This episode really feels like I’m inviting you into my home and into a relationship that has been really vital and nourishing to me and that is with Bethany Gurrola of Alma Rising.

Bethany is my post-partum doula, but as we talk about in this episode, the relationship and support system we’re building is really so much more than that. It’s built on a real sense of reciprocity. So in this ongoing exploration of what it means to be in deep community, grieving the loss of the village, and navigating a way back to re-villaging, Bethany and I realized that something about what’s happening between us feels like we’re on the right track.

So together we talk about the nature of this relationship and the importance of doula support for everyone in a variety of important life moments. We talk about boundaries and self-care in doula work, reciprocity of energy within Capitalism, how doula care ripples outward into your community, the difference between nannies and doulas, dreaming forward better medical support — for queer, nonbinary, trans, Black, and Indigenous folks and families, and teen moms, and working with the youth to set change in motion and foster emotional intelligence from a formative age.

“Doula care helps you get filled up so that you can show up how you want to show up for the people in your life.” -Bethany Gurrola

More from Bethany Gurrola:

 

Episode #79: Reciprocal Relationships and the Foundation of Doula Care with Bethany Gurrola

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