Space is limited for this groundbreaking program available to the public for the first time. Sign up for the free info session and discover how Tender Love can transform the way you care for clients and yourself.
STARTS SEPTEMBER 20th!
STARTS SEPTEMBER 20th!
SIGN UP NOW AND SAVE 75%!
Thanks to our generous sponsors– act now and take $447 off your spot in this 12-week training!
September 20 – December 6, 2023
Live sessions Wednesdays at 9 AM Pacific / 12 PM Eastern
Are you a doula, childbirth educator, lactation educator, or newborn care specialist experiencing fatigue and exhaustion?
Are you worried that your ability to provide quality care to your clients is being affected by your own stress? Many folks enter this field of work with the desire and intention of supporting parents and babies, but find themselves overwhelmed and drained due to the challenges of navigating an unjust and demanding healthcare system. If you resonate with this experience, Tender Love offers a much-needed solution to address these issues.
Originally developed for Los Angeles County’s Department of Public Health’s African American Infant and Maternal Mortality (AAIMM) Doula Project, we’re bringing this groundbreaking training to the public for the very first time.
Rooted in research and best practice guidelines, Tender Love is practical at heart.
Participants will earn continuing education credits and take away new perspectives, concrete strategies, and real-time skills that will enable them to provide effective trauma-responsive client care.
The Tender Love Difference
Tender Love goes beyond being just another training program; it is a holistic and transformative journey that is designed to address the unique challenges faced by non-clinical birthworkers. Here’s what sets Tender Love apart:
PERSONAL
Other training may focus only on the client, but the physical and emotional demands of perinatal work can impact your ability to provide compassionate and effective care. We believe that when perinatal professionals are calm and cared for, they are more able to attune to client needs and respond with compassion and skill.
EMBODIED
Other training may focus solely on intellectual knowledge and technical skills, ignoring the role of the body for both the client and the practitioner. We believe that birthwork is inherently embodied work, and that compassionate and effective care is supported by growing somatic awareness and cultivating embodied resilience.
CONNECTED
Other training is limited to single professions. We believe that building connections and community is essential for providing the kind of care that families deserve. Our training and companion virtual community are designed to break down silos and foster connection, collaboration, and support among perinatal professionals.
Through a combination of focused lecture, exploratory discussions, personal reflection, writing, and role play, we will:
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Examine the holistic impact of interpersonal, community, and systems-level trauma on birthing people.
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Explore the linkages between birthworker self-awareness and the ability to manage emotional intensity in preventing vicarious trauma and maintaining empathic client connection.
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Apply trauma-informed principles to the non-clinical perinatal professional role in organizational scope of practice and case-based client scenarios.
Have questions? Want to know more?
Meet the Tender Love Facilitation Team
With combined decades of experience, our Facilitation Team will guide you every step of the way through your Tender Love journey.
Nkem Ndefo, MSN, CNM, RN, (she/they) is the founder of Lumos Transforms and creator of The Resilience Toolkit. Licensed as a Registered Nurse since 1995 and a Nurse Midwife since 2000, Nkem holds a Master’s degree in Nursing from Frontier Nursing University. She has extensive post-graduate training in complementary health modalities and emotional therapies. As a clinician, Nkem has worked in settings ranging from large volume hospitals to mobile community clinics. She founded and operated a full scope midwifery and homebirth practice from 2000-2007 and she maintained a small holistic private practice in Los Angeles from 2007-2020. Additionally, she worked for the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative researching maternal death outcomes.
Nkem is an expert in the trauma-informed and resilience-oriented (TIRO) approach, embodied anti-oppression, and healing justice. She served on the Los Angeles County Trauma-and Resilience-Informed Systems Change Initiative Workgroup, developed a pilot violence-prevention academy for peer support workers as part of Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s Trauma Prevention Initiative, served as the lead for Los Angeles County Department of Health Services’ equity, diversity, inclusion, and antiracism initiative, and co-directs Embody Lab’s Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy Certification and Embodied Activism Programs.
A skilled practitioner, dynamic speaker, and valued strategist. Nkem is known for her unique ability to connect with people of all types by holding powerful healing spaces, weaving complex concepts into accessible narratives, and creating synergistic and collaborative learning communities that nourish people’s innate capacity for healing, wellness, and connection.
Mikaela Johnson Vaal (she/they) is a Certified Facilitator of The Resilience Toolkit, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Birth and Postpartum Doula, Lactation Educator, Yoga Instructor, and Reiki Master living and working in Los Angeles. She is trained in a wide range of modalities to support health and healing for people from all walks of life, with a special focus on reproductive health, pregnancy, and postpartum care. Mikaela has over twenty years of experience working with people in challenging situations and is fiercely passionate about improving healthcare equity for birthing and postpartum people – specifically Black, trans, and nonbinary folks.
As a Perinatal Care Specialist, Mikaela holds space for people as they navigate reproductive health and perinatal care by providing emotional support, physical comfort, practical assistance, and non-medical care. Mikaela pulls intuitively from her vast repository of knowledge and skills when working with clients – tailoring her approach to meet the individual needs of each client. She believes that awareness is power, and supports her clients to confidently navigate their own wellness journey so they can advocate for themselves, their bodies, and their families.
Tender Love Course Overview
The Tender Love Training Program consists of 18 contact hours of group training, 2 open office hours, and access to our exclusive community and learning platform with active affinity spaces and discussion boards. All training sessions and office hours will happen live, with replay/recordings available.
PHASE 1 – 9 Contact Hours
Wednesdays, 9:00 AM-12:00 PM Pacific
SESSION 1 – 9/20/23
The evolution of the embodied Trauma Informed Resilience Oriented (eTIRO) approach and its role in the perinatal context
Building embodied resilience with the Resilience Toolkit
SESSION 2 – 10/4/23
The stress-trauma continuum and its impacts on the somatic, emotional, mental, behavioral, and relational levels in the perinatal context
SESSION 3 – 10/18/23
Cultural and historical sources of trauma and resilience and their influence on individuals, families, institutions, and systems
PHASE 2 – 9 Contact Hours
Wednesdays, 9:00 AM-12:00 PM Pacific
SESSION 4 – 11/1/23
Resilience and its role in trauma healing and recovery
Attunement to stress-relaxation responses for improved co-regulation and empathy
SESSION 5 – 11/15/23
Preventing and mitigating vicarious trauma and burnout to improve perinatal professional quality of life and client care
Integrating embodied resilience and eTIRO principles when working with clients’ trauma stories
SESSION 6 – 12/6/23
Strategies for eTIRO principle implementation in perinatal policies, procedures, and practice
Cross-role collaboration and coalition building in the perinatal healthcare team
Office Hours with Nkem & Mikaela
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October 25, 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM Pacific
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November 29, 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM Pacific
About Continuing Education Credits
Provider Nkemdilim Ndefo is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number 15871, for 18 contact hours. (Nursing Board continuing education hours are accepted by CAPPA, DONA, and Lamaze International).
18 R-CERPs recognized by IBLCE. IBLCE CERPs Recognition Number: STP Number C2023080. (IBLCE continuing education hours are accepted by ICEA).
Questions? Contact us at info@lumostransforms.com or +1-323-254-7775.
Pricing
Our sliding-scale pricing helps you contribute in a way that is fair while considering current and historical inequity and your own identities. Here are some things to think about when choosing which ticket to purchase:
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Your socioeconomic position or current income
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How you may have benefitted from family wealth
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Your education level
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Your power in your workplace or industry
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Whether you are supporting your family financially or as a full-time caregiver
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Whether you are located in the Global North or South
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Your race
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Your immigration status
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Your sexuality/gender identities
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Your physical ability
FAIR – $597
This ticket is for those who are able to pay the full rate or who are sponsored by an employer, community organization, or personal network.
Three-installment payment plan also available!
- First payment: $199
- Second payment $199
- Third payment: $199
PARTIALLY SUPPORTED – $150
Thanks to the generosity of Tender Love’s sponsors, we are offering 25 seats at the incredible supported rate of $150! This ticket is for those who cannot afford the full cost.
Three-installment payment plan also available!
- First payment: $50
- Second payment $50
- Third payment: $50
REGISTERING NOW!
REGISTERING NOW!
Questions or need help? Contact us at info@lumostransforms or 323-254-7775.
PAY IT FORWARD!
You can help us offer more Supported spots for Tender Love with a tax-deductible contribution!
Click the donate button to help birthworkers gain essential, trauma-informed knowledge and skills. No amount is too small!
Tender Love Integration Program
Get support applying your new trauma-informed care knowledge and skills with the Tender Love Integration Program.
Come together for new perspectives and creative problem-solving with expert mentorship and peer support.
With The Tender Love Integration Program, you’ll deepen your knowledge and practice your skills in a supportive environment.
The Integration Program is a recommended but optional supplement to Tender Love.
