MEET THE COLLECTIVE
christa (they/them)
Accepting Clients in the Phoenix Metro Area
Christa is a full spectrum birth worker with 7 years of experience who enjoys incorporating holistic practices such as meditation, energy healing and yoga into their practice. Christa believes in supporting clients with intentional care and services, they ensure their clients are educated, and their experience is elevated as they assist in navigating clients through their pregnancies/births. Learn more or connect with Christa at www.altalunemystics.com.
chanel (she/They)
Accepting Clients in the Phoenix Metro Area
Born and raised in and throughout Southern California – Chanel is a Queer, Black & Japanese doula supporting clients throughout their reproductive journeys with love, intention, and deep care. Chanel is passionate about loving on folks and sharing about the body's wisdom in connection to nature and the seasons of change. She feels deep gratitude for the ability to do this work in supporting people throughout pregnancy, birth, lactation, and postpartum experiences. Since 2018, Chanel has received training from Sista Midwife Productions, The B.L.A.C.K Course, Cihuapactli Collective and in community. Outside of her work, Chanel enjoys diving into fermentation projects, spending time with loved ones, and expanding her knowledge in behavioral health and public health studies. She is currently with the California Breastfeeding Coalition and growing toward her goals of becoming a Midwife and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). She is immersed in studies of plant medicine, nutrition, breast/chestfeeding, ancestral knowledge, love, and self. Learn more about Chanel’s practice at www.kazuebirthsister.com.
GUADALUPE (SHE/THEY)
Accepting Virtual Clients
Guadalupe is a Black Chicana from Guadalupe, Arizona. Her educational background is in public health (BS Public Health - American University 2020) with a focus on health disparities among Black, Latinx, trans and queer folks. They currently work as a health equity researcher on projects related to the systemic issues that impact my community's health. She has found that the literature and research currently available does not get at the real solutions which she believes are community based and run. Because of this disconnect, they have chosen this path in birth work to work directly with their community to compact white supremacy, xenophobia, transphobia, and homophobia directly. She received her training as a doula through the National Black Doula Association. She comes from a long line of birth workers so she was naturally drawn to this field. As a doula, Guadalupe hopes to serve as a support and resource throughout pregnancy and birth in an affirming and radical way.
kierra (she/they)
Accepting Virtual Clients
Raised in the Mojave Desert - Kierra is an oldest sibling to five other siblings, lifelong student, and full-spectrum doula. She is passionate about lovin’ on Black communities through doula work, teaching, writing, and however else is asked of her. Kierra has been a doula for over five years now and co-created the Rooted Doula Collective in 2020. Her formal doula training is with Sumi Franklin from Sumi’s Touch and her informal training came from her mother, aunties, and grandmother. Kierra, a fifth-year doctoral candidate in Gender Studies at Arizona State University’s School of Social Transformation, is currently completing their dissertation concerning the resurgence of Black birth workers working in the spirit of Granny Midwives. They also serve as a Birth Equity Research Scholar with The Collaborative. Before moving to Arizona, Kierra attended the University of Missouri-Columbia and received their Bachelor’s in Political Science and Women and Gender Studies in 2017. When Kierra isn’t working, you can catch them napping with their dog, eating something sweet, watching movies, or reading fantasy and science fiction.
MEELA (SHE/HER)
Meela was born and raised in Detroit, MI and is the eldest daughter of eight children. She moved to Tucson 4.5 years ago for a fresh start with her daughter. She's an artist, yoga teacher, doula, and full-time mother majoring in Gender & Ethnic Studies. She's worked as a teaching artist at DREAM School’s KindeziCare youth programming where she led movement through storytelling. She holds space for everyone to live with authenticity and joy. As a member of Rooted Doula Collective, she is dedicated to creating spaces for Black people to birth, learn, and parent in ways that resist the trauma of white supremacy, patriarchy, and capitalism. Meela Hill is the founder of JijiVisha Holistic, which offers trauma-informed doula services, yoga services, and program assistance for businesses aligned with JijiVisha Holistic’s mission. JijiVisha is a holistic health care company created to empower Black women in finding their purpose and cultivating healthy, affirming relationships. Meela has the interest/passion to learn and execute the tasks given to her in a timely manner which makes her efficient in helping others bring their visions to life. Her goal as a doula is to bring healthy babies Earthside into calm, joyful environments with parents who have done the work & are equipped to continue doing the work that will make their lives better but also create better lives for their children from jump.
phyllis (she/her)
First generation Ghanaian American from Columbus, Ohio — Phyllis is a passionate doula who now calls the desert her home. She is a single mom of 4 beautiful boys who run much of her life outside of her work. These boys blessed Phyllis with four different birthing experiences that fueled her desire to support clients in whatever type of birth path they choose. She finds this work most rewarding when she reflects on witnessing someone in their great power, watching the ebb and flow of strength and surrender is so beautiful and having the honor to be a part of this experience is truly life changing. Much of her passion and drive come in supporting birthing persons — period. She recognizes that this is YOUR labor and her desire is to equip you to make empowered and informed decisions regarding your health and care and then step aside and let you do the rest. When she isn’t attending a birth or helping parents transition into parenthood, Phyllis finds herself attending concerts or strolling through museums. She finds it important to find time each day to dance and ground her body in movement.