Nurture Welcomes Molly Fitzpatrick

Nurture also warmly welcomes, Molly Fitzpatrick, L.Ac. to our group. Molly brings pediatric wellness services to Nurture including acupuncture, herbal consultation, Reiki, flower essence, and shiatsu bodywork.

As a 2008 graduate of Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM), Molly Fitzpatrick is pleased to bring her knowledge and understanding of the body's capacity to heal to the Nurture community. Her path along the healing arts started in 2002, after receiving her first Reiki attunement. Recognizing Reiki's ability to promote relaxation and wellbeing, Molly began facilitating monthly Reiki healing circles in her community. She received additional training in Western herbalism, flower essence therapy, aromatherapy, homeopathy and nutrition while working and studying at a natural pharmacy. In addition, she also began practicing various forms of meditation including Zen, Sahaja Yoga and mindfulness meditation.

While at OCOM, Molly's coursework included acupuncture, moxibustion, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Japanese Meridian Therapy, Zen Shiatsu, Reflexology, Pediatric Tuina, Pediatric TCM, Qigong, and Chinese Herbalism. She also studied Five Element Acupuncture, Quantum Shiatsu, the use of essential oils with acupuncture, the use of flower essences with acupuncture, and plant spirit medicine.

Molly incorporates the sum of these experiences in promoting physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health and healing for her clients. She uses a number of modalities, including acupuncture, bodywork, Reiki, flower essences, meditation, herbalism, aromatherapy, and more to help uncover and correct the underlying cause of disease.
In addition to practicing medicine, Molly teaches classes in Reiki, flower essences, nutrition and meditation, offers Shiatsu tutoring sessions, and is a teaching assistant in Shiatsu at OCOM.

More about Molly Fitzpatrick

· Working with children and families:
Molly brings her love for and experience working with children into her healing practice. Since her teens, she has cared for children in a variety of capacities, including babysitter, nanny, daycare worker, camp counselor, youth counselor and as a step-mother. She focuses a large part of her practice on pediatrics and family wellness.

· Healing circles with Molly:
Molly facilitates a monthly Reiki healing circle at Nurture. Join her and other members of the community the first Sunday of each month from 7:00pm to 8:30pm. All are welcome to come and receive Reiki energy to support personal intentions of healing. Reiki practitioners from the community are encouraged to share their abilities with the public. Donations will go towards non-profit organizations in the community that support the well-being of families.

· Portland’s very own Timebank:
Molly believes in providing access to healing regardless of financial means. Through PDXTimebank, Molly engages in the local alternative economy. Timebanking is a world wide system of exchanging services based on time to promote social justice. Molly offers are limited number of timedollar treatments per month. You may find out more by visiting http://www.pdxtimebank.org/ and http://www.timebanks.org/.

Visit Molly's website at http://www.transformedicine.com/ to learn more about Transformational Medicine. (Please be patient as some of the information is not current, and will be updated and expanded soon.)

To schedule an appointment with Molly or to inquire about her upcoming classes, please call 503-341-1372 or email her at molly@transformedicine.com or molly@nurturepdx.com.

Molly’s rates are on a sliding scale from $35 to $65 per session. Healing sessions typically last 45 minutes to 1½ hours.

“I am grateful for opportunities to support the health and well-being of you, your family and our community! ~ Molly

Nurture Welcomes Courtney Jarecki

Nurture warmly welcomes Courtney Jarecki to our group. Courtney is a doula offering services throughout pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. Support. Compassion. Energy. Birth. Dance. Movement. Ceremony. Freedom. Life. Joy. Love.

There is nothing on earth more amazing and humbling than witnessing a mama give birth. I strongly believe in the beauty and power of a woman’s body to birth and am honored to be a part of this experience.

For a lot of people, the concept of a Doula is a very new thing. Often, women don't have built‐in family support and a Doula can fill the gap for the new family by providing knowledge, compassion and practical support during this very important childbearing year. I am trained to provide Doula support during three different times of your childbearing year; pregnancy, labor and postpartum. My ongoing academic and professional experiences include training at Birthingway College of Midwifery, working as a Postpartum Doula at an established birthing center and research and training as I move towards becoming a Midwife. Throughout my work and responsibilities, I maintain a flexible schedule to ensure you will never be without Doula support.

Outside of the birthing world, I love spending time with my amazing husband Dave and puppies Satchel and Maji. Dancing, cooking, meeting friends for tea and hiking are favorite activities and most recently learning to crochet has occupied much of my time as well. I look forward to speaking with you about your baby and birth. Please feel free to call or email to ask questions.

Antepartum Doula
As an Antepartum Doula, I will support you later in your pregnancy. Antepartum services can be especially helpful if you are a single or teen mom, have multiple children, are on bed rest, have severe morning sickness or have emotional trauma. I will provide informational, emotional, physical and practical support during your pregnancy with pregnancy massage, meal planning, educational labor preparation.

Labor Doula
My work as a Labor Doula means I will provide you with continuous physical, emotional and informational support before, during and just after birth. I will be there for you, your partner and baby after delivery to help in whatever way best serves you. I can assist with birth plans, birth art, pain coping techniques (massage and touch, positioning, breathing, meditation and visualization, vocalization, aromatherapy and healing energy techniques), pregnancy and postpartum diet and fitness designed to ease labor and recovery, Reiki healing, and creative expression and relationship / birth coaching. This time is all about you and what works best for your family. If time allows, we will meet two‐to‐three times prenatally where we will get to know each other. We can incorporate any modalities that you and your family need.

Postpartum, we will meet once, during which we will share your birth story and discuss all the challenges and joys that lay ahead. You will also receive any needed breastfeeding support during this time.

Postpartum Doula
Postpartum is a special and sometimes trying time for a new family. I can help ease this transition by providing lactation consulting, infant care techniques, meal planning and cooking, gentle yoga and exercise options, natural healing, light housekeeping, dog walking, nanny care and companionship.

Fees
I believe that all families should be able to afford Doula services and all Doulas should be able to pay their mortgages. Therefore I offer my services on a sliding scale, based on what each family can pay. I am happy to discuss pricing options and payment plans with each family and am open to barter and trade.

Antepartum & Postpartum Doula Services: $25 ‐ $35 per hour with a 4 hour minimum.
Labor Doula: During certification process I only ask for reimbursement of transportation and
food expenses, usually between $50 ‐ $75.
After certification: $400 ‐ $700. Includes 3 prenatal visits (if time allows), full labor and delivery support, 1 postpartum visit. Additional prenatal visits are available, based on a sliding scale.

Gift certificates are available.

Courtney Jarecki,

Doula and Health Advocate

503.737.8834

courtney.jarecki@gmail.com

Nurture Welcomes Lori Petras

We are excited to welcome Lori Petras of Synergy Acupuncture NW, LLC as the newest addition to our family here at Nurture.

Lori is a nationally licensed and a board certified Diplomat in both Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine by the NCCAOM. She graduated from the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, receiving her Master’s in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. After completing her studies at O.C.O.M., she chose to deepen her knowledge by completing an Advanced Clinical Internship at the Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Nanjing, China. While there, she had the privilege of working with world renowned Doctors of Chinese medicine, expanding her knowledge of acupuncture techniques, gynecology, and infertility.

Below are Lori's answers to a few of our favorite questions:

How did you discover this path?:
My answer is very simple: I was fascinated by my personal acupuncture experiences and I needed to know more. My acupuncture treatments not only relieved my chronic pain, they changed my destiny. I’ve always been a personal advocate for natural, holistic medicine and I was ready to answer the question “How can I help?”

Tell us a bit about the wonderful work you do:
Acupuncture is more than a medicine, it’s a beautiful art form that heals people’s lives on so many levels. I love that one of the main side effects of acupuncture is a more peaceful, balanced state of being. My special areas of interests are women’s health, infertility, and IVF support. Supporting women through transitional periods and helping families conceive are truly magical experiences. I also love treating pain using trigger point releasing techniques because of the rapid results that can be achieved and the life-changing effect it has on one’s life.

Family tip:
Be proactive with your health! It’s the season for colds and upper respiratory infections. Acupuncture and herbs can address these problems before they manifest by boosting your immune system and strengthening your Qi or life-force. If you are experiencing a cough, sore throat, or runny nose get acupuncture immediately because it can really prevent pathogens from penetrating deeper. Something you can do right now is wear a scarf and protect your neck. The neck is a very vulnerable place for evil wind, cold, and rain attacks so wrap it up family!

What do you like to do when you’re not practicing acupuncture?:
I love camping at the coast in yurts in the middle of winter, growing organically in my garden, dogs and bunny’s, and Italian-everything! My yoga practice stretches my body and mind and I am thankful for my inspiring teachers. I am an advocate for environmental consciousness and I support my community in any way I can.

Lori is now serving NE and NW Portland.
In NE she can be found at:

Nurture 1614 NE Alberta Street Portland, OR 97211
Mondays and Thursdays 8:30am – 12:30pm
web: www.nurturepdx.com
email: synergyacupuncture@gmail.com
phone: 503-753-4402

In NW she can be found at:

Equilibria Wellness

1536 NW 23rd Ave Portland, OR 97210
Mondays and Thursdays 1:30pm– 8:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am – 3pm
Saturdays 8:30am – 3pm
web: http://www.equilibriawellness.com/ (under construction)
phone: 503-221-2155

Lori is currently taking appointments at both locations.

Nurture Welcomes Silke Akerson

Please join us in welcoming Silke Akerson to Nurture. Silke is an herbalist and a midwife who will be offering herbal consultation, fertility consultation, well woman care, and midwifery care (http://www.tworiversmidwifery.com/). Silke has a warm and down-to-earth approach, and we are excited to welcome her to Nurture. Here is some information from Silke about her background and services...

I am an herbalist and midwife with a special passion for helping women and families connect with their own self-knowledge and power for healing. I believe that each person is the primary authority on their own health and well-being and I work as a guide and consultant rather than an authority during the healing process. I am well-suited to work with people who are ready to delve deeper into understanding their bodies and the many medicinal plants and foods that can help us come into balance.

I work with my clients to create a plan for optimum health and vitality through the use of herbs, nutrition, movement, tarot and much more. I specialize in women's health issues, digestion problems, and chronic imbalances that have yet to become recognizable diseases.

Preconception work and fertility consulting are a focus of mine. I work with women and families who are planning a pregnancy to: enhance fertility and vitality with herbs and nutrition; track ovulation to improve the chance of conception; and resolve any irregularities in the menstrual cycle. I am excited to work with Lesbian and Queer families and can help with understanding donor issues and insemination methods.

I am also available for in-home consultations about herbal self-sufficiency. This consists of helping with herbal garden planning, pharmacy development, and connection with local resources for gathering medicinal and food plants, all tailored to meet the specific health needs of the individual, household, or family.

I come to this work from a family tradition of herbal self-care, homebirth and midwifery and started attending births and actively studying herbs as a teenager. Since then, I’ve finished a BA in women’s health, completed midwifery school in Texas, taught childbirth education classes to pregnant teens and Latina women, apprenticed as an herbalist, and practiced midwifery and herbalism in Costa Rica and Oregon. I am the mother of a fantastic (almost) two year old who keeps me on my toes. Being a mom has set me on a new and exciting path towards understanding children’s health which I am gradually incorporating into my practice.

My fee is $50 for herbal or fertility consultations. I am committed to working with low-income folks, I am open to trade and barter, and I speak Spanish. For more information about my midwifery practice please see http://www.tworiversmidwifery.com/

Silke Akerson, CPM
503-705-5060
silkeakerson@yahoo.com
http://www.tworiversmidwifery.com/

Vegan Secret Cafe: Brunch Benefit

Christy of Lily Toad (and Two Little Feet Doula Services...and one of Nurture's Fertility Awareness workshop facilitators...and lots more) and Morgan of Dovetail Bakery are hosting a brunch to benefit the Birth Attendants: Prison Doula Project.

Brunch details:

September 21, 2008

8:30am-12:30pm

9015 N. Clarendon (cross st. Hudson), Portland, OR 97203

Full breakfast including coffee $10
Pastry and coffee $5

(stop by on your way to the Brain, Child reading group!)

For more information call Christy 503-285-5944 or Morgan 503-288-8839

Open House Celebration

We are pleased to welcome you into our space for an
Open House celebration on
Thursday, June 26, 2008 from 5pm-7pm
just as Last Thursday events on Alberta begin.
Information about Nurture as well as family art activities, complimentary infant and adult massage, infant massage demonstrations, and refreshments are just a few of the activities that will be going on during this event.
We will be featuring the artwork of local artist,
Johanna Wright.

Birth Trauma

If you have had a difficult or traumatic birth experience, sharing your story and connecting to other women with similar experiences can help you heal emotionally. At Nurture, Mychelle Moritz offers art therapy and counseling to help process your birth experiences in a safe and nurturing space to promote a new understanding and healing.

There is a new on-line forum through Solace. Solace offers a warm support line, resources, articles, and now an on-line forum for women who have experienced birth trauma. You can click on the image to go directly to Solace's website, and you can read the letter below from the forum moderators.


This message is to announce a new online discussion board called Solace For Mothers, An Online Community For Healing Birth Trauma. It is for women who have experienced trauma around the process of giving birth. For these women, giving birth has left them feeling deeply disappointed, traumatized, or even violated. We want these women to know that they are not alone, that birth trauma is very real, and that other women have had similar experiences and feelings. We have created an online community as a place for women to begin or continue their healing journey.

In the online community, there are different categories and forums, and the topics covered are issues that often come up for women dealing with birth trauma. It is our hope that women can virtually support each other on their healing journeys in this online community, and perhaps eventually connect with each other in the real world if they choose.


There is an introduction page and from this page you can register for the discussion board. Due to the very personal nature of this subject, we have made an effort to keep this community private, and women must register before being able to enter or view posts. If you do not fall into the category of a woman suffering from birth trauma, or if you would like to see a preview of the community before joining, you may visit this link to do so http://www.solaceformothers.org/preview.html This link is not the actual community and you will not be able to view members' posts from there, it will simply give you an overview of the topics covered.


We are sending this message out via email and posting it to online communities and to lists in order to reach these women. Please send this message to anyone who you feel may benefit from it.



Sincerely,
Jenne Alderks and Jennifer Zimmerman, creators and moderators of the discussion board
Supported by Sharon Storton and the Solace For Mothers team

Save the Date

We are pleased to welcome you into our space for an

Open House celebration on

Thursday, June 26, 2008 from 5pm-7pm

just as Last Thursday events on Alberta begin.

Information about Nurture as well as family art activities, complimentary infant and adult massage, infant massage demonstrations, and refreshments are just a few of the activities that will be going on during this event.

We will be featuring the artwork of local artist,

Johanna Wright.

Welcome to Nurture...

A few years ago, my friend and colleague Mychelle and I, Amy, got to talking about birthing classes. I had already had one child and Mychelle was just pregnant with her first. We both loved the Birthing From Within (BFW) birth preparation program, and as art therapists, our minds started churning together about how wonderful it would be to facilitate our own birth preparation classes using the BFW tenents with our own experience as art therapists.

A year later, after I had just had my second child and Mychelle was pregnant with her second, we prepared our curriculum, and had the amazing opportunity to review our ideas with Pam England herself! Today, maybe a year since we developed our curriuclum, and after several years in the making, we are very proud to begin this journey with mothers and mothers-to-be by offering our first series of childbirth preparation classes. Here's the information for the class:

Nurturing Birth
Birthing From Within/Art Therapy Birth Preparation Class
Saturday mornings, April 5, 12, 19 & 26, 9:30-1:00PM

Giving birth is a profound emotional and physical experience that can be empowering and can strengthen your relationship with your partner. We believe mothers prepare for childbirth guided by an intrinsic inner wisdom that, when discovered and listened to, can guide them to give birth in whatever way they must, and to parent in fulfilling ways regardless of the unexpected turns in the road.

Utilizing these beliefs and many other ideas from the book Birthing from Within (by Pam England and Rob Horowitz, www.birthingfromwithin.com), and guided by our own knowledge and experiences as mothers and Board Certified Art Therapists, we invite you to join us, in a safe and nurturing environment, down a creative path to birth preparation. This rich group experience emphasizes the use of artistic expression to explore relationships, while also providing information and guidance through birth education and pain-coping practices based on ideas from the book Birthing from Within. Develop lifelong friendships with other mothers and their partners as you explore the emotional, social, cultural, and spiritual aspects of birthing and parenting. Come and explore your expectations, fears, and inherent wisdom of the process of childbirth and parenting.

Additionally, cost of this group includes all the following:

• refreshments and wholesome snacks,

• birthing wisdom remembrance journal,

• birth sculptures,

• belly-casting,

• a group blessing ceremony to honor the rite of passage. ,

and much more!

Cost: $250 per couple.
Openings will be available for those needing tuition assistance.

To register or for more information,
please contact
Mychelle 971.344.7527 or Amy 503.913.5934

About Nurture

We are a growing group of professionals coming together to provide emotional, physical and social supports and services for women and their families throughout the perinatal years and beyond (preconception through early childhood).

Amy Williams, MA, ATR-BC art therapist
Mychelle Moritz, ATR-BC, LPC art therapist/counselor