Diary of a New Mom
Prior to becoming a mom for the first time, I had wonderful expectations of what motherhood would be like. I pictured everything that Hallmark and the media would have you believe
Tag: newborn
Prior to becoming a mom for the first time, I had wonderful expectations of what motherhood would be like. I pictured everything that Hallmark and the media would have you believe
Postpartum Doula
The beginning of motherhood was not what Nicole had pictured. Her own birth and postpartum experience led her to want to help and support other mothers. Her baby spent time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and it was very hard on her to be away from her son for so long which led to her feeling very alone, isolated, and overwhelmed. Nicole’s experience in the NICU is what led her to want to assist parents through what can be a very difficult time
Nicole is a very caring, compassionate and understanding Postpartum Doula who received training through DONA international. Nicole is
excited to support and empower new parents and assist with integrating a newborn into their home.
Sleep Coach
Kristyn (she/her) has been practicing in the world of sleep medicine since 2010. Over the years she has found working with infants & children to be her passion.
Having earned the designations of Registered Polysomnographic Technologist (RPSGT- Sleep Tech), Certification in Clinical Sleep Health (CCSH), Infant Mental Health, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy- Insomnia (CBT-I), as well as her certification in Pediatric Sleep by the BRPT. She is currently completing the Baby-Led Sleep & Well-Being Specialist course & the Breastfeeding course (through Mohawk College).
With years of experience working directly with physicians, parents & patients, she has provided compassionate & family-centered care. In sharing knowledge with families about normal sleep, breastfeeding & co-sleeping she wants to ensure that they feel supported to make decisions that are best for their unique family.
The sleep support methods incorporate contact, closeness, being supportive & responsive. The approach fosters a secure attachment relationship & connection that extends beyond sleep; to an empowered parenting journey where you feel supported in following your instincts & choices. Sleep support is unique, holistic & comprehensive.
In her spare time, she enjoys being with family & her beloved dog, Lexy. She is also an avid reader & enjoys traveling when she can. Catching a sunset, going to a concert, or learning a new instrument are some of her favorite things!
Kristyn looks forward to helping you feel confident & supported along your little one’s journey to a better night’s rest.
Postpartum Doula
Jaquie Dason is a Postpartum Doula who received training through CAPPA, she is also a New Parent Educator and Infant Sleep Consultant. Jaquie’s own postpartum experience drove her to support new parents. Her entrance into motherhood was not at all what she expected. She was absolutely overjoyed but also felt completely overwhelmed, exhausted and alone. As she experienced her first and second postpartum journeys, her personal growth as a mother led her to recognize her passion for supporting moms through this stage of life. Jaquie focuses on the mother-baby dyad and offers compassionate support and guidance to new parents and families during the first few weeks or months after the birth of their baby. Her goal is to help new parents make a smooth transition to life with a baby and provide them with the support and confidence they need to thrive during this special and challenging time.
The sleep support methods incorporate contact, closeness, being supportive & responsive. The approach fosters a secure attachment relationship & connection that extends beyond sleep; to an empowered parenting journey where you feel supported in following your instincts & choices. Sleep support is unique, holistic & comprehensive.
In her spare time, she enjoys being with family & her beloved dog, Lexy. She is also an avid reader & enjoys traveling when she can. Catching a sunset, going to a concert, or learning a new instrument are some of her favourite things!
Kristyn looks forward to helping you feel confident & supported along your little one’s journey to a better night’s rest.
Fertility Doula
The process of trying to conceive can be overwhelming and many couples/individuals don’t know where to begin.As a Fertility Doula, Zakira is here to support you on your journey to Parenthood.
Whether you are starting out with natural conception by using the Fertility Awareness Method, or seeing a Fertility Specialist by using Assisted Reproductive Technology (IUI,IVF) she is here to help you feel empowered on your fertility journey.She will guide you by determining your Fertile Window, as well as clarify results, medications, and any new diagnosis. Her passion for fertility comes from both personal, as well as professional experience.She has worked with an OBGYN for almost 10 years and went through fertility treatments (IVF) to conceive her son. She has also experienced recurrent pregnancy losses which allows her to understand the pain that comes with a miscarriage(s). She will work as your guide, support person, and mentor on your path to parenthood and provide you with emotional support as needed.
Psychotherapist
Alicia holds a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology and is a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) with the CRPO (College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario).
Alicia is trained and informed by different therapeutic approaches, such as Internal Family Systems, Emotion-Focused therapy, psychodynamic and Acceptance, and Somatic-based therapies. She provides a safe space for clients to explore and work through the issues they bring to therapy, whether they’re struggling with depression, anxiety, grief, postpartum or relationship issues.
Alicia’s goal is for the clients to gain a better understanding of themselves and their struggles as well as to provide the skills and tools necessary to help her clients progress in and outside of therapy.
Elena Cartier is a Registered Massage Therapist and Osteopathic Manual Therapist
Elena Cartier is a Registered Massage Therapist and Osteopathic Manual Therapist. An impassioned professional with leading interpersonal skills, Elena’s career has seen her distinguish herself across numerous roles as a rare and engaging healing practitioner.
Having spent the earliest years of her career seeking to build up expertise across a wide variety of fields, Elena today enjoys a reputation of a veteran’s experience mixed with a contemporary understanding of modern practice and healing. As a result, Elena’s clients enjoy the benefits of first-class expertise in her field interwoven with an understanding of how to tailor treatment and care to the individual personally using the treatment advantages in CranioSacral Therapy, Visceral Manipulation Techniques and Unique massage with hot steam balls.
In particular, Elena prides herself on treating a client in a way that sees beyond the physical body alone and looks deeper to try and find connection and engagement and to help on an emotional and mental level. Throughout each and every patient treatment is an ethos that serves as Elena’s guiding star: “I don’t like to just cure a problem – I instead prefer to cure the problem and the reason behind it.” This has been Elena’s daily mission for almost 13 years and continues to serve as her inspiration each and every day.
Registered Massage Therapist & Beautician
Penina got her certification in skincare at Tiffany School of Advanced Aesthetics as well as a diploma in Registered Massage Therapy at Pharma Medical Science College. Her passion is to help others look and feel their best.
As a facialist, Penina has honed her skills in providing gentle and effective facial treatments. She specializes in customizing treatments to each client’s unique skin type and concerns, using the highest quality products and techniques to deliver effective results.
Whether you’re looking to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, clear up acne, or simply pamper yourself with a luxurious facial, Penina has the skills and experience to leave you feeling your best.
Her knowledge of massage therapy also allows her to offer a holistic approach to skincare, incorporating relaxation and stress relief techniques to promote overall wellness.
With her warm and friendly demeanor, Penina strives to create a welcoming and comfortable environment for her clients to relax and enjoy a personalized experience that leaves them feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.
Osteopathic Manual Practitioner
Shira is an Osteopathic Manual Practitioner registered with the Ontario Osteopathic Association (OOA). She completed her Masters in Practice of Osteopathic Manipulative Sciences (M.OMSc) at the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy (CAO). During her 4 year program, she received over 4000 hours of supervised education and 1000 hours of supervised hands-on training in the student clinic, exceeding the standards outlined by the World Health Organization for osteopathy. Prior to that, Shira graduated from York University (Summa Cum Laude) with her B.Sc in Kinesiology.
During her time at York University, Shira fell in love with anatomy and physiology. She took as many courses as were available in both topics. Though her original plan was to pursue a career in physiotherapy, Shira stumbled upon osteopathy and fell in love with the principles. The idea that the structure of the body affects how the body functions- or more simply said- when the body is properly aligned it works better at all levels, made sense to her and she excitedly started her journey through the CAO.
There she learned how to assess and treat the body, using gentle palpation and the principles of how the body works. Through realigning the body, her treatments can help with all sorts of aches, pains, and dis-ease, and often even the problems her patients didn’t expect to heal. Her goal is to gently unwind the body at a pace that is reasonable for the body to adapt to, so that her treatments last over time, and ultimately help you feel your best.
Shira’s extensive training allows her to treat each patient individually, without a rule book, and to adapt the treatment to their needs. She can treat patients in all positions, supine (back), prone (stomach), side lying, seated, and even standing. This allows her to treat her patients in their most comfortable position.
She believes that an osteopath has the knowledge of an anatomist, the curiosity of a detective, the brain of an engineer, the skill of a mechanic, the elegance of a dancer & the heart of a mom.
Speech-Language Pathologist
Atiya is a Speech-Language Pathologist with many years of experience working with the paediatric population. She has held positions within school boards, regional preschool speech and language programs, and private clinics; supporting babies, young children and adolescents in the areas of speech sound production, late talking, fluency/stuttering, social communication, and developmental conditions, including Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Atiya is passionate about empowering caregivers with the skills and confidence to support their child’s communication development in their own environments. She believes in working closely with families to create goals and care plans that are meaningful, functional, and culturally-sensitive. She does her best to ensure that intervention is engaging and productive by incorporating activities that are fun and motivating. Atiya is happy to collaborate with other professionals involved with clients, to provide a wholistic and person-centred approach.
Atiya completed her Masters of Health Sciences in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Toronto. She continues to pursue professional development opportunities to maintain current knowledge in the field and better serve her clients. Atiya is certified to deliver the It Takes Two to Talk and More than Words parent training programs. She has also completed trainings in PROMPT, PECS, Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) systems, gestalt language processing, and paediatric feeding screening.
Atiya is registered with the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario (CASLPO) and is a member of Speech and Audiology Canada (SAC). When she is not working, Atiya loves spending time with her two young boys, reading, and baking up a storm!
Registered Massage Therapist
Adriana has been a Registered Massage Therapist with the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario for over 23 years. She has a degree in Human Kinetics (Honours) and an advance diploma in Respiratory Therapy.
She is trained in Swedish Massage Therapy, Deep Tissue, Trigger Point Therapy, Cupping, Prenatal Massage, and Infant Massage. She has experience treating people of all ages from newborn to seniors and all sorts of different conditions. She has done a course on massage for “High Risk Pregnancy” and has also trained in Labour Support.
She has worked with athletes and with special needs populations. She believes that all treatments should be unique, personalized, and customized to each individual.
She is very excited to be part of the team at The WOMB Vaughan!
Osteopathic Manual Practitioner
Deepak is a Manual Osteopathic Practitioner who is a highly skilled, and very experienced in the field of healthcare. He holds a diploma in Osteopathic Manual Practitioner (DOMP) from National Academy of Osteopathy, Canada and Master’s in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy from India.
Deepak is a professional member of ACMA (Canadian Alliance of Alternative Medicine) and OOAMA (Ontario Osteopathic and Alternative Medicine Association). Through his professional career of 9+ years, he has worked in many different organizations and hospitals. His main focus during all this time was on Manual Therapy, Ergonomics, Exercise Therapy and thorough assessments. He also holds certificates in Joint Mobilization of the upper and lower quadrants using Mulligan’s concept, Maitland’s Techniques and Neuro Developmental Techniques (NDT).
Deepak believes in the body’s innate ability to self heal and self regulate as described by founder of Osteopathy in year 1874; Andrew Taylor Still. He follows the principle that imbalances in the human structure contribute to, or are directly related to the development and/or maintenance of disease.
Deepak emphasizes the relationship between structure and function of human body. His main focus of practicing Osteopathy remains on through assessment and developing an effective treatment strategy using his skills such as Fascial Stretch Therapy, Cranio Sacral Mobilization, Visceral Mobilization, Muscle Energy Techniques, counter strain and more. He has established expertise in palpation throughout his career. Deepak prides himself on being a great listener, as reported by many clients. He always puts more emphasis on prognosis and maintenance of general body function. His home exercise program serves as a bond between him and his clients. He strives to go the extra-mile with ergonomic advice for his clients.
Deepak has had an ample experience treating patients of all ages and stages including geriatric and paediatric populations, joint rehabilitation units, post surgical rehabilitation, chronic pain clinics, neurological and ante/ post natal exercises.
Registered Psychotherapist
Niki worked in the corporate world for over twenty years when she decided to fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a Psychotherapist. With heart and hard work, she was able to complete her education while working full-time and raising two amazing children with her supportive husband. As a result, she has been a Psychotherapist for almost four years and continues to study and read about new techniques.
Niki is gentle, compassionate and understanding and makes children feel heard. She has been able to help people of all ages but she has a strong connection with children. She is able to use creative and fun approaches for children to learn psycho-educational content like coping skills and mindset changes. Her main focus is on anxiety depression and trauma, however she also likes to focus on helping children develop self-confidence and a strong sense of self. She uses an integrative approach, which means she looks at the individual and uses the therapy to fit the needs of the specific person.
Niki is so excited to be working at The WOMB and the community it has created. Her first-born cried all day for seven months and health care professionals did not provide any answers as to why. She is looking forward to working with The WOMB team and helping many families thrive!
Yoga Instructor, Prenatal and Children’s Yoga Instructor
Stefanie’s yoga journey began while she was pursuing her undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies at York University in Toronto, where she developed a strong interest in studying the connections between the natural world, social justice and holistic health.
She believes that yoga has the potential to facilitate holistic wellbeing and to foster human connections to the earth and the elements.
As an educator with the Toronto District School Board for 16 years, Stefanie has developed a teaching philosophy that revolves around students’ lived experiences, self awareness and a celebration of the earth’s beauty.
Stefanie’s prenatal yoga classes are inclusive and responsive, with the aim of fostering a practice where the wisdom of yoga can be integrated into the pregnancy journey on and off the mat.
Stefanie completed her 200 Hour YTT in 2018, Yoga for Runners in 2019, 300 Hour YTT in 2021, Prenatal 85 Hour and Children’s 95 Hour in 2022.
Speech-Language Pathologist
Lisa Dinovitzer is an experienced and passionate Speech-Language Pathologist. She has worked in a variety of pediatric settings with children of all ages. In her practice, Lisa works with her clients and their families to set meaningful and measurable goals. She provides family-centered, play-based interventions. Lisa enjoys sharing her knowledge with families and strives to make her sessions productive, informative, and fun for all who attend!
Lisa is passionate about providing early intervention for babies, toddlers and preschoolers with speech and language delays. She has lots of experiencing supporting children with complex communication/medical needs, and implementing Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems. Lisa provides neurodiversity-affirming care for Autistic children.
Lisa regularly attends workshops and conferences on a variety of topics to further her clinical knowledge and skills. Lisa has certification in several Hanen parent training programs (including It Takes Two to Talk, More Than Words, and Target Word) and DIRFloortime. She has additional training in many areas including PROMPT, gestalt language processing, and orofacial myology.
Lisa received her Bachelor of Health Sciences with an Honours Double Major in Rehabilitation Sciences and Psychology from The University of Western Ontario and completed her Masters of Health Science in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Toronto. Lisa is registered with the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario (CASLPO) and is a member of Speech-Language and Audiology Canada (SAC).
Birth, Postpartum and Bereavement Doula
Helen is a Birth, Postpartum and Bereavement Doula with over 32 years working with families and children, 18 of those years as a Birth Doula.
She has many qualifications including: Still Birthday Certification, Safe Passage Full Spectrum Doula Certification, Online First Response Training, Birthing Supernaturally Doula and Trauma Informed Care Certification.
Helen has diligently worked in a volunteer capacity for many years with the Pregnancy Care Centre providing compassionate care to women facing an unexpected pregnancy alone, giving them prenatal educational support as well as emotional care.
Sharing a beautiful client testimonial :
“… It was important to have someone trustworthy and knowledgeable to support us during that time and Helen was the perfect fit for our family. Helen’s warmth immediately comforted me from our very first conversation. She’s passionate, genuinely caring and extremely patient. I learned so much from her in our short time together and I always felt supported and cared for. Parenting is a team sport and if you’re new at it you definitely want someone like Helen by your side. I truly can’t recommend her enough or say more great things about how much impact she has had on my family. “
Care Coordinator
Yasmeen is currently working towards completing her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology & Health Science at York University, and hopes to pursue a career within the field, specializing in the paediatrics sector. She has always been passionate about health and exercise, and is always open to learning new things about the human body.
Yasmeen has worked multiple customer service roles, including a waitress role at a high-end banquet hall as well as a retail sales associate at a variety of high-traffic stores. Her other part-time job is in the supplements field, in which her main role is to help customers achieve their health and fitness goals through supplementation. Yasmeen is very excited to be working at The WOMB Vaughan and getting to know everyone!
Yasmeen’s hobbies include going on long walks, watching TV shows, and travelling all around the world. She is fluent in English, French, and Arabic, and loves learning all about different cultures and languages of the world.
Birth, Postpartum, Fertility and Bereavement Doula
Charmaine is a professional Full Spectrum Doula (fertility, birth, bereavement, trauma informed care, and post-partum care), Childbirth Educator and experienced mom of 5 grown adults.
She is Cappa International trained, certified through SBD Still Birthday, Birthing Supernaturally and a certified HypnoBirthing International Practitioner.
She has a wealth of knowledge as a health and wellness advocate, along with tons of personal experience in assisting in a wide range of various birth experiences that range from complications in pregnancy, miscarriage, stillborn, induction to natural home births.
Birth Doula
Dora is a birth doula, mother, wife and holistic nutritionist. Her holistic view on life, birth and healing rings true in her practice as she fosters a holistic approach in her offerings. As a birth doula she helps expecting persons harmonize their mind, body and spirit in the sacred journey of pregnancy, labour and delivery.
Dora’s focus is to provide emotional, physical and educational support to the birthing person to ensure they are the most informed about what labour and delivery looks like, whether it be at home or in the hospital. She uses several modalities to aid with pain management including guided breathing techniques, aromatherapy, and movement.
In her journey to becoming a mother, Dora learned that the knowledge and understanding of the process of birth allows for a more peaceful labour, delivery and postpartum period.
She is very excited to join The WOMB team of Birth (and Postpartum) Doulas!
Birth and Postpartum Doula
Suki is a woman with a genuine, creative and real approach to life, whose passion for all things Birth and Babies motivated her to begin her next career journey as a fully trained Birth Doula. Suki comes from past work experience in the field of Social Services helping women, children and families advocate for support through difficult stages and experiences of life.
As a doula, Suki is eager to assist women through their births, so that they can have the kind of experiences that they envision as they go through this beautiful and unpredictable moment. Suki brings an easy-going, kind hearted and vibrant nature to how she works with people and her ability to listen and empathize helps women feel heard and understood.
As a mother, she is active, funny and always encouraging her children to take risks and go after what they want in life, and maintains this in her own life as well. She strives to be healthy inside and out, is a lover of nature and being outside as much as possible. Suki has recently participated in some races and love new challenges. She adores cooking and baking and is also embarking on writing some children’s books.
Suki has a natural ability to relate to young children and besides cuddles with her own children who are of teen and pre-teen age, she struggles to find anything in life that makes her happier than holding babies, and this dates back to when she was a very young child. As a Doula, Suki feels honoured to be a part of your birth, as a woman brings a baby into this world.
Care Coordinator
Zohal is an International Baccalaureate graduate and currently a student at the University of Toronto working to obtain a Bachelor’s of Science while studying two majors: Health Studies and Health and Disease.
Coming from a very large family, Zohal is very comfortable with expecting mothers, their children, and the prenatal and postpartum journey. She resonated deeply with The WOMB’s mission and was immediately drawn to its nurturing environment. She has become a smiling face at the front and is dedicated to ensuring everyone entering the clinic feels at home!
Prior to working at The WOMB, Zohal volunteered with various organizations working on a wide range of projects from affordable housing to children’s literacy. These experiences fostered a passion for helping others by providing equitable access to resources individuals and families need to reach their full potential.
In her free time, you will find her reading, watching movies (anything except a rom-com), playing volleyball, or babysitting her many nieces and nephews.
You will see Zohar’s smiling face around the clinic and behind the desk – make sure to say hello!
Birth & Postpartum Doula
Elimar is a Birth and Postpartum Doula. After twenty successful but unrewarding years in the corporate world, she found herself interested in pursuing a career that would help her positively impact society.
It took Elimar some time to figure out exactly what she wanted to do, but she was sure of one thing – she wanted to help families during the birth and the postnatal period.
When experiencing motherhood herself, she did not have a trusted expert to rely on for guidance and reassurance during pregnancy, childbirth or after, but she finally found The WOMB to educate her, care for her and empower her to live her motherhood journey. Becoming a Birth and Postpartum Doula seemed a perfect match as it allows her to help other moms in each of the stages of motherhood by providing physical and emotional support, care for both parent and babies, and acting as a source for non-biased information.
Working with The WOMB is not only a way to give back all the support that Elimar received, but it will also help her fulfill her goal of making a positive difference in our community and the lives of the clients she is privileged to work with. Serving families during this beautiful period inspires Elimar to continue learning and improving daily.
Elimar approaches every job with empathy and absolutely no judgment. She is very comfortable being the person others can lean on in times of joy and crisis, especially when there’s a need for a compassionate, calm presence. She aims to provide a high level of service and wants all of her clients to feel that they have an experienced friend who is warm, relaxed, and thrives under pressure.
Elimar is also perfectly bilingual in English and Spanish.
After three miscarriages in a year that remained primarily shrouded in silence and stigma, Elimar also wants to help others break that silence and be a warm, relaxed presence for moms and families dealing with pregnancy or infant loss. To that end, she is also pursuing the Pregnancy Loss Support Program with Doula Canada.
When Elimar is not working as a Doula, she loves spending time with her two boys (husband and son), watching movies, studying math, relaxing at the cottage, or hugging each other. She also loves to exercise, strengthening her body and relieving her busy mind. Every now and then, you’ll catch her in the kitchen baking and decorating cakes with fondant.
Postpartum Doula
As a mother of 4, Sari has always had a love for children, and from a young age, always wanted to be a mom. When she was introduced to the Post-partum Doula industry, she knew it was perfect for her. This was the perfect way for Sari to both work with babies and share her love and knowledge of the joys of parenting with others.
Ever since completing the CAPPA Canada Post-Partum Doula training course in 2007, Sari has been working with and supporting families in navigating the wonderful but challenging time after a new baby, or babies’ arrival. Almost from the beginning, Sari has worked mostly with twins, but each situation and client is an individual and a chance to help a family. The importance for each family to have caring, unbiased, support and accurate information, as they are learning what parenting strategies work best for them, is the basis for her professional philosophy.
Sari’s emphasis on good sleep for the whole family is a result of the exhaustion she felt during the early years of her own children, when she became keenly aware of the importance of good support and regular, quality sleep.
Sari’s goal for all the families she supports is to help them start off on the right foot as well as feel confident and capable of handling whatever challenges new parenthood throws at them moving forward.
Chiropractor, Acupuncture and Cesarean Scar Release Provider
Dr. Michelle Zemari is a family Chiropractor and Acupuncture provider with a special interest in prenatal, postnatal, and pediatric care. She treats various conditions including but not limited to headaches, back pain, joint and muscle pains, sciatica, pregnancy pains, and pediatric-related challenges.
Dr. Zemari has extensive knowledge and competency in: Adjustments, Mobilizations, Muscle / Myofascial Release Techniques, Acupuncture / Electro-Acupuncture, Cupping Therapy, TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation), Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Therapy, Athletic Taping, Exercise Rehabilitation, & MPS Dolphin Neurostim (All scars including C-Section Scar Release Treatment).
Dr. Zemari strives to keep the patient’s lifestyle and present health at the centre of each interaction. Through active collaboration she provides her patients with the highest quality of care. She believes in the importance of helping her patients achieve optimal health through conservative pain management, exercise rehabilitation, and injury prevention.
Dr. Zemari invites you to bring your infant for an assessment so she can support you with challenges such as torticollis, plagiocephaly, breast or bottle feeding, and delayed developmental milestones and more.
Dr. Zemari works with her patients to ease pregnancy related discomforts. She uses the Webster Technique to establish alignment and balance in the pelvis to encourage optimal fetal positioning. She is passionate about providing care that allows for a quick and smooth labour and delivery.
A postnatal chiropractic visit will also aid in easing the discomfort placed on the muscles and joints while caring for your little. Dr. Zemari looks forward to being a part of her patients’ journey into motherhood by providing them the most comfortable prenatal and postnatal experience that protects the health of both the infant and the mother.
• Doctor of Chiropractic, Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College
• Honours Bachelor of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa
• Contemporary Medical Acupuncture, McMaster University
• Member of the ICPA (International Chiropractic Paediatric Association)
• Webster Technique (Prenatal Care) Certified
• Advanced Pediatric Bootcamp & PIPS Intraoral Technique Certification
• DONA Trained Birth Doula
• DONA Trained Postpartum Doula
• Thompson Technique Course
• Maternal Education Program with Dr. Crystal Draper
• MPS Scar Release Therapy using the Dolphin Neurostim, to help release all types of scars including c-section scars
• GrowCo Postpartum Rehab (currently completing)
Occupational Therapist and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)
M.Sc.OT, OT Reg. (Ont.)
Randi Kepecs is an Occupational Therapist and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant who has devoted her career to practicing in paediatrics; working with a wide variety of vulnerable populations including those who have, or are at risk for, delays in their development. Randi considers all areas of an infant or child’s development from a functional perspective. She uses a fun, play-based approach to promote a child’s skills and independence, while coaching caregivers to feel confident in their abilities to support their children in their own environment; including the family home, child care, school, or out in the community.
Randi has a deep passion for providing care and support to families in a holistic, inclusive, compassionate, and non-judgemental manner that meets a family where they are at and focuses on an individual’s strengths while working towards their own goals for optimal development.
Randi has always had a special interest in infant and child feeding, which grew exponentially after she gave birth to her first son; with whom she experienced many feeding challenges. It was her own successful experience with International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) that inspired her to add lactation support to her own practice, in order to help families meet their own unique feeding goals.
Randi received a Specialized Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology in 2007 and a Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy in 2010. In 2019, following the birth of her second son, she began the journey towards certifying as an IBCLC. Randi completed her clinical placement at The International Breastfeeding Centre (Newman Breastfeeding Clinic) where she obtained over 500 hours working with hundreds of breast/chest feeding families. In 2021, Randi graduated from the Lactation Medicine program and passed the International Certification Exam in the spring of 2022.
Randi is registered in good standing with the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario and holds memberships with the Ontario Society of Occupational Therapists and Ontario Association for Infant and Child Development. Throughout her career, Randi has completed many trainings, certifications, and additional continuing education opportunities to update her skills, knowledge, and expertise, and she utilizes evidence-based best practices in her work.
Outside of her love for all things children and Occupational Therapy, Randi is a proud mother to two beautiful boys and her Golden Retriever, Wrangler. She enjoys spending free time with her wonderful husband, family and friends, watching movies, and eating delicious food! Randi is thrilled to be a part of The WOMB Vaughan and loves supporting the community that is so close to her heart!
Registered Massage Therapist
BA., CMTO, RMTAO
Christina proudly graduated from Sutherland Chan Massage School & Teaching Clinic in June 2011. In addition, Christina is also trained in Therapeutic Breast Massage therapy, Scar Tissue Release therapy and HydroTherapy.
Christina’s treatment style includes moderate to deep tissue pressure, scalp massage, abdominal massage, which is key for anyone who sits for prolonged periods of time – dynamic passive relaxed myofascial release, dynamic stretching techniques and trigger point release.
Christina is able to use Therapeutic Breast Massage to treat general breast/lymphatic circulation issues at any age including blocked breast milk ducts, any chest wall surgery, such as lumpectomy, breast reductions, augmentation, mastectomy, double mastectomy, reconstruction, pace maker, heart bypass surgery scars and more.
She uses manual scar tissue release therapy to assess and manipulate the surrounding tissue, incorporating passive dynamic stretching. She also uses hydrotherapy such as paraffin wax and heat to achieve a better treatment outcome. So helpful for our Cesarean mamas!
Christina uses elements of Hydrotherapy in all her treatments such as hot and cold modalities to increase the tissue pliability and circulation. These consist of steam towels, heating pad, paraffin wax or hot stone for point specific heat treatments. She also incorporates cryotherapy with cold towel compresses or ice cubes- massaging dynamically to reduce inflammation, swelling & edema.
Christina aims to make patient care her top priority, reassessing at each treatment to ensure your goals are being achieved.
Registered Massage Therapist
RMT, BSc., Kinesiology
Pauline is a Registered Massage Therapist (RMT) with a focus on pregnancy and babies.
She received a BSc in Kinesiology from York University which serves as the foundation for her additional skills.
Pauline brings with her over 10 years of hands-on experience working with expectant families. Her career in childbirth began as a Birth Doula in 2011. Since then, she has helped hundreds of women prepare for childbirth by providing education, advocacy skills, and physical and emotional support throughout her clients’ pregnancies and births.
Pauline became a Registered Massage Therapist in 2017 after completing a two year program at the Canadian College of Massage and Hydrotherapy. She also completed the Trimesters Pregnancy Massage training, which included a placement at Sunnybrook Hospital in the High Risk Pregnancy Unit.
Pauline’s work with babies began in May 2021 when she received her certificate in Craniosacral Therapy with a specialization in infants from the Beames CST Training Centre.
Pauline’s earlier work was in Aquatics. Her most memorable experience from that era was providing therapeutic swim lessons to children at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto.
When she is not working, Pauline and her husband keep busy with raising their kids who range in age from toddler to teenager. They enjoy the outdoors and serving their community year round.
Pauline was thrilled to join The WOMB Vaughan in 2020. Through her skills, experience, and collaboration with what she believes is an exceptional multidisciplinary team, she loves to help foster healing and wellness to The WOMB Vaughan community.
Pelvic Health Physiotherapist
Liron has always had an interest in pregnancy, labour and delivery, and postpartum care. These interests naturally transitioned into a passion for pelvic health physiotherapy while in school and during her clinical placements.
Liron has completed the Pelvic Health certification through Pelvic Health Solutions and continues to broaden and strengthen her knowledge and skills through continuing educational courses. Liron is highly motivated and inspired to continue her professional and clinical development in the specialty of women’s health. She strives to empower all women through all stages of life.
Liron completed her undergraduate degree in Biology at York University in 2018, followed by a Master’s in Physiotherapy in 2021 from Glasgow Caledonian University in the United Kingdom. She is excited to join the team as a resident physiotherapist!
Apart from physiotherapy, Liron loves Latin dance, being outdoors, cooking and dogs.
Manual Therapist, Craniosacral Therapist
B.A., R.M.T.
Mark has been in practice since 1990 and has come to be widely recognized as a skilled and compassionate practitioner and teacher of craniosacral therapy and its related osteopathic manual practices of visceral manipulation, myofascial release, joint mobilization and matrix repatterning.
Mark’s strongest competencies with infants and children are the result of working with thousands of clients over the last 32 years.
Mark graduated Summa Cum Laude from McMaster University in 1988 with an Honours B.A. in Philosophy, plus most of a B.Sc., then graduated in 1990 from the Canadian College of Massage & Hydrotherapy.
Mark taught anatomy and physiology at the college, and developed and taught a course on self care for massage therapists. He then also assisted in teaching many of the craniosacral therapy courses for the Upledger Institute and the Cranial Therapy Centre with Robert Harris.
Mark is committed to lifelong learning by attending and teaching courses in osteopathic manual therapies (OMT) such as Craniosacral Therapy, Strain/Counterstrain, Myofascial Release, Fascial Trains, Visceral Manipulation, Muscle Energy Techniques, Joint Mobilization, Applied Kinesiology, Neuromuscular Therapy, Ergonomics, SomatoEmotional Release, Psychotherapeutic Bodywork, Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Therapeutic Touch, Pediatric Therapy, Working with Special Children, and Patient Active Treatment Approaches. Most recently he completed a year long practitioner course in Matrix Repatterning with Dr. George Roth.
In the past Mark has practiced with Dr. Robert Gatis, N.D. and Dr. Christopher Hassell, M.D. Mark also designed, built, owned and was Clinical Director for 7 years of Wellspring Therapeutics, a multidisciplinary clinic in Newmarket, Ontario offering craniosacral therapy, massage therapy, art therapy, psychotherapy and biofeedback.
Mark is also a writer with numerous published articles, and a teacher of courses and workshops to both the therapeutic community and to general audiences.
Mark has been on the faculty of Centennial College, having developed and taught the craniosacral curriculum for the Holistic Practitioner / Complementary Care Program.
Mark lectured to and served as editor and language advisor to the board of the International Functional Association – IFUNA – an organization concerned with functional orthodontics.
Mark is a member of the Ontario Massage Therapist Association (OMTA), the International Association of Healthcare Practitioners (IAHP), the American Craniosacral Therapy Association (ACTA), and has been a Registered Massage Therapist (R.M.T.) since 1990.
Mark has two grown up daughters and two grandsons :), and is an avid outdoors enthusiast and adventure cyclist.
Pelvic Health Physiotherapist
Adriana Spassova graduated from Queens University where she completed her Masters of Physiotherapy in 2012. She has worked as an Orthopaedic therapist treating a variety of musculoskeletal injuries with the end goal of improving overall health and strength as well as optimizing individual performance.
During her own pregnancy, she saw a Pelvic Health Physiotherapist which sparked an interest to pursue training in pelvic floor physiotherapy.
Adriana has a passion in treating pre and post-natal patients who suffer from pelvic floor dysfunctions. Adriana is committed to providing the highest quality of care to her patients by integrating evidence-based practice with her clinical experience. Her goal is to help women gain back their core strength and regain control over their pelvic floor muscles.
She believes in implementing highly individualized treatment plans and relies on manual therapy, soft tissue release, exercise prescription, and patient education to help her clients achieve their therapeutic goal.
During her spare time Adriana enjoys working out, skiing (in the winter), travelling, spending quality time with her daughter and husband and enjoying the outdoors!
Postpartum Doula
Rugina is excited to be part of The WOMB team as a Postpartum Doula. Rugina especially loves working with families for overnight care. She also has a lot of experience helping support sleep for the entire family.
Rugina is an International Medical Graduate working towards her certification in Canada and hopes to enter Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Her professional understanding, love of babies, and being a mom as well, all give her an in-depth understanding of the process of welcoming a new baby into the home and the extra love, care and support required. She is honoured to help you navigate, transition smoothly and settle into your amazing new role as a parent.
Registered Massage Therapist
Monica Guo is an empathetic and skilled Registered Massage Therapist in Ontario with expertise in Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, reflexology and acupressure.
She is focused on therapeutic massage to aid in pain management and approaches every patient with a tailored treatment plan to resolve any pain and discomfort.
Monica is also a Registered Acupuncturist and Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner in Ontario.
Her focus is on treating the fascia with acupuncture needles to release tension and pain.
Monica’s healing journey from chronic pain is what motivates her in her practice to help others achieve optimal health and wellness.
Registered Massage Therapist
Sajida is a Registered Massage Therapist who uses many different modalities while treating her clients. She is passionate about helping women in their journeys throughout their lives.
Sajida has advanced training in Craniosacral therapy including Somato emotional release and Pediatric craniosacral 1. She is training in Visceral therapy Sajida also uses Ayurvedic massage, Neuromeningeal manipulation and Kinesiotaping when needed. Sajida has taken many self awareness courses and is a Journey graduate. Sajida is also currently pursuing training in Neuro-coaching.
Sajida is the founder of Salaam Foundation, which helps single mothers and their children with mental health.
Sajida enjoys reading and spending time with friends and family, including her three boys.
Registered Massage Therapist
Meri is a Registered Massage Therapist who graduated from Oxford College.
Meri offers a wide variety of massage such as deep tissue massage, Prenatal massage, Swedish massage, hot stone massage, and is also trained as a Thai Massage Therapist.
She is very excited to be part of The WOMB Vaughan team!
Communicative Disorders Assistant
Kellie Belcourt is a Communicative Disorders Assistant who received her Undergraduate Degree in Child and Youth Studies from Brock University as well as her Communicative Disorders Assistant Certificate from Georgian College.
Kellie has a variety of experience working with children and adults of all ages and skill levels, both 1:1 and in groups. She has worked in several different settings within the speech and language field including children with various articulation, motor speech and language difficulties, stroke or Acquired Brain Injury rehabilitation in hospitals, private practice, CDA mentorship as well as in-home ABA and speech and language services.
Kellie has a strong passion for working with individuals with complex communication needs, including Autism and other developmental delays, in which she helps them in reaching their full communication potential. Her interests extend into the areas of articulation, language, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, pre-language skills, rehabilitation and literacy.
Birth and Postpartum Doula
Kim is a passionate and intuitive birth and postpartum doula, wife and mom of three beautiful children. With a background in psychology she believes strongly in supporting the mental health of pregnant and postpartum people and that her role as a doula is pivotal. She respects the decisions of the birthing and postpartum person and always provides support in a loving, non judgemental way. She uses her knowledge and experience to help empower her clients and foster informed consent.
Having had a planned VBAC2 (vaginal birth after two cesareans), Kim is especially passionate about supporting birthing people in their decision to choose a vaginal birth after cesarean and navigating all of the decisions, planning and emotional support that it requires.
Kim has completed her birth and postpartum doula training through CAPPA and completed the Birth Doula Program Apprenticeship at Markham Stouffville hospital.
Postpartum Doula
Harper is a Postpartum Doula who has received training through DONA International. She is also a third year Nursing student working to complete her Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Throughout her life she has always loved caring for young children and infants! This passion was further developed while working in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Working in this environment taught her about caring for the smallest among us while assisting parents through stressful and uncertain times. Through this experience she learned the immense importance of family centred education and personalized support in the postpartum period.
As a Postpartum Doula Harper is excited about empowering families of all shapes and sizes through compassionate care, education and support.
Birth and Postpartum Doula
Brittney is a trained Birth and Postpartum Doula as well as a Breastfeeding counsellor.
Her ultimate goal is to support and educate new parents and families, and help integrate a newborn into your home and lives.
From a young age Brittney has always been very passionate about childbirth and babies. She has been blessed to have supported those around her having babies throughout the years. She absolutely loves being able to help during such an incredible time in people’s lives as they adjust to parenthood.
Brittney considers her role to be about making your experience beautiful and as stress free as possible, whether it be your first child or fifth. She recognizes that not all aspects of being a parent of a newborn are easy and as flawless as the movies portray, but that’s why she loves supporting families through this new and exciting time.
Client Care Coordinator
Stephanie is a Nutrition and Food Graduate from Ryerson University, with a specialization in Food Security and Preventative Healthcare. She is passionate about studying nutrition patterns and practices related to young children, and plans to pursue additional education to specialize in Pediatric Nutrition.
Throughout her studies, she has worked multiple positions in customer service and hospitality, focused on creating excellent client experiences.
Stephanie has a passion for developing healthy relationships and habits with food from a young age through education, reflective conversation and by incorporating fun into cooking.
Working in a variety of healthcare settings, her diverse experience has enabled her to care for patients, clients and students of all ages. She has worked with Clinical Nutrition at Markham Stouffville Hospital and Revera Retirement Centre, delivering one-on-one personalized patient care. She was also the Community Nutrition Coordinator for young children attending after-school programs, designing and facilitating nutrition education and cooking programs.
In her spare time, Stephanie enjoys discovering the flavours of the world through travel, gardening, developing new recipes and creating meals that bring families and conversations together. She loves to learn new languages, play team sports, and explore new corners of our Mother Earth.
Stephanie believes that everyone should have access to equitable, quality and sustainable integrative healthcare.
She is excited to welcome you to The WOMB Vaughan Centre and connect you with the best practitioners and services for you and your family!
Care Coordinator
After graduating with her Bachelor of Science from the University of Waterloo in 2017, Jasmine began her career at one of the local children’s treatment centres working as clinical administration. After working with several therapists and learning pieces of their practice, Jasmine was inspired by the dedication and compassion within the rehabilitative science practitioner community and decided to pursue a career as a Communicative Disorders Assistant.
With a change in career, Jasmine found an opportunity at The WOMB Vaughan to still participate in the healthcare community while pursuing further education. Being the oldest child and cousin in her family (and “Mom friend” to her friends), Jasmine felt at home with the foundation and qualities presented at the WOMB Vaughan. Her love for babies and interest in the prenatal journey makes her excited for her next steps to motherhood!
In her spare time, you can find Jasmine Hawaiian dancing, crafting on her CAMEO machine or playing with her puppy Mya.
Care Coordinator
Annie graduated from the Glendon Campus of York University with a Bachelor of Science, where she was awarded top of her class in the Cognitive Neuropsychology steam. She is a highly motivated and progress-focused medical assistant with a long- standing background in the customer and patient service industry.
In her previous position, Annie worked at Baycrest Hospital where she spent a full year working closely with patients, administering neuropsychological tests and gaining clinical experience. She has always been progressive minded and in tune with new developments in the medical field. While her previous rolls have been in regard to neuropsychology and brain health, she was excited to diversity her knowledge and join our team! While working at The WOMB Vaughan, Annie is going to be studying for the MCAT exam and applying to medical school. Annie is very friendly, she loves collaborating and working with others. She is extremely social, and fluent in English, French, and Russian.
Annie’s favorite pass times are kickboxing, hiking and playing with her baby nephew!
If you see Annie at the front desk, come say hello!
Certified Child Life Specialist
MSc., RECE, CCLS
While obtaining her Master’s degree in Child Life and Paediatric Psychosocial Care, Eden recognized her passion for supporting individuals experiencing grief. Eden went on to become certified in Children’s Grief and Bereavement and then received a certificate in Thanatology. Eden has worked for various non-profit organizations supporting children and families affected by childhood cancer, as well as those who are experiencing the death of a loved one. She has also worked in hospitals providing holistic psychosocial care to children with chronic illnesses and their families.
Outside of work, Eden enjoys spending time with her family, especially playing with her nieces and nephews, going for walks, and experimenting in the kitchen.
Eden is excited to be a part of the team at The WOMB and looks forward to furthering her important work with the families in our community!
Photographer
BIO COMING SOON
Co-Owner & Director
Personal Trainer & Core Confidence Specialist
BComm, P.T.S., F.I.S., R.N.C.P., R.O.H.P.
Suzanne discovered The WOMB in 2015 when she visited the Milton location to take a course, and immediately fell in love. She questioned how it was possible that a place like this did not exist in Vaughan! She sat down with Lorri Fleming (WOMB co-founder) late in 2016 to start the conversation, and 4 years later, here we are!
Suzanne is the founder and owner of CLG Fitness, offering in-home personal training services. She primarily works with pregnant and post-partum women in Vaughan, and surrounding areas. She is a Bellies Inc. Core Confidence Specialist, teaching women how to connect with their pelvic floor in exercise, and helping with many common postpartum concerns, including diastasis recti and incontinence.
In addition, Suzanne holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University, and a Holistic Nutritionist certification from Edison Institute of Nutrition. She is also a Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor through Canfitpro, and a Dance Teacher from the British Association of Teachers of Dancing.
The moment when Suzanne realized that she wanted her career to specialize in pregnant women was in 2013, when she became pregnant with her daughter Abby. She was surprised at how few resources and available pre-natal classes there seemed to be at the time! Now, Suzanne is a proud mother to two amazing girls, Abby and Chelsea, and enjoys spending quality family time with them, and her husband Josef. Suzanne also loves cooking, baking (and eating) vegetarian food, fitness & yoga, dancing, travel, theatre, reading, and watching The Young and the Restless!
POSTPARTUM Doula
PCD (DONA)
Sabrina is a DONA Certified Postpartum Doula. She is a trained childbirth and lactation educator working towards certification with CAPPA. Sabrina’s love for babies and pregnancy only grew stronger once she became a mother. With the outreach of friends and family who started having babies, she discovered her desire to help families navigate their new life and breastfeeding journeys. This led her to fall in love with the world of Doula and lactation support. Prior to her postpartum doula venture, Sabrina has an extensive background in both medical and health/wellness for the past 18 years.
With the love and support of her husband and three beautiful boys, Sabrina wants to not only empower women, but help the supporting partner find their role through knowledge, affirmation, and understanding. She would love to accompany you as you embark on this new chapter in your life.
Social Worker
Jackie Coletti has an honours undergraduate degree in Political Science from York University and a Masters in Social Work from Carleton University. Jackie is a member of the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. She specializes in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy and Mindfulness. Jackie has experience working with individuals battling disordered eating behaviours/practices, infant loss/miscarriage, anxiety and depression.
After years of struggling with infertility and then suddenly losing her husband, Jackie has experience of what it is like to navigate life when the unexpected happens. Jackie envisions the therapeutic journey as one of a non-judgemental and collaborative effort. Jackie employs a variety of therapeutic modalities to create a tailored approach for each individual and situation. She also inputs little doses of humour just to make life a little bit more fun!
In her free time Jackie practices reiki, bakes and likes to sew. Jackie is also a fan of dogs.
Jackie is very excited to start working with The WOMB Vaughan. The team and overall vision of The WOMB is very much in line with supportive growth, grounding energy and motivational alignment. The possibilities are endless and she cannot wait to begin.
Yoga Instructor
Leah’s journey as a yoga teacher is constantly evolving as she is always searching for more of the ancient wisdom that yoga has to offer. She obtained her 200-hour Hatha yoga alliance certification in 2020, and her Yin yoga certification in 2021.
Leah has always been inspired to live a healthy lifestyle and has been in love with movement since she was a little girl. She has always had an awareness and understanding of the mind, body, soul connection one can experience when being fully present with movement.
Leah hopes to help others see how incorporating yoga into their lives can help them to live an optimal, balanced and healthy lifestyle. Her style of teaching incorporates both yin and yang to create a well-rounded practice. The Hatha portions of her classes are focused on strengthening, conditioning and lengthening of the whole body whereas in the yin portions, the goal is for the student to experience deep connective tissue release and is guided to focus on creating stillness in the mind.
Leah embodies the principles of living a yogic lifestyle and ultimately hopes to inspire others to improve their own quality of life and do the same.
Occupational Therapist (Adult)
Dilini Mohan has spent the past 15 years building expertise in holistic pain and mood management. She is passionate about using her training and experience to empower women to intentionally create the change they want in their bodies and their lives.
Dilini supports people as they navigate pain and trauma, establish new identities and routines, find meaning and balance in their lives, and manage the roller coaster of moods that may come up.
She is committed to learning and sharing information. After obtaining her Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from the Queen’s University in 2006, she has immersed herself in learning about: Pain management; Core and external pelvic floor assessment and intervention; Hypopressive (low abdominal pressure) core exercises; Hypnosis for birth; Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT); Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for insomnia (CBTi); and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Additionally, she is a certified yoga instructor who practices from a trauma-informed and therapeutic perspective. Dilini offers a unique blend of these strategies within a collaborative and non-judgemental approach to restore the mind-body connection and help her clients thrive.
Dilini believes that no matter their circumstance, it is possible to find meaning and move forward in a way that respects what a person has been through and where they are now, physically and emotionally. It is this principle that guides Dilini’s private practice, Thrive Mama, a holistic wellness practice that is focused on pain, mood, and pelvic health.
Outside the clinic, you can find Dilini gardening, taking photos, painting, or watching The Office for the 6 millionth time. She is currently trying to convince her partner and her little ones to expand their family with a dog (FYI, she fully intends to name this dog Waffles).
Holistic Sleep Consultant
Tamara Jurkin ( pronounced ” Yurkin”) is a Holistic Sleep Consultant and the Founder of Quiet Moments Wellness. She has been working with children, families, adults, and mental health in various roles for 20 years.
Tamara is an active member of the Association of Professional Sleep Consultants and has been working with children, families, adults and mental health in various roles for 20 years. She has shared her passion for child education by teaching adult students wishing to enter the Early Childhood Education field both in class and through practicum support.
Tamara holds a Specialized Honors degree in Psychology and an Early Childhood Education diploma. She has taken several other courses and certifications throughout the years to further her knowledge to best support her clients. Tamara does not utilize any formal sleep training methods/separation based techniques in her work, she uses the Holistic Science of Sleep approach from the International Parenting Health Institute. The successful approach is holistic in nature and supports sustainable change while focusing on the entire family unit. Her research interests include emotional wellness, parental mental health, attachment theory, childhood trauma, sleep and holistic nutrition.
Though residing in Ontario, Canada, Tamara offers sleep services worldwide via phone, email, and Zoom. She is a momma of 2 wonderful boys and works with their sleep the same way that she practices.
Pediatric Physiotherapist
Sonia Lena is a registered Physiotherapist and is in good standing with the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario. Sonia graduated with a Masters of Science in Physiotherapy from King’s College London, UK after pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology at York University.
Sonia decided to pursue a career in Physiotherapy after being a patient for many years following knee surgery. She began her work experience as a volunteer and later as a Physiotherapy Assistant in the same Orthopaedic clinic that she once was a patient. During this time she was also coaching youth soccer as part of a local club’s technical staff. This is where Sonia developed her passion for working with the pediatric population.
Sonia completed her two years Masters in London, England and therefore had a variety of international clinical experience. As part of her experience she was able to practice with the Neuromuscular Pediatric population at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Once returning to Canada, Sonia continued her practice as an Orthopaedic Physiotherapist and additionally went on to pursue a career in Pediatric Physiotherapy in February 2018.
Sonia is a passionate Physiotherapist and she enjoys all aspects of her career. This is reflected in her therapy sessions where she creates a warm and inviting environment for her patients as she can deliver an effective treatment. Sonia’s approach to Physiotherapy is primarily centred on current evidence-based treatments, which include manual techniques, education and especially active play!
In her spare time, Sonia enjoys keeping active by jogging in her neighbourhood (sun, rain, and snow!) and working out at her local gym. Her interests revolve around sports, soccer in particular, and family and friends. As her own therapy, she spends time painting pictures of the places she has travelled and she hopes to expand her collection!
Chiropractor
Dr. Elana Silverman earned a diploma in education and a Bachelors in Psychology before obtaining her doctorate in 2004 from Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College.
In her 17 years as a Chiropractor, she has worked with a diverse patient population gaining experience in all aspects of musculoskeletal events. She has lectured for many organizations and continues to serve the community.
Throughout the years, her number one passion has always been working with pre and postnatal patients. She is excited find her home and to be part of an amazing team at The WOMB in Vaughan!
Birth & Postpartum Doula
CD-DONA
Nikita is a passionate Birth, Postpartum and Overnight Doula. She is a member of the Association of Ontario Doulas and is DONA International trained. Nikita helps support families through birth, the first stages of postpartum, bringing home baby, and adjusting to newborn life. She also assists mothers and parents with breast/chest feeding, bottle feeding, and watching baby for any changes that need medical review. Her passion has led to helping families through this short and precious moment in their life. Nikita uses her knowledge to empower her clients to embrace a personal postpartum healing journey.
Fitness & Yoga Instructor
RYT 500
Mia’s journey as a yoga teacher started in 2013 when she traveled on her own to Rishikesh, India to complete 200hr Yoga Certification. Immersed in the true culture, she studied in an Ashram under Dr. Jutendra Das with the Patanjali International Yoga Foundation, where he helped her uncover all the elements that compose yoga as a whole. Since then, she was inspired by other teachers that she met along her journey, and completed her 300hr certification in 2016 at Semperviva Yoga Teacher College in Vancouver Canada. She also recently completed training in Fusion Fitness in Toronto.
Mia teaches a variety of class styles, from traditional Ashtanga, Yin, Restorative, Prenatal, Vinyasa, to Barre and Fusion Fitness. Mia likes to create a safe, open space for people to practice comfortably within their own bodies. Her mission and intention for her classes is to help guide students to a mind, body and breath connection, in hopes that they discover more about their true selves. Her style of teaching is a meditative movement to balance the body, while switching up positions to consistently challenge students.
Mia has also developed an interest in Thai Massage, and she recently completed her Thai Massage, Swedish Massage and Pregnancy Massage in Chiang Mai Thailand in 2019.
POSTPARTUM Doula
PCD (DONA)
Sabrina is a DONA Certified Postpartum Doula. She is a trained childbirth and lactation educator working towards certification with CAPPA. Sabrina’s love for babies and pregnancy only grew stronger once she became a mother. With the outreach of friends and family who started having babies, she discovered her desire to help families navigate their new life and breastfeeding journeys. This led her to fall in love with the world of Doula and lactation support. Prior to her postpartum doula venture, Sabrina has an extensive background in both medical and health/wellness for the past 18 years.
With the love and support of her husband and three beautiful boys, Sabrina wants to not only empower women, but help the supporting partner find their role through knowledge, affirmation, and understanding. She would love to accompany you as you embark on this new chapter in your life.
Naturopathic Doctor
After completing a Bachelor of Science from the University of Manitoba, Dr. Aida’s love and fascination with natural methods of supporting the human body’s innate healing potential grew, which led her to her training in homeopathic medicine.
A few years later, she aspired to expand her knowledge in modern and traditional forms of medicine, and became a Naturopathic Doctor in 2014.
She uses a less-is-more approach to her care plans for her patients, and strives to create a non-judgemental and collaborative relationship with them. She is very results-focused, and blends a combination of acupuncture, herbs, homeopathic remedies, nutrition, supplements, vitamin injections and lifestyle guidance to achieve this.
Dr. Aida also loves supporting children in her practice. She truly believes that by nourishing children’s minds, hearts and bodies, our world has a chance to be a great place in the future.
With 14 years of clinical experience, and having experienced the magnificence of pregnancy and birthing, the heartbreak of pregnancy loss and the wonderful journey of raising kids, her passion for working with children and people during their pregnancy and postpartum period was reaffirmed.
Outside of work, she enjoys baking, cooking, watching Degrassi High reruns, and spending quality time with her 2 boys and partner.
Yoga & Music Instructor
OCT, BA, B.Ed, YTT-200
Alyse is an Ontario Certified Teacher specializing in early childhood music, as well as a certified yoga teacher, with her main focus being prenatal and postnatal yoga. She received her Bachelor of Arts from York University, and went on to pursue her teaching degree from Queens University. Music played a huge role in her life as she studied voice, guitar and piano, and performed in shows and concerts from a young age. She felt it was natural for her to combine her love of music and teaching, and soon after completing her B.Ed, Alyse began her own company called Circle of Joy, where she taught in-home music (and later yoga as well) classes to infants and toddlers, and their caregivers. Alyse feels that music brings joy, and encourages the bond between caregivers and their children. Singing to your children at an early age helps brain development, strengthens the bond between child and parent, helps with early language development, and is enjoyable for the baby and the parent!
Practicing yoga for more than 12 years, Alyse was drawn to it as a means to relieve anxiety and stress. She soon began to realize that the children she was working with could really benefit from practicing yoga, as well. She did her Yoga Teacher Training in Traditional Hatha, and Vinyasa yoga at Yogaspace in downtown Toronto, and later went on to receive certificates in children’s yoga, prenatal yoga and postnatal yoga.
After witnessing her niece being born, and acting as her sister’s coach through her childbirth experience, Alyse realized she had a passion for working with women during their prenatal and postnatal journeys. This sparked the interest and desire to help women thrive, and feel their best during such a special time in their lives. Alyse’s prenatal yoga classes will leave you feeling strengthened and empowered during your pregnancy. You will leave class relaxed, and even more connected with your baby. She loves the idea of postnatal yoga as well, allowing parents to get in a yoga flow, while at the same time bonding with their babies. Alyse can’t wait to meet you, and is so excited to share her passion for music and yoga with this community!
Communicative Disorders Assistant
CDA
Jessica Raffa is a Communicative Disorders Assistant with a Bachelors degree in Kinesiology from the University of Guelph and a diploma in Fitness & Health from Humber College. In 2016 Jessica completed her post graduate degree in Communicative Disorders at Georgian college.
Jessica has been working with children of all abilities for about 5 years now and enjoys every moment of it! Jessica currently works full time at a children’s treatment center, coaching parents on the use of various speech and language strategies through play based therapy.
Jessica enjoys a good walk with an iced coffee and a friend, yoga, and running her small business in her “spare time.”
Chiropractor
DC, BSc
Dr. Rula’s passion for chiropractic began during her first year of undergraduate studies. She completed her undergraduate degree in Honours Science at the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, ON. She became interested in the profession, which led her to shadow Chiropractors in the United States, Canada, and Dubai. Dr. Rula studied Chiropractic in Seneca Falls, NY at New York Chiropractic College. She gained her experience working at multidisciplinary clinics in Buffalo, NY and Mississauga, ON, where she treated patients ranging from infancy to adulthood. Dr. Rula is trained in a soft tissue mobilization technique called ConnecTX therapy which treats all muscle injuries both acute and chronic with the use of a unique ConnecTX instrument. She also holds a certification in Webster technique in order to treat pregnant women and has experience and the training to treat infants and children. Dr. Rula Shaar is also certified in Medical Acupuncture and RockTape Fascial Movement Taping levels 1 and 2. In her spare time, Dr. Rula enjoys reading, swimming, and running.
Parent Educator
BA, Psychology, MA, Counselling Psychology (In Progress)
Sharyn wholeheartedly believes that a foundation of mindfulness, curiosity and self-compassion helps deepen the parent-child connection. As a passionate parent educator and family life coach, she strives to help mothers regulate their own stress, and find more ease in their parenting.
Her philosophy is one of respecting children from the very beginning in order to foster in them a sense of self-confidence and independence. She teaches value-based parenting through an innately sensible approach which provides moms with the clarity and confidence they seek. Through working with Sharyn, they learn to develop mindful awareness, which helps to decrease symptoms of anxiety, and reduce parental stress. Together, you will discover how to spark that joy that will carry you through the more challenging parts of day-to-day parenting.
Sharyn has worked in early learning centres and social service agencies, advocating for the health and wellness of children and families. Along the way, she discovered that what she loves most is teaching and supporting parents.
Sharyn has advanced training in infant mental health and is currently completing her Masters in Counselling Psychology. She shares her experiences as both a professional and as a parent.
Sharyn has three grown children who share her love of spontaneous road trips to small towns with great indie coffee shops.
Psychotherapist
ECE, E.Ed, M.Ed, SMART
Registered Psychotherapist (Q)
Certified Brain In Hand Specialist
Shawna Akerman balances her career as a special education teacher with YRDSB and psychotherapist, supporting and guiding children and families towards positivity, and a blanched life. Her continued passion to bring kids together for social experiences, honest conversations and emotional regulation led to the creation of an idea. Shawna co-founded and directed Karma Country Camp, and Karma Job Fair through her non-profit charity. She believes it takes a community to raise your children, and has been grateful for the opportunity to raise and guide two incredible kids with profound hearing loss and cochlear implants. She is proud to be a member of a supportive network of organizations and friends. Her experience navigating her family through the challenges of life – divorce, bullying, disabilities, and the unexpected passing of her brother – has empowered her to never lose touch with herself.
Shawna takes pride in sharing her story, experiences, and tools to inspire action on a global scale that will forever change the lives of individuals and families in the same way it has changed hers. She never runs out of ideas to help children find success in their lives.
Social Worker
MSW, RSW
Massina has a Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Toronto, and is a registered Social Worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. Massina has been practicing for over 10 years in the field of Health Care, specifically Mental Health Care. She has offered support and counselling to youth, adults, and families over the years. She has certification in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and has provided counseling to individuals facing such challenges as depression, anxiety, grief, coping with illness, relationship struggles, and stress management. Her therapy is grounded in evidence-based approaches to improving mental health challenges.
Massina became interested in perinatal care when she herself became a mother. She experienced challenges during pregnancy, birth and postpartum that led her to want to help others gain the support and care they needed during this time. Being a mom challenged her in many ways, from having a challenging pregnancy and birth experience, to dealing with family and relationship challenges along the way. Massina feels that since becoming a mother, she has become a stronger and more confident person. What helped her through the challenges was the help she received along the way! She knows first-hand how important it is to get help from others.
Massina knows she can help her clients gain the strength and confidence as she did. Her goal in therapy is to help clients strengthen relationships, improve mental health, and build healthy coping skills so that they can face whatever challenges in their day.
Social Worker
MSW, RSW
Leanne Shapiro has a Masters Degree in Social Work from Wilfrid Laurier University, and is a registered Social Worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. In her 20-year career as a Social Worker, Leanne has provided support and counselling to children and youth with special needs and their families, including parents, caregivers, and siblings. Additionally, she has provided counselling to individuals facing issues such as anxiety, depression, grief, coping with illness, and stress management.
Leanne has been passionate about supporting parents through the perinatal journey since becoming a mom herself. The struggles she faced during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum opened her eyes to the lack of support for and awareness of the needs of emerging parents. Leanne strives to provide support to individuals on their parenting journey by offering a space where they can feel safe, validated, and listened to, while sharing their personal challenges. In addition to her lived experience, Leanne has specialized perinatal and mental health training, allowing her to offer compassionate and non-judgemental care.
Pilates & Fitness Instructor
BFA, GYROTONIC®, Yamuna® Body Rolling
Roxy has been a lover of movement her whole life! Upon reflection, there is a pathway through travel, art, work and new opportunities that led her from the dance world, to Pilates, to massage, to GYROTONIC®, and finally, to Yamuna® Body Rolling. From a young age, she had an affinity for Women’s Health & rights, and being an advocate for your own health.
Roxy is also an accomplished writer on the topics of Health & Wellness, and is launching “The Pregnancy & Beyond Chronicles,” a helpful and humorous blog for women.
Roxy has taught dance and various movement modalities for the Canadian Educational system, professional dance companies and Cirque du Soleil. She finds her classes in the pre/postnatal realm the most rewarding. Having experienced both extremes of pregnancy and birth, from a devastating loss to a beautiful, empowered pregnancy and birth, she brings an open-minded and open-hearted empathy, knowledge and positivity to her classes. She was surprised when teaching Mommy baby classes at just how many women (many with their 2nd or 3rd child) were unaware of the fundamentals of pelvic health and recovery. Being part of a group whose aim is to nurture, foster growth and enable strength for all it means to be a parent is vital to every community. After having lived, guest taught and presented all over the globe, Roxy is thrilled and honoured to be back in Canada, and part of The Womb Vaughan team.
Yoga Instructor – Adult & Children
B.Ed, OCT, 250 YTT
Stacie is a 250-hour certified yoga teacher with additional certifications in Yin Yoga and Kids Yoga. She has a Bachelor of Education, is a member of the Ontario College of Teachers, and has over 15 years of teaching experience with children from 2-12 years old. She left the classroom in 2002 to expand into the world of kids’ educational media, and has been working as a freelance educational consultant since then.
Stacie has been practicing yoga since 1995, and loves sharing her practice with others of all abilities and age groups. In 2017, Stacie began combining her love of yoga with her love of teaching, and leads yoga classes in classrooms and studios around the GTA.
For Stacie, her love of yoga stems from the integration of the mind, heart, body and breath, which is the root and foundation for connecting with the self, others, and the world around us. Her intention is to guide others of all ages to discover this connection in themselves.
Stacie will be teaching all kinds of Yoga for adults and children, and is looking forward to supporting all our WOMB Families!
Thai Yoga Massage Practitioner
Fitness & Yoga Instructor
RYT 500
Mia’s journey as a yoga teacher started in 2013 when she traveled on her own to Rishikesh, India to complete 200hr Yoga Certification. Immersed in the true culture, she studied in an Ashram under Dr. Jutendra Das with the Patanjali International Yoga Foundation, where he helped her uncover all the elements that compose yoga as a whole. Since then, she was inspired by other teachers that she met along her journey, and completed her 300hr certification in 2016 at Semperviva Yoga Teacher College in Vancouver Canada. She also recently completed training in Fusion Fitness in Toronto.
Mia teaches a variety of class styles, from traditional Ashtanga, Yin, Restorative, Prenatal, Vinyasa, to Barre and Fusion Fitness. Mia likes to create a safe, open space for people to practice comfortably within their own bodies. Her mission and intention for her classes is to help guide students to a mind, body and breath connection, in hopes that they discover more about their true selves. Her style of teaching is a meditative movement to balance the body, while switching up positions to consistently challenge students.
Mia has also developed an interest in Thai Massage, and she recently completed her Thai Massage, Swedish Massage and Pregnancy Massage in Chiang Mai Thailand in 2019.
Personal Trainer and Health Coach
PHD, PTS, CHC
Jill is a Certified Health Coach and Personal Trainer. She has always been passionate about both physical and mental health and working with prenatal and postpartum women. She utilizes her knowledge and understanding of the human body to teach women the most safe and effective way to restore their core and regain strength and confidence following childbirth.
She is excited to be a part of The WOMB team offering many fitness programs including Mommy FIT, Belly FIT, and Kids FIT classes!
Pilates & Yoga Instructor
Registered Midwife, BHSc., BA.
Cynthia is excited to join the pelvic health team at the WOMB Vaughan as a movement (pilates/yoga) instructor. She has a special interest in pelvic health, as she is also a full-time Registered Midwife since 2008, catching babies and supporting families in Vaughan and Toronto.
Cynthia is trained in Contemporary Mat Pilates, Reformer, Pilates Suspension Method, and Movement for Trauma. Her Yoga training includes Vinyasa, Hatha, Restorative, Prenatal/Postnatal, and Budokon. In her classes, you can expect to move creatively, have fun, and leave feeling good.
Cynthia finds joy, healing, self-expression and personal growth through exploring movement, and enjoys supporting others in discovering the same. As someone who works in healthcare, Cynthia views movement as another way to access understandings and interpretations of mind-body connection. In addition, she has also enjoyed training in Craniosacral Therapy.
Before acquiring her BHSc degree in Midwifery from Ryerson University, she completed her BA in Bioethics & Gender Studies from the University of Toronto. Cynthia has 3 children – an artist, an academic, and a hurricane!
Pelvic Health Physiotherapist
M.ScA PT, B.Kin, BAS
With a background in fitness, kinesiology and physiotherapy, and a passion for pregnancy and babies, Michelle was naturally drawn to Pelvic Health Physiotherapy. Michelle completed level one during her Masters in Physiotherapy at McGill, and levels two and three with Pelvic Health Solutions thereafter. Michelle has since completed additional courses in pregnancy, pelvic girdle pain, diastasis rectus abdominis, and dermoneuromodulation.
They say it takes a village to raise a child, but it also takes a village to prepare a mother for her perinatal journey. Michelle is proud to be a part of this interdisciplinary village at The WOMB Vaughan. Michelle strongly believes in informed childbirth, and preparing the body and mind for a positive birth experience. As a pelvic health physiotherapist, Michelle’s mission is to support and empower women throughout their perinatal journey. This includes pain and physiology education, optimizing breathing and movement strategies, and restoring proper function to the pelvic floor. These same treatment approaches apply to other common conditions such as incontinence and prolapse. Michelle also has a special interest in treating persistent pelvic girdle pain, and working to desensitize the nervous system. Science has confirmed a mind-body connection that is an essential part of Michelle’s practice.
Michelle is passionate about sharing her knowledge of this very important emerging field in physiotherapy. She became a Mom in August 2019, and loves watching her little one grow and learn.
Pelvic Health Physiotherapist
Registered PT
Jackie graduated from the University of Toronto, from the Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine in 2002. Since graduating, Jackie managed and directed 2 sports and rehabilitation clinics. She stays current on the research and attends post-graduate courses and seminars. Jackie treats orthopaedic clients, but she started to work in pelvic health rehabilitation, after recognising the importance of this field to help improve patients’ quality of life. She treats her clients with a very hands-on approach and prescribes both gym and home exercise programs to ensure the best treatment and therefore the best outcome for her clients. Jackie feels working in pelvic health rehabilitation and with pelvic health clients is very rewarding.
Pelvic Health Physiotherapist
B.A., Registered PT
Barbara is a passionate Registered Physiotherapist with over 13 years of experience.
In 2013 she started completing post graduate courses in Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation, in which she has found a special place in her heart. She has completed many courses since then through Pelvic Health solutions, a company dedicated to educating Physiotherapists and other healthcare practitioners about pelvic health.
Barbara specializes in the management and treatment of incontinence for women, sexual pain, chronic pelvic pain, pelvic organ prolapse, prenatal and postnatal care, preparation for labour and birth, post-surgical and post menopausal conditions.
Barbara also has experience fitting pessaries and training with the hypopressive technique.
Barbara believes in a multidisciplinary approach when it comes to treating her patients. This may include working with their family doctor, Midwife, urologist, gynaecologist or other healthcare practitioners.
Barbara balances her professional life with her Physiotherapist husband and two kids. She loves dogs and breeds them as a side passion. In addition, she leads a very active lifestyle and is an avid runner. She finds running extremely therapeutic for the body, mind and soul.
Paediatric Physiotherapist
BSc., PT
Tanya Barrett is a registered Physiotherapist, and in good standing with the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario. Tanya graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy from the University of Toronto in 2002, after pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology at York University.
Tanya has over 18 years of varied clinical experiences including complex Orthopaedics, Neurorehabilitation, and Pediatric rehabilitation. Her first few years were focused on Orthopaedics, and soon after began to focus on Pediatrics, which ultimately became her passion.
For the past 18 years, Tanya has enjoyed assessing and treating children and adults with varying conditions and disabilities including acute neurological disorders, cerebral palsy, traumatic orthopaedic injuries, genetic disorders, and other orthopedic/soft tissue injuries.
Between 2008-2009, Tanya was a Clinical Instructor at the University of Western Ontario School of Physical Therapy. In 2012, she was hired as the clinical program leader for the Neurodevelopmental Paediatric Physiotherapy Department in the start up phase of Boomerang Health, Powered by SickKids. She was a paramount influence in the creation of the physiotherapy department. In 2016, Tanya decided to pursue her goal of starting her own practice called Just 4 Kids Physio, which she still runs today.
Tanya’s passion for her career is evident during all of her treatment sessions, and she finds treating infants and children to be incredibly rewarding. She likes to incorporate a fun, playful atmosphere into her rehabilitation sessions.
When not working, Tanya is a very busy mother of three children and her family dog, Diego! She enjoys staying fit by practicing yoga and Pilates, going on family hikes, baking, painting and running after her three little ones.
Tanya is very excited to be part of the WOMB family, the newest stage in her career!
Speech Language Pathologist
MS, CCC-SLP
As a seasoned clinician with 20 years experience, Maija is passionate about supporting families with fun, naturalistic play-based approaches. Having background training in interactive models such as Hanen ™, the SCERTS model™, and ESDM™, creating connections and strengthening bonds is the main focus of her communication interventions.
Maija is highly skilled in assessment and providing intervention for children with communication needs, especially those with limited natural speech and language. Having years of experience supporting those with autism spectrum disorders and/or autistic individuals of all ages, she emphasizes meaningful relationship building to nurture trust, mutual respect, and genuine engagement. Her dual pronged approach for supporting functional communication and development the building blocks of speech have been highly successful for children with motor speech disorders (also known as childhood apraxia of speech).
Maija is also a seasoned instructor of social skills group intervention for all ages and abilities, including preschoolers to teens to adults. As a scholar and practitioner of the Social Thinking™ methodology, she emphasizes the role of thoughts and feelings in everyday interactions for lifelong application of these concepts. Activities for social thinking can be taught in both individual and group settings.
From years of study and participation in research projects at McGill and The Pennsylvania State University, Maija has gained extensive experience and training in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) supports. This includes evaluation, intervention, teaching, training, and locating funding for devices. Each child’s unique needs and skills will be explored prior to making any recommendations, as the use of pictures (such as PECS, core boards), voice output devices (such as TechTalk, SuperTalker, GoTalk), tablets or iPads (with apps such as TouchChat, Proloquo2go, LAMP Words for Life) and dedicated devices requires careful consideration.
Registered Holistic Nutritionist
BA, RHN
Leora Barak, BA, RHN is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist practicing in the city of Vaughan, Ontario. She is a graduate with Honours from York University, and from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition. Her approach to health and healing is from a whole-person perspective. While considering each person a unique individual, she will focus on specific and customized nutritional therapy, appropriate mindset, lifestyle changes and stress-reducing techniques. Her mission is to empower her clients to discover how vibrant they can feel by adopting healthier habits, while living a simpler life. She has a special interest in sustainable weight loss, digestive disorders, women’s health and prenatal/postpartum support.
Leora is a mother of three grown children ages 25, 22 and 17. She remembers being a young mother, and wishes that a special place like The WOMB was around when she needed that extra care and support. Today, she is so excited to be part of the WOMB Community, to help guide moms and their babies during that beautiful journey of invaluable learning, building strength, cultivating patience and finding everlasting joy.
Holistic Mindset & Business Coach
B.A., MBA
Nicole Bloomberg is a sought after Holistic Mindset Coach and Life+ Success Coach with a B.A. from Indiana University, and an MBA with a specialization in entrepreneurship from Nova Southeastern University. She is a certified Neurolinguistic Programming Practitioner (NLP), Clinical Hypnotherapist, and certified in Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and Time Technique.
Nicole has over 15 years of business and corporate experience. She has owned several of her own successful businesses, including Pink & Blue, a digital parenting network and popular Facebook group with over 30k members, and a social media arm called Bloomberg Marketing.
Nicole noticed that the more she leaned into meditation, mindset work, and manifestation exercises, the more successful her businesses became. She realized that her habits, rituals, energy and spirituality were closely aligned, and that mindset was the foundation of it all. Nicole wanted to help other women discover this connection and use it to strengthen and grow their businesses and create more balanced, prosperous lives.
Nicole uses a combination of her mindset work, life coaching, business strategy and energy work to create a unique cocktail that helps women achieve success and attain their goals, have more balance in their life, and realize happiness, clarity and purpose!
Nicole is excited to be part of The WOMB Vaughan team, and can’t wait to work with new clients and help them “rise up!”
Birth & Postpartum Doula
Deanna has always felt a strong desire to nurture and help others. It came as no surprise that upon learning about doula work, she felt deeply inspired to take a DONA Birth Doula Training and pursue this calling. She has since completed an Ayurvedic Postpartum Doula training, and has been passionately supporting families in birth and postpartum for the last three years.
She offers heart-centred care to birthers and their families, as well as providing tools to help birthers empower themselves and heal during this sensitive time. She believes that the birth and postpartum period is one of the most important times in a person’s life, and everyone deserves access to support during this pivotal transition. In her practice, Deanna incorporates a variety of holistic healing modalities that she has learned over the years, including Ayurveda, Herbalism, meditation and Reiki. Deanna is thrilled to be a part of The WOMB team, and would be honoured to support you during your transition into parenthood!
Birth Doula & Childbirth Educator
CD (DONA), L.C.C.E., MJed
Cheryl is an educator by training, and a mother of three who has devoted her life towards helping others. Cheryl has directed privately run schools in both Canada and the United States, and has worked with a diverse group of families by assisting them through both the joyful and difficult moments of their lives.
Cheryl completed her birth doula certification through DONA International, and her Childbirth Educators certification through Lamaze International. She has worked at McMaster University for the Midwifery Education Program as an educational facilitator, training certified midwives how to support midwifery students in their clinical placements. Cheryl’s passion for pregnancy and birth support is her labour of love. Cheryl is excited to be a part of The WOMB Vaughan team, and looks forward to supporting women through the magical journey of pregnancy, birth, and parenthood.
Birth Doula & Childbirth Educator
CD (DONA), L.C.C.E.
25 years ago, Chari was asked to “hang out” with her pregnant friends and family members because of her calming presence. Little did she know that this was the beginning of her venture into the world of birth work!
Fast track to 2015 – Chari took on the task to become formally certified as a birth doula through DONA International. In 2018, she added birth educator to her repertoire by becoming certified through Lamaze International. With a background as educator/facilitator/trainer certified by the Ontario College of Teachers, Chari helps folks understand the birthing process, leaving them feeling confident and informed.
When not involved in birth work, Chari serves as a Senior Coach with Frame of Mind Coaching, working with people experiencing challenges in their lives who are looking for clarity and focus.
Whether coaching for birth or personal circumstance(s), Chari guides people to find their positive mindset, and set a course for an exceptional (birth) experience.
Personal Fitness & Mindset Coach
PTS, HWL, CMCP, BComm.
Since 2014, Josef Serfaty, a.k.a. Coach Josef, has been guiding his clients toward their fitness goals, whether it’s fat-loss, increased strength, getting toned, or improved endurance to keep up with the kids. Using a holistic approach, the programs he designs are based on the individual’s current fitness capabilities, with a focus on functional training and metabolic conditioning. Josef is a certified Personal Training Specialist, and Healthy-Eating & Weight-Loss Coach, Senior Tactical Fitness Instructor, Lebert Fitness Instructor and Brand Ambassador, Theragun Performance Specialist, and a certified Kettlebell Coach. However, he’s more than your ordinary personal trainer. He’s a Certified Master Coach Practitioner (Mindset Coach), which allows for that “beyond-the-rep” experience within each session.
Being an advocate for mental health, Josef is also a Resiliency Keynote Speaker, most recently for Project H.O.P.E. Academy – founded by SGT Ken and Stephanie Weichert, and the host of The Mindfully Resilient Podcast. His journey into resilience started with a flame of inspiration to be the best version of himself after an eye-opening boot camp, followed by a lecture on resilience at the Canfitpro Fitness Conference in 2013. He believes everyone deserves to experience that same empowering flame. Josef’s passion is to serve and lead others on their journeys to be the best versions of themselves, and to inspire them to live every day with joy, curiosity, and passion.
Most importantly, he’s married to super-wife and mom, Suzanne, also Co-Owner of The WOMB Vaughan, and a father to 2 beautiful girls.
Josef currently works under the brand CLG Fitness as an in-home personal fitness coach and leads Tactical Fit Online classes, an uplifting online group workout program that has seen the growth of a micro-community.
When fitness coaching is not on the agenda, Josef enjoys playing guitar, mobile photography, hot chocolate dates and video games with his daughters, walks with the family, hockey, good coffee, and listening to leadership and fitness podcasts.
Chiropractor
DC, BSc
Sarah Seaborn, DC, BSc is a chiropractor who has practiced primarily in North York, upon graduating from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College. Originally from New Brunswick, her desire for health care began at a young age, as she always loved anatomy and learning. In addition to her chiropractic education, Sarah is an acupuncture provider, obtaining the Contemporary Medical Acupuncture Certification from McMaster University.
Dr. Seaborn enjoys working with all types of patients, and is especially enthusiastic when given the opportunity to introduce an individual to chiropractic care. Sarah has completed a clinical internship at the Aptus Children’s Treatment Center, where she acquired various skills & techniques for assessing and treating children with various physical and mental developmental disabilities. She has always enjoyed working with children, having two nieces herself, and has been fortunate to see many pregnant mothers in her practice, as well as their postpartum babies. Her treatments are individually tailored, while following the best evidence-based practices.
Dr. Seaborn has treated various conditions and populations, including, but not limited to Cervical & Lumbar Disc Injuries, Pregnancy Related Low Back & Pelvic Pain, Sciatica, Headaches/Migraines, Infant Colic, Torticollis, Functional and/or Structural Scoliosis, Sports Related Injuries and Chronic Pain. Her treatment techniques often include soft tissue therapy, joint mobilizations/manipulations, Activator adjusting Instrument, Thompson Chiropractic Techniques (Drop Piece) and will soon include the Webster Technique (stay tuned).
Outside of her chiropractic practice, Sarah enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking trails or kayaking the various waterways of Ontario. In less favourable weather, she enjoys watching movies and making jigsaw puzzles. Sarah is pleased to have joined the amazing team of health care professionals at The WOMB Vaughan!
Naturopathic Doctor
H.BSc, ND
Dr. Nicole’s goal is to make your health simple and uncomplicated. She is a firm believer in treating the patient as a whole, creating individualized treatment plans that you feel confident in and empower you to regain control of your health. She employs evidence-based treatments together with proven traditional medicine and she values an integrative approach to healthcare, to help you become the best version of yourself. Dr. Nicole has a passion for pediatric and perinatal medicine and would love to help you and your family set up a strong foundation in health!
Dr. Nicole is a board certified naturopathic doctor. She obtained a specialist in biology degree from the University of Toronto where she explored her passion for the complex human body and later went on to pursue her Doctor of Naturopathy degree from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. In her final year, she completed a year-long internship with additional intensive training working with children and adolescents. Dr. Nicole is in good standing with the College of Naturopaths of Ontario and she is a member of the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors, the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors and the Pediatric Association of Naturopathic Physicians.
Dr. Nicole strives to provide the best care for her patients by diversifying her skills. She has received additional training in methylation & genetics, pediatric health, and is also trained as a naturopathic birth doula. She continues to expand her knowledge through various local and international conferences and continuing education courses.
Nicole is thrilled to be joining the WOMB Vaughan! I love working with kids and growing families to help you set up a strong foundation of health. Working with such an amazing interdisciplinary team allows us to optimize your health to the next degree, knowing that your health and wellbeing is taken care of from every aspect. I can’t wait to meet you and to help you and your family thrive, naturally.
Outside of the clinic, you can find Dr. Nicole hiking along the Niagara escarpment, walking along the lake shore or diving into a good book.
Founder
Lorri Fleming has a deep interest in nature, travel, health, personal growth and fostering deep connections to family and friends. She knows the importance of connecting to those core values in order to live an inspired life. As a Founder, Co-owner and Director of The WOMB: The World Of My Baby Inc. Lorri loves leading The WOMB culture, communication and marketing initiatives.
Lorri and Scott have been married since 1992 and they are proud parents to their now adult children, Cole (wife Moriah) and Kyra. Her background before becoming a Birth/Postnatal Doula and Parent Educator was coaching wellness and hospitality based companies how to offer an exemplary customer experience to their clients. Her consulting company, Divine Connections offered seminars and coaching across Canada.
Lorri’s long time dream has been to build and run a successful, collaborative wellness company. To help unite a dream team of healthcare professionals who are all passionate about fertility, pregnancy, birth, parenting and self growth. This dream became a reality when she and her business partner Angie Stenback, opened The WOMB in 2014 and this team started working synergistically all under one roof. The dream has now expanded to help more families flourish. Coaching and Mentoring the wholeness centres that now nurture, love and inspire their communities is the most fulfilling part of her role.
Every community and every family deserves The WOMB.
Founder
Angie Stenback is a woman who is inspired by nature, who is passionate about everything she does, and who seeks to inspire the world. It is why she spends most days working alongside an amazing team of experts and leaders in fertility, pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period at The WOMB™. Her goal is to facilitate in each and every team member a desire to create an environment that is healing, loving and supportive.
Before becoming a birth and postnatal doula in 2006, Angie received her Hons Bachelor of Physical and Health Education from the University of Toronto. She became a pre- and post-natal fitness trainer working with FitMom™ in Toronto and then started her own baby and me fitness program called Mommy Bootcamp. Angie was also the driving force behind both orthopaedic research, and a wellness initiative and program at a Toronto hospital for 5 years.
After the birth of her 2nd son, Angie felt inspired to give more of herself to birth work and so trained as a birth doula through DONA International, lactation educator and childbirth educator. She has had the privilege to have received the mentorship of such notables as Pam England and Virginia Bobro (Birthing from Within™), Jennifer Elliott (HypnoBirthing™) and Gena Kirby (Rebozo techniques). Angie, with her business partner, Lorri then went on to first found Halton Doula Group in 2007 and then The WOMB in 2014 where Angie takes on the financial, policies and procedures role and especially loves the new, creative projects entrusted in her care.
Angie has birthed 5 children and has been married to her husband, Troy since 1999. If you don’t see Angie at The WOMB™, you will find her driving her kiddos around to hockey, dance or film school, hiking with her pup through the woods or reading a book.
Co-Owner & Director
Speech-Language Pathologist & Parent Educator
H.B.Hsc., M.Cl.Sc., SLP (C)
Ilana met Suzanne in 2014 while attending one of Suzanne’s mom and baby classes. Their daughters were the same age, and they became fast friends, maintaining that friendship through moves, life changes and many babies! When Suzanne finally let Ilana in on her top secret project (after 3 years of secrecy), Ilana was so inspired she knew she wanted to be involved.
Ilana is a Speech-Language Pathologist who received her Undergraduate Degree in Health Sciences, as well as her Master of Clinical Science degree from the University of Western Ontario. Ilana has experience working with children, adults and families of all ages both individually, and in groups. Ilana has worked in many areas of the Speech-Language Pathology field, including private practice, preschool initiative program, school health support services, daycare programming, parent training, workshops, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). She is Hanen certified for “It Takes Two to Talk” and “More Than Words,” both family-focused early language intervention programs. Ilana is also Hanen certified to lead programs for educators, including “Learning Language and Loving It,” “Teacher Talk” and “ABC and Beyond.” Ilana holds PROMPT level 2 “Bridging” Certification, and LAMP training level 1.
Ilana’s areas of interest include working with preschool and school age children in the areas of articulation, language and literacy, as well as working with children with special needs. Ilana also works extensively with adults with developmental disabilities.
Ilana is the owner of Aurora Speech Therapy and In-Home Speech Therapy, a small private practice providing speech, language and communication services to children within a clinic, and in their homes across York Region.
Ilana is also a proud mother to three spunky and sweet girls, and a dog-mama to two crazy Vizsla ladies! She enjoys spending time with her family, musical theatre, strength training, yoga, travelling, rewatching her essential TV shows, and learning new things.
Lactation Consultant
IBCLC
Aibhne, or AJ, (pronounced Aiv-nee, an old Irish Gaelic name meaning “river”), is an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant, and is on a mission to make breastfeeding support more accessible to families who need it. She most commonly sees families to resolve issues like slow infant weight gain, decreased milk supply, pain or discomfort when breastfeeding, sore or damaged nipples, and babies having difficulty maintaining a latch, or who are not yet latching. She has worked in diverse situations, such as with premature, sick infants, surrogacy, adoption, induced lactation, tandem nursing, breast refusal, blocked ducts, engorgement and mastitis, as well as breastfeeding twins & multiples, and more. Aibhne offers preparatory prenatal breastfeeding consultations, and also teaches fun Prenatal & Postnatal Breastfeeding Classes.
Aibhne is a member of the International Lactation Consultants Association (ILCA), Canadian Lactation Consultants Association (CLCA), and Lamaze International, and serves as a volunteer on the publications team for ILCA. She completed her Honours Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Guelph in Biomedical Sciences and Neuroscience, and then went on to study at the Centre for Breastfeeding Education in the Lactation Medicine Programme. She had the honour of working with a group of world-renowned breastfeeding specialist pediatricians and lactation consultant mentors, while seeing families during her clinical training at the International Breastfeeding Centre.
Aibhne believes that compassionate and sensitive support in healthcare is essential to the safety and well-being of our children and families. In her appointments and classes, she meets you where you are on your journey and provides personalized, supportive guidance, assessments and family care plans absolutely free of judgement. She uses practical, real life, evidence-based techniques and solutions-focused approaches and education. She is an advocate for informed self-determination in pregnancy and childbirth, and loves working with families to reinvent and empower their breastfeeding relationships.
At home with her daughter Sage, she enjoys creating fun projects in their studio & garden, and exploring the piano. She is the proud owner with her partner of Heart of the Woods Soap Shop, where they create self-care routine gift sets for changing bodies in pregnancy & postpartum, and beautiful bar soaps made for sensitive skin.
Acupuncture is a treatment that has been around for thousands of years! It is a gentle and effective therapy to support health and well-being. Generally quite painless, the practice involves inserting tiny needles along energy meridians in the body to help stimulate balance and improve physical and mental health.
Whether you are just beginning your journey to conception or have been trying for a while, Acupuncture can help.
Fertility concerns commonly treated with Acupuncture include:
· Painful intercourse
· Low Libido
· Reduce stress and anxieties
· Balance hormones
For those going through assisted reproductive therapies such as IUI or IVF, studies have shown acupuncture increases successful pregnancy rates. Preparing ahead with acupuncture 2-3 months before IVF helps to regulate the menstrual cycle, thicken the uterine lining to support implantation and improves blood flow to the uterus and ovaries.
Men can also benefit from acupuncture to increase fertility. Common concerns that may be treated with Acupuncture in males include:
· Low sperm count
· Problems with sperm motility or morphology
· Erectile Dysfunction
· Low testosterone
· Varicocele
Suzanne discovered The WOMB in 2015 when she visited the Milton location to take a course, and immediately fell in love. She questioned how it was possible that a place like this did not exist in Vaughan! She sat down with Lorri Fleming (WOMB co-founder) late in 2016 to start the conversation, and 4 years later, here we are!
Suzanne is the founder and owner of CLG Fitness, offering in-home personal training services. She primarily works with pregnant and post-partum women in Vaughan, and surrounding areas. She is a Bellies Inc. Core Confidence Specialist, teaching women how to connect with their pelvic floor in exercise, and helping with many common postpartum concerns, including diastasis recti and incontinence.
In addition, Suzanne holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University, and a Holistic Nutritionist certification from Edison Institute of Nutrition. She is also a Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor through Canfitpro, and a Dance Teacher from the British Association of Teachers of Dancing.
The moment when Suzanne realized that she wanted her career to specialize in pregnant women was in 2013, when she became pregnant with her daughter Abby. She was surprised at how few resources and available pre-natal classes there seemed to be at the time! Now, Suzanne is a proud mother to two amazing girls, Abby and Chelsea, and enjoys spending quality family time with them, and her husband Josef. Suzanne also loves cooking, baking (and eating) vegetarian food, fitness & yoga, dancing, travel, theatre, reading, and watching The Young and the Restless!
