Calla Naturopathic Doula

In Naturopathic Medicine we look at patients as a whole, we search for the root cause of illness, we treat using the least force needed, and we teach and empower patients to prevent disease and be an active participant in their health. 🙌🏽

I did my Naturopathic medical training at Bastyr University in Washington, after getting my bachelors degree in biology (with a minor in exercise & health science) at UCSB.

Naturopathic medical school is a 4 to 5 year program, consisting of 4,100 hours of didactic & clinical instruction. We learn how to diagnose, do complete physical exams, do blood draws & IVs, do minor surgery, etc. I focused a lot into women’s health and chose to take the advanced gynecology course & clinical shift, as well as a few of the beginning courses of the midwifery program. On top of this, we also had courses in botanical medicine, nutrition, counseling, hydrotherapy, homeopathy, and physical therapies like massage, myofascial release, osseous manipulation, laser therapy, and ultrasound therapy. All of this to provide our patients with wonderful and unique care:)

Immediately after graduating in 2012, I moved out to Geneva, Switzerland to be with my now husband. Great choice for love, but was a confusing one for my career. In Europe, a Naturopath doesn’t have the same scope of practice and that, mixed with trying to learn French, definitely challenged me, my confidence, and my momentum. I considered doing 2 more years of Geneva’s medical clinic to be a doctor there, but after the 9 years of education I had done I was wiped out. I decided that I would focus more on massage, craniosacral therapy and yoga, and offer my clients bonus ability to get my naturopathic knowledge sprinkled into their appointments. I spent years discrediting myself simply because I couldn’t set up shop the same way I could have in the US. But man, I have so much amazing knowledge and modalities to use and share with my clients that are interested in treating themselves & their kiddos/families naturally first!

With me, you can trust you have someone highly educated and passionate about natural health, who is also there to hold space and support you as a doula 💛

Welcoming in a new name & more honed-in purpose/vision🙌🏽

With gratitude, I let go of HealiOm Wellness & step into ✨

I’ve combined my Naturopathic medical knowledge and approach, my yoga practice and understanding of the body over the years, my complete awe of women’s cycles, birth, growing families, & wild, sacred, transformational life passages, with my deep love of supporting, caring for, & empowering women & families to find & be their version of how they feel most whole & strong🤍

I am here to connect with, honor, inform, celebrate, question, keep it real (& sometimes silly), & guide my clients in their wellness, preconception, prenatal, birth & postpartum journeys.

I’ll share more about my online consultations and offerings in future posts:)

In service and love,
Calla💛

My soul’s purpose is to support women through sacred & pivotal moments in their lives. This includes menarche, menstrual cycles, preconception, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, menopause, and loss/end of life. My new logo holds a lot of meaning and I’m so excited to share it.

I was named Calla, after my mom dreamt of a field full of huge Calla lilies while she was pregnant with me🥰

When I did my first doula training back in 2007 (at the same time as my Naturopathic medical school), I felt my namesake take on new meaning. I drew it on the front of my binder for the course- a large white petal hugging a mom & baby. To me, it just fit so perfectly for symbolizing holding a mother/mother-baby/family gently with pure intentions & love, spacious protection, & nurturing support.

Whether it’s for my friends or clients, this is how I strive to show up for the people in my life. Letting them know I’m holding space for them to be heard, to be themselves without feeling judged, to hug them tight or to open my arms & just witness, & ultimately, for them to know I will be there if they need me.

This is imperative for new moms/families- to be there for them as they find their way & their power🤍

The moons in the logo represent our cyclical nature, the seasons of a woman’s monthly cycles, our connection with our intuition & higher self, the unknown & cosmos, & the ebb and flow of life.

The sprigs of lavender are placed there to represent a calming environment that fosters trust & a healthy nervous system, the use of medicinal herbs/naturopathy, & connection to Nature.

I am beyond grateful for my dear soul sister/hype-girl/fellow alternative-lifestyle-in-Portugal friend, , for her illustration talent of course, but also for the process. This logo was nurtured and not rushed, which is what it’s all about. We collaborated while honoring our own, & each other’s, essence, rhythm & cycles. The result is what I had hoped for and more🤍 Thank you Carissa- love you!

In service to & admiration of women and families. Happy International Women’s Day💪🏽❣️

All my love,
Calla💛

Olá! A lot has happened since my last post and I finally feel like sharing it on here.

A little over a month ago we got the keys to our property in Eastern Alentejo, Portugal. Such a relief after months of delays, unknowns and being in a holding pattern. It was a real mind-F and often we couldn’t see a light at the end of the tunnel. We really didn’t know if we’d get the loan from the bank, so everything was rising on that. Fast-forward the last couple years that challenged me like crazy, and we’ve arrived! We did it! We’ve taken the biggest step towards a dream we’ve had for years now and it’s so comforting, mind-blowing, humbling and exciting!

Little by little our plan is to transform our land into a self-sufficient, healing, calming, beautiful oasis that we will raise our kids in and welcome others to experience.

We are working to create family-friendly nature and wellness retreats, with a few glamping/safari tents, yoga deck, garden, and outdoor bathtubs. My husband , / will guide the birding tours, teach about wildlife, etc, and I’ll obviously be offering my treatments, yoga classes, Nature cure goodness, Doula services and workshops. I’m also envisioning welcoming pregnant mamas for their own baby moon retreats to be pampered, nourished, and empowered as they approach their own unique transformation into a mother💗

Since moving in, each day we add to our project list and each day the reality that we’re here is sinking in a bit more. I feel so anchored and feel so many possibilities. I follow my intuition, I don’t question myself so much, I feel more at peace than I have in a long, long time. I believe that with the work I do, this is so important and vital to moving forward as a Naturopathic Doula- holding space for others.

I hope we can have the pleasure of welcoming you and yours to our land and give you a space for healing, peace, wonder and connection with our Mother Earth✨

To follow our adventure, feel free to follow us 🙏🏼

Thanks for reading and thanks for those of you who have stuck with me as I was going through so much life restructuring 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 I’m so grateful.

Love seeing research like this:)

"Infants whose mothers underwent an eight-week mindfulness-based program had a faster cardiovascular recovery from stressful interactions, as well as more self-soothing behavior, than those who didn't."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220310143732.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&fbclid=IwAR36S4sHHAMPkfQxO9CECesEmX4vd1d1fkmlzEnX7e_hPvn9DY8qc68LTkU

Prenatal mindfulness program improves stress response in infants Infants whose mothers participated in a mindfulness-based program during pregnancy had healthier stress responses at 6 months old, a new study found.

✨Prenatal Yoga Classes✨

Hey there! Looking for prenatal classes for you, your partner, or a friend?

I teach biweekly prenatal classes on Zoom and many of my students have recently given birth or are just about to. The classes have been Sunday and Thursday mornings, but given it’ll be a new group, I am open to working out a schedule that works for you:)

My classes include breathing exercises, movement & postures appropriate for pregnancy. The classes also include mindfulness, better understanding of your body and how it’s changing, tips for common pregnancy ailments, birth and postpartum, and a lovely support whatsapp group community.

I am a Naturopathic doctor, mom of 2, and doula in training. Supporting women through pregnancy brings me so much joy!

If you’re interested, feel free to send me a DM or email me at [email protected].

📷: .marie.photo

Hey there! It’s been awhile! The last several months have been a crazy whirlwind and I had to disconnect from social media for awhile.

We got a three month notice to move out of our house, which caught us off guard and made us feel it was time to take a leap of faith into a dream we’ve been talking about for a long time. We got rid of most of our things, packed our two cars with our essentials, and drove to Portugal with one car, two young boys and our dog. 😅

Not gonna lie, I was a hot mess for months and have had some loooooooows, but we’ve finally settled here, gotten into a bit of a routine, and have healed some of that frantic vibration out of my nervous system and chest. We are so happy with our decision and have some exciting things ahead! Lots of unknowns, and easy to get in my head, but it is good and meant to be.✨

I am still teaching Hatha Flow, Prenatal, and Postpartum yoga classes on Zoom. Will put my updated schedule in my stories/highlights. I’m also looking into finding a space to give treatments/workshops here in Portugal, so keep you posted!

Hope you’re all hanging in there with everything going on in the world and that you’re taking time to check in and sit with your heart. Sending love, Calla