Be Prepared / Be Empowered
You Deserve to Feel SafeGetting the Gynecological Care You Need
Trauma-informed support for women and nonbinary people who struggle with fear, anxiety, shame, or trauma around OB-GYN and reproductive healthcare.
Are you struggling to get yourself to a GYN, breast or sexual health appointment?
Do you want to get an important health exam or test but you panic at the very idea?
Have you have felt shamed, belittled, or dismissed at previous exams and wonder why you’ve tolerated that?
Do you feel unable to endure being touched, looked at, examined, or weighed?
Maybe you can’t even make that first visit appointment because you’ve heard too many horror stories.
And possibly you can’t tell the closest people in your life that you struggle with this because they too would be scared, disappointed, and worried.
A GYN doula can help you learn what YOU need to feel safe, grounded and aware so that you leave your exam empowered and informed, not upset and confused.
I’m so glad you’re here.
Hi, I’m Lisa and I have this wild idea that your exam should not feel like a violation.
I worked as an OB-GYN/ sexual health Nurse Practitioner for decades. I have taught trauma informed exam techniques to many hundreds of medical students. And now I have combined my skills with trauma recovery training to become a GYN exam doula - here to help educate, support and empower you on your healthcare journey - on your terms.
It’s not about gritting your teeth and getting through it
I want to help you have tools to navigate your exam with support and help you to process it afterwards so you’re not getting (re)traumatized during your care.
It’s about feeling safe, healthy, strong, and powerful.
As a GYN Doula I will help you:
Understand what’s happening to your body during an exam.
Know what you can say no to (every and anything btw!) and feel empowered to say it.
Be prepared with the questions you want to ask and not be afraid to ask them.
Have a prepared support person (whether it’s a GYN doula, a friend, or family member) so you’re never alone in the office.
Learn the techniques that work best to keep yourself calm and grounded through the exam.
Understand that you don’t have to tolerate being hurt.
Most importantly, you can finally breathe a sigh of relief because you’re getting the care that you need and deserve to receive. And you will have done it in a way that didn’t cost you your mental health.
In my concierge GYN doula practice I use what’s called Practical Empathy
a healing approach I developed that combines somatic work and coaching with practical insights from the realities of the modern medical experience.
Foundationally, Practical Empathy is built from the awareness that radical compassion heals.
They are women and nonbinary people who need breast, chest, or pelvic exams or procedures and have worry, fear, shame or trauma that gets in the way of going to their appointment.
I enthusiastically support:
Those with chronic illness, both bodily or mental, and rare diseases
Survivors of emotional or physical abuse
Trans people and the LGBTQ+ community at large
Anyone directly or indirectly impacted by incarceration
Medical care providers ready for personal and professional change.
All genders, sexualities, abilities, races, religions, ethnicities, and nationalities are welcome.
A little about my clients:
They are comfortable with a warm and gentle relationship.
My approach to working with you will be relaxed, unhurried and informal.
We will be on a first-name basis, we will talk about fears and concerns, I will ask lots of clarifying questions to make sure I understand your needs. I will share stories from my own and clients’ experiences.
This is not for those looking for a second medical opinion or to receive care from an alternative provider. I won’t offer medical advice, or steer your medical care; I will support you in getting the care you need from qualified professionals and advocating for yourself in those relationships.