For the past three years, Ursula Sabia Sukinik has mentored me as a doula, childbirth educator, and a business person. From the first conversation to the present she has always given practical, thoughtful, and essential advice. She has assisted me in all aspects of becoming a Doula: harnessing my intuition, promoting and protecting my business, and work/life balance, to name a few.

I feel deeply supported knowing I can call or text Ursula at any moment if I am stuck or need suggestions to help my laboring parents and my clients benefit from her experience. In one of the first births I attended as a new Doula I called Ursula needing help after being with an anxious laboring couple for over 24 hours. I credit the advice she gave that morning to helping my client have a vaginal birth instead of a cesarean.

I feel tremendously blessed to have had the opportunity to work with Ursula. I would not be the Doula and Childbirth Educator I am today if it were not for this mentoring relationship.

From the night we met in person, in a hospital parking garage at 3am on our way in to a birth, Ursula welcomed me into her life as a doula. She always held out her hand to help me figure out what it means to be a doula, to answer simple questions and talk through complex ideas. Ursula has been simply wonderful. She has taught me so much more than I expected to learn. She shared her many gifts with me and encouraged me to figure out what my gifts are and pursue my dreams. Ursula taught me to have confidence in my own abilities as a doula. She gave me the courage to pursue the path to becoming a midwife and dive ever-deeper into the world of birth. Thanks, Ursula!