She has delivered numerous lectures on infant growth and development and is the author of several widely acclaimed books on the topic.
Dr. G. Meera
Dr. G. Meera BAMD MD, is the Head- AYUSH research innovations and founder at Sreehareeyam Ayurveda. She is also the only woman elected Director at IMPCOPS from Tamilnadu. Under her efforts IIT and IMPCOPS have signed an MOU for research on sensors. Held position of Lecturer Sri Jayendra Saraswati Ayurveda College, Chennai. First doctor to have done telemedicine in covid ICU at Anand hospital Meerut along with her husband Dr Sudheer a 8 th generation Ayurveda vaidya. One of the very few ayurveda doctors who did telemedicine for covid and documented in scientific journals.
They have served 25000 villagers in and around Uthiramerur in 2020 with Ayurveda immunity boosting herbs following the Center s Covid Preventive protocol- well documented by the Tamil dailies during and after covid.
They are honoured to have honored- 33 AYUSH doctors through their trust through his excellency Honorable Thiru R N Ravi Governor Tamilnadu India on December 14 2023 at Raj Bhavan.
Dr. Prity Dal
Dr.Prity Dal, founder of THE WOMB STORY, is a Dentist by profession. Her innate passion of being around pregnant women and babies, got her on her yoga journey specialising in fitness for Pregnancy and Postpartum in 2015. Since then she's certified herself at national and international level around pilates, Vinayasa yoga, dance workouts for pregnancy and postpartum and been helping women to conceive naturally, have a fit pregnancy and work on fixing the core after the baby. Her super speciality being helping new and not so new mother's fix the gap AKA Diastasis Recti, which is very common postpartum.
In a day, age and culture, where women's physical and mental well being is given so much importance during her 9 months of pregnancy, but completely forgotten once the baby is born, she strives to encourage parents -to-be to focus more on having a postpartum plan for themselves to navigate through it together in a gentle and healthy way, not forgetting their own needs while they take care of the baby. Also, encouraging new mother's to set up a nursery for themselves while they are busy prepping up for the baby's nursery,cot, clothes, diapers. With *THE WOMB STORY* she works to revive the rituals and food revolving around postpartum followed by our ancestors, which our now educated women don't want to blindly follow, hence backing up all the rituals with science behind it.
One such ritual being vaginal steaming which helps to heal the perineum naturally and quickly post normal birth. And all these rituals ultimately help to reduce the rate of postpartum depression, which is now going really high. That's her true vision behind The Womb Story.
Dr. Joel Evans
Dr. Joel Evans, who started his OB career in 1988 and then ultimately went on to join APPPAH’s Board of Directors and become its Medical Director, will share how infusing a spiritual perspective into practice leads to better outcomes, not just in his practice, but in the scientific literature. Dr Evans would like to say that he could never have been so impactful in the lives of so many mothers and babies without the leadership, love and support of the leaders of the Prenatal Alliance and APPPAH.
Amara R. Eckert, PhD.
Professor at University of Applied Sciences, Darmstadt. Pedagogue, Coach, Psychomotrician and Body-Psychotherapist. Researcher, lecturer and professor at University of Cologne, University Kiel, University of Applied Science Darmstadt, Maltepe University Istanbul/TR. Further education and advanced trainings in different (psycho)therapeutic approaches. Therapeutic work with children and adults since 1980. Lecturer at various institutes and NGOs in different countries for psychomotricity, trauma, prenatal and perinatal Psychology and Body Psychotherapy. Coaching and supervision, board and leadership activities in various institutions. Professional publications in German, English, Bulgarian and Turkish language.
Divya Deswal
Divya has been dedicated to supporting expectant families since 2001 as a Childbirth Educator, HypnoBirthing Practitioner, and Doula. She is also a Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapist and Somatic Experience Practitioner, mentoring doulas in India and collaborating with hospitals to implement water births. Her journey began with the birth of her first child in 1996, which ignited her passion for birth work and highlighted the impact of cultural and spiritual beliefs on parenting choices. Recognizing the often fear-inducing and disempowering nature of maternity care, Divya sought to create a welcoming environment for families. She incorporates techniques such as hypnosis, birth art, and movement to help clients prepare for birth.
Divya is a graduate of PPNE with APPPAH and has pursued further education in prenatal development and parent-infant pathways at the University of Minnesota. She founded The Doula Collective, which offers a yearlong doula training program emphasizing trauma-informed care. Additionally, she is a mentor with the Association of Pre and Perinatal Psychology and Health in the USA, and she holds various certifications in childbirth and trauma-informed practices, enabling her to support women and babies throughout pregnancy and beyond.
Keren Gadasi
Keren Friedman-Gedasi is the founder of the B.O.T (Birth Oriented Thinking) approach, aimed at promoting effective communication within professional birth settings in Israel, particularly in labor rooms. Keren has trained hundreds of professionals across the country and is regarded as a leading figure in developing content that helps medical teams handle complex and sensitive communication challenges in labor environments.
Keren brings extensive experience in working with women and couples who have experienced loss, miscarriage, and birth-related trauma, and she actively promotes collaboration between labor room teams and mental health professionals. The B.O.T approach, developed specifically for midwifery teams, has been presented at professional conferences worldwide and provides practical tools to help staff deal with secondary trauma and its impact on caregiving teams. Today, the B.O.T approach also supports and trains a wide range of professionals, including doulas, lactation consultants, pelvic floor physiotherapists, psychologists, and social workers specializing in fertility, pregnancy, and childbirth.
Joanne Fisher
Joanne Fisher is the world’s leading BodyTalk birthkeeper, specializing in holistic support for fertility, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. She holds a degree in Kinesiology and is a Certified BodyTalk Practitioner with training in birth psychology, prenatal yoga, birth trauma and loss prevention, and Infant Sleep Education. Joanne is the author of Easy Pregnancy, Easy Birth, Easy Baby: Your Guide to a Pain-Free Pregnancy, Blissful Birth, and an Exceptional Child, which includes a unique pregnancy symptom translation guide that explores the emotional roots of common symptoms.Based in Saskatoon, Canada, Joanne has helped families worldwide experience empowered, pain-free pregnancies and meaningful birth journeys through her integrative, mind-body approach.
Hélyette Neel
Hélyette has a Master’s in Solar Energy. She worked on sunlight concentration with parabolic mirrors and now transposes this knowledge to the human body, addressing the person’s inner sun in a healing and self-knowing process. She developed her own method that facilitates the inner path to finding one’s harmony from one’s own stories, especially during a conscious childbirth journey from pre-conception onward.
Vanessa Lachmann
Vanessa Lachmann, is the founder of Rising Mother, where she combinse modern medical knowledge with ancient shamanic healing practices to offer holistic support to women on their journey through fertility, pregnancy, and motherhood. Her background as a Holistic Doula, Shamanic Practitioner, and Pediatric Osteopath BSc, DPO with over 10 years of experience, gave her a deep understanding of this sacred time through both scientific and spiritual lenses.
At the heart of her work is the belief that pregnancy and birth are not merely physical events but profound journeys for everyone involved. By helping parents embrace this transformative journey as an initiation, they can reconnect with their inner wisdom, heal generational wounds, and step into parenthood consciously and with love. When we honor pregnancy and birth as a sacred process, it not only empowers mothers but also sets the foundation for healthier, more emotionally connected families.
Her goal is to create a future where children are welcomed into homes filled with love, understanding, and emotional well-being because their parents have consciously connected to the spiritual and emotional aspects of this transformation. In this way, we nurture not just the physical health of the mother and baby, but also their emotional and spiritual wellbeing, fostering a healthier and more conscious next generation.
Rackhee Trust
Rackhee Trust is a mother of two home-birthed children, an author, poet, oracle, intuitive healer, ritualist and teacher of mystical arts. With a decade of experience in energy medicine and subconscious reprogramming, her courses and programs have resulted in over 10,000 individuals realising their dreams.
Dr. Hetal Patel
Dr. Hetal Patel began her journey in 2001. She has 23 years of clinical experience and 16 years of teaching experience, which she continues to build. Her specialty lies in Ayurvedic infertility treatment, with 17 years of experience in Garbhasanskar—an approach focused on promoting healthy progeny. Additionally, Dr. Patel has delivered numerous lectures, both offline and online, on gynecology-related topics.
Anita Budak
Anita Budak is a birth doula from Croatia working as a doula and leading Croatian doula association for 10 years, since 2021 she is a one of three co-organizers of European doula network.
Anita has been actively involved in advocating for human rights in childbirth since 2015, when she initiated a free program in Croatia dedicated to educating pregnant women and their partners about informed consent, bodily autonomy, and the importance of taking responsibility for their birth experience within institutional settings. With the European Doula Network (EDN), Anita co-authored a 2020 survey addressing doulas’ experiences in Europe, shedding light on human rights violations in childbirth.
Güler Polat
Güler Polat has been working in her Law Office,named after her, since she graduated from the Istanbul University Faculty of Law. The Ministry of Justice published online the booklet of the presentation she gave to Public Workers employed in Public Homes for the Elderly about the guardianship law code of practice. She has been a board member of Common Purpose Türkiye since 2015 and was designated as Vice President in 2022. She completed her Storytelling training in 2019. In 2022, as a personal social responsibility project, she brought to life "Justice Tales (Adalet Masalları)", in which she explains Justice and Law concepts to students aged between 7 and18 through tales.
She has been doing family constellation for a year to support disadvantaged groups. Some of her hobbies are spending time on her farm, engaging in agriculture according to the Organic Farming principles and improving herself as a farmer. Ancient Knowledge, Belief Systems, learning traditions and traditional rituals, traveling are among her interests.
Lena Yri Engelsen
Lena Yri Engelsen is the founder and secretary-general at the national foundation Landsforeningen 1001 dager, Norway (LF 1001 days). She has a bachelor in business and a master’s in public relations. The foundation is consumer driven with perinatal mental health researchers and clinicians. The foundation also has its own specialist advisory board. The organization is on a mission to fill the current gap, reduce stigma, get stepped care treatment options implemented and to prevent parental mental health complications for families.
Lena has a Master of Public Relations and a Bachelor of Business with Marketing and this was her vocation prior to experiencing post partum depression in 2015. She graduated as a Gentle Sleep Coach in 2016 and completed the Childrens Mental Health WW course in 2017. In 2017 she founded the foundation LF 1001 days. In 2018 she travelled to California to learn more from The Post Partum Action Institute, run by Jane Honikman and Dr. Shoshana Bennett. LF 1001 days received state funding in 2018.
She has a special interest in perinatal mental health and sleep. She also holds a torch for a global recognition of perinatal mental health as a sub-specialty under psychology / psychiatry. Lena often speaks at large events, features in media and engages in lobbying and networking to nourish and grow the foundation and its mission.
Carmen Carballo Basadre
Professor of Arts, Theater and Theater Pedagogy. International writer and lecturer. Published: in Theater books, one of the stories, in Prenatal Education books, as well as numerous articles in magazines, periodicals, and in conferences and congresses in the academic sphere (universities, primary and secondary centers) and out of school, in Spain, Europe, Canada and Latin America. Prenatal Education diffuser trainer. President of the National Prenatal Education Association. ANEP, Spain. Vice-President of World Organization of Prenatal Education Associations (OMAEP). Member of REDIPE, (Red Iberoamericana de Pedagogía). Member of the Executive Committee of the Spanish Alliance for Perinatal and Family Mental Health.
Cathrine Trulsvik
Cathrine Trulsvik, 60 years old, is married and has three children and two grandchildren. She became a nurse in 1992 and qualified as a midwife in 2001. From 2001 to 2011, she worked in various hospitals and wards, providing prenatal, birthing, and postnatal care. Following this period, she transitioned to offering homebirth services within a private midwifery continuity-of-care model alongside a fellow midwife as independent practitioners.
In 2016–2017, they concluded their homebirth practice due to economic challenges, compounded by Cathrine’s subsequent ban from homebirth. Since then, she has dedicated herself to supporting pregnant and birthing women in advocating for their right to informed choices. Each year, she organizes FødselsFestivalen (The Birth Festival) in Drammen.
In 2021, Cathrine founded the voluntary organization BirthRights Norge, intensifying her efforts to help women achieve positive birth experiences by safeguarding their human rights during childbirth. BirthRights Norge also supports midwives facing complaints from other healthcare personnel when they assist women in making informed birthing decisions. In 2023–2024, Cathrine furthered her expertise by completing a year-long program focused on healthcare rights.
Pre-Summit Speakers
Jennifer Kozlow
Jennifer Kozlow is ICCE-IAT, CD, ITP, ICPFE, Director PREVIDA Foundation Certified Perinatal Educator and Trainer of innovative methodologies for more effective childbirth preparation courses.Author, Editor of Maternity Health publications and International Conference Speaker.
Matheus de Almeida
Matheus Almeida is a Chinese Medicine Practitioner. During his 13 years of practice he has worked in his private office, and with an NGO working with marginalized low income families in Rio de Janeiro. A professor at the Brazilian Acupuncture College, and invited professor at the Brazilian College of Chinese Medicine, he is part of the ANEP Brazil Team. He lectures at conferences and runs a tutoring program for the advanced study of classical Chinese Medicine texts. Somehow destiny put me in the trail of pregnant woman and I have embraced it. Now I use ancient chinese knowledge to help whoever needs my assistance.
Ayca Yılmaz
Ayca Yılmaz has been working with pregnant women and babies since 2008. She provides Prenatal and Baby Yoga Teacher Trainings and is also a doula and Hypnobirthing Instructor. Ayca is passionate about her work, dedicated to supporting and empowering families on their journey to parenthood with mindfulness, physical preparation, and spiritual awareness.
Torun Birkbak
After 16 years as a midwife with a strong focus on homebirth, Torun pursued further education in pedagogy and psychotherapy. She is now a private practitioner, working with both adults and small children. Her goal is to guide clients back to their innermost core.
Dr. Liangkun Ma
Liangkun Ma, Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH), Beijing, China. Chair of the Mother & Child Health Management Committee of the Chinese Medical Educational Association. Chair of the Obstetric Committee of Public Education branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association. Chair of the postpartum nutrition group, postpartum rehabilitation of Chinese Rehabilitation Medicine. Chair of the Kingmed Mother & Child Health Foundation of Peking Union Medical Foundation. Chair of Coree Research Foundation for the research of prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases of Peking Union Medical Foundation.
Dr. Xiaofei Li
Li Xiaofei (1987-), PhD, lecturer at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Peking Union Medical College. I graduated with a doctoral degree from Beijing Normal University and obtained my master's and bachelor's degrees from the China Conservatory of Music and the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Opera. The member of the Youth Editorial Committee for the international journal Psychosomatic Medicine Research and a member of the Editorial Committee for the national journal Musical Instruments. Member of the Maternal and Child Health Management Professional Committee of the China Medical Education Association. Her research focuses on music therapy and music education.
Guillaume Courmont
Guillaume is a musician, vocal, choir coach, music educator, sono-therapist and long time advocate of the importance of pre- and perinatal life. For many years he has been part of various events for the National Association for Prenatal Education (ANEP). As a singer, he has always been fascinated by the powers of frequency. The world will be incredibly beautiful when we know how to truly live, prepare ourselves to bring new life into the world and connect with it, and all consciously use our voices!
Gislaine Paes
Gislaine Paes Rocha is a Brazilian lawyer specialized in obstetrical and neonatal violence, as well as in cases in which financial help for medications and/or health insurance are unfairly denied.
Débora Nicodemo
Débora Nicodemo is a brazilian lawyer with a Masters in International Relations, and specializes in obstetrical violence, health rights and family rights.
Valentina García Plata
Valéria Machado is a senior brazilian attorney at Mori Machado Advogados, specializing in obstetric violence and serving as a professor in the field of rights related to the pregnancy and postpartum cycle. She is also the Legal Director of REHUNA.
Esther Santiago
Artist and composer, clinical psychologist, conductor, musician and music therapist trained in Prenatal Singing and Carnatic Singing. She is the creator of La Voz de la Maternidad, a methodology that unifies powerful body-mind techniques that help an embarassed woman connect in a profound way with her body and her baby. She is a pioneer and trainer of Voice as a resource during childbirth.
Dr. Tushar Dashora
Dr. Tushar Dashora has over two decades of experience as a pediatrician and neonatologist. He is also deeply engaged in exploring the spiritual dimensions of pregnancy, childbirth, and parenthood, drawing from the ancient wisdom of Indian civilization. Alongside his wife, Dr. Smita Dashora, M.S. (Gynecology & Obstetrics), he has authored several works on this subject. Together, they have spent over 18 years educating mothers, couples, and professionals on holistic prenatal care.
Maria Fernanda Canivato
Maria Fernanda is a Brazilian physician, who got interested in homeopathy while still in medical school because of the enthusiasm and joy of the homeopathic doctors that simply filled the room! By getting in touch with the concept of health and disease offered by homeopathy, she chose to study this field of healing. In her practice, she addresses the physical, sensorial, intellectual and emotional spheres; after having joined ANEP Brazil, she started encompassing the conception, gestation and birth experiences of her patients. She teaches and supervises a group of physicians who work in a government social program in remote rural communities.
Delfina Viana
Delfina Viana studied medicine and, after years of conventional practice, began incorporating additional tools, including Ayurveda. Following this journey and the birth of her children, she felt a calling to share the importance of preparation before pursuing pregnancy. Delfina now offers individualized, holistic support for those on this path. Additionally, she organizes group gatherings and support sessions for individuals seeking pregnancy, creating spaces for shared support, understanding, and encouragement.
Raquel Machín
Professional musician and classical guitar teacher trained at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Madrid. Graduate in Education.
She has dedicated her professional life to musical education in various specialties, including CANTO PRENATAL and MÚSICA EN LA CUNA. Since her adolescence, she has studied, researched and explored the world of extrasensory perception and spirituality. Recently, she completed a Master's degree in Extrasensory Perception with the ICLOBY Foundation, presenting a thesis on la CONSCIENCIA PERINATAL and la COMUNICACIÓN PRENATAL EXTRASENSORIAL, focusing her work and research on prenatal existence.
She shares this knowledge and interviews with teachers and key figures from various fields of knowledge on her YouTube channel ANTES de NACER and on the Ivoox podcast ANTES de NACER.
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