Meet Our Instructors
NA'IMAH DELPECHE / DOULA & WELLNESS CONSULTANT
Na'imah is a Certified Labor Doula, Childbirth Educator and Breastfeeding Counselor. She is a peaceful yet spirited mother to 3 magical children. As an experienced Labor Doula, Na'imah has provided care to women and their families for over fourteen years. Her passion is serving women and their families throughout this momentous time. Na'imah accompanies women as they prepare for childbirth, and continues to support them in birth and beyond. Na'imah shares her wisdom and understanding of birth, breastfeeding and holistic parenting to advise and support women in their decision making process. She sees her work as one of nurturing women as they explore their birth visions and walking with them as they uncover their own practices and rituals that will birth these visions into being. Na'imah understands the dynamic nature of pregnancy, labor and birth and incorporates these various aspects when consulting with clients.
GRETHEL CROFT GUILBERT / CERTIFIED BABYWEARING EDUCATOR
A homeschooling mother of two boys and a girl with a God given desire to pursue midwifery like her grandmother and travel as a midwife missionary. Grethel has found that her heart lies in nurturing mothers and families. She is a DONA trained birth doula, a trained birth assistant and a Certified Baby Wearing Educator (CBWS). She mentors women and families in birth, parenting and was more recently called to mentor survivors of sex trafficking. Grethel sees her different roles at work all being matured by what she has learned and is continuing to learn as a Birth Doula and understands how being informed along with support, compassion and love can change outcomes. Her own VBAC birth journey instilled a deep respect and appreciation for understanding that each woman's birth journey is unique to her and her circumstances. Grethel is fluent in Spanish, English and American Sign Language.
VARISA PERLMAN / Pediatrician, Miami beach pediatrics
I am a pediatrician with Miami Beach Pediatrics, an integrative practice. As an MD with particular interest in the Chinese medicine ethos of "heal thyself", in my work, I attempt to make families aware that health lies in how we eat, sleep, and deal with stress. After completing my Pediatrics residency in New York, I practiced for ten years in Michigan with my parents, who are from Thailand and are both pediatricians. I then moved to Miami Beach in 2011 and have had the great opportunity to interact with families from all over the world.
There is a wonderful space that exists between traditional and conventional medicine. As an educator, I strive to bring families to that space in the journey of raising their children.
GLORIA LOPEZ / OWNER, BEYOND THE BIRTH
I’m the owner of Beyond The Birth, and a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) and a Certified Baby-led Sleep & Well-being Specialist. I also have a psychology background in Mental Health Counseling, serving my community as a counselor for about 10yrs now. As a CLC, I help moms meet their unique breastfeeding goals by offering troubleshooting consults, education, and evidenced based support. MY goal is YOUR goal. I try to help make breastfeeding as stress free and enjoyable as possible for both mom and baby.
As a Certified Baby-led Sleep & Well-being Specialist, I help parents make changes around their child’s sleep using a holistic and gentle approach based on attachment theory and sleep science. It's about time there was a true alternative to sleep training, and this is exactly what I offer! I help parents achieve more rest without compromising their values or parental instincts. My approach will always protect the nursing relationship and the important attachment that every healthy parent child relationship is built upon.
LINA ACOSTA SANDAAL / PSYCHOTHERAPIST
Lina is a psychotherapist, child development expert and founder of Stop Parenting Alone, a parenting and therapy center in Miami, FL. She began her career at Vista del Mar in Los Angeles. There, she developed expertise in child and adolescent development and infant and early childhood mental health, while strengthening her resolve to support families. She has trained and participated in research studies with Yale’s Minding the Baby, National Child Traumatic Stress Network, and Child Trauma Research Program. In 2015 she was named Mujer Legendaria de Ford for quality in her field. She is the parenting expert for Telemundo’s national morning show Un Nuevo Dia. As part of her commitment to helping all families, she is a co-chair of the Florida Maternal Mental Health Steering Committee and a consultant for the early learning team at MomsRising, a national grassroots organization lobbying for children and family rights in Washington, DC. She brings this expertise to her work at her center, Stop Parenting Alone, and to all the organizations who rely on her expertise and consultation on development and parenting issues.
COURTNEY JUST / INFANT CARE, HYPNOBIRTHING & YOGA INSTRUCTOR
With deep appreciation, I’ve been able to study with the most well respected movement teachers and holistic birth professionals in the South Florida community. In addition to yoga, I practice various somatic movement modalities which I incorporate into my yoga classes, including Feldenkrais Method and The Alexander Technique. As a result, I lead pre and postnatal yoga classes with an insightful understanding of the female body and mama energy that comes along with this phase of life, and seek to help women find healthy mobility, poise, and ease in their movements throughout their early mamahood experience.
My somatic training also informs my work as a certified doula and HypnoBirthing instructor, allowing me the honor of helping women have a more peaceful and informed pregnancy and birth. My birth experience was the most empowering of my life, thanks in large part to my wonderful birth team. It’s now my great pleasure to support other women during this time in their lives, directing them toward evidence based answers, reminding them of their body’s innate intelligence, and holding space with them on their journey.
SARAH MUNOZ / INTERNATIONAL BOARD CERTIFIED LACTATION CONSULTANT
Sarah brings over ten years breastfeeding experience including working with culturally diverse populations, teaching breastfeeding classes to groups and individuals, running a pump loan program and the setting-up and planning of media events. She has worked in hospitals, clinics and does home visits. Sarah was a founding member of ProMOM, a breastfeeding advocacy internet site for women. She is also a founding member and Board member of the Foundation for a Breastfeeding Culture, a non-profit that works with hospitals to move them toward Baby Friendly Certification among other projects.