She / Her

Specialty: birth, postpartum and Yoga instructor

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Elisha Conover-Arthurs (she/her) is a Mother, grassroots doula, activist, performance artist, healer and Yoga instructor with nearly 30 years of experience upon the path of dance and healing movement.

As a Doula and yoga instructor, Elisha helps clients ease into their journeys as parents both physically and emotionally. She is passionate about empowering families going through this pivotal transition by ensuring that they know about the  range of parenting resources and birthing options available, dispelling fear and instilling hope for positive outcomes.

Working closely with clients, she designs tailored support programs that include counseling, pre- and post- natal yoga, breath work, reiki, gentle massage, visualization and relaxation techniques. She also helps clients realize their birthing visions, crafting birth plans, blessing way ceremonies and naming ceremonies that resonate with the spirit of each unique journey.

Giving birth to her daughter naturally at home unattended was a radical act of transformational empowerment that set Elisha on the path of sacred mothering, and inspired her to experience the natural births of her 4 children. There within, she experienced the joys of intuitive parenting; breastfeeding, baby wearing, co-sleeping, and practicing herbal medicine for self and children. Elisha continues to share classical Hatha Yoga, pre- and post- natal yoga, radiant lotus qi gong, traditional and contemporary dance and percussion, and offers a line of handmade crafts including baby carriers, dolls and jewelry. She has been raising her family with the support of Indigenous Caribbean and African ceremonies, and time spent in nature living with the land. 

Through the journey, she discovered an array of techniques that can make birth an empowering rights of passage. Her goal is to cultivate and encourage radiant well being within each and every family from the inside out.

She/Her

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Spanish speaking

Griselda is a Postpartum and Abortion Doula.

Her current specialty and passion is providing support to undocumented folks and families, helping them to navigate and understand the health care system in Ontario. Griselda believes that everybody deserves dignified access to Health, sexual health and reproductive health regardless of their immigration status.

When she is not holding babies, at a hospital with a client or juggling with daily life as a parent, Griselda enjoys watering and caring for her indoor plants.

Currently studying the course to be a Lactation counselor, Griselda hopes to be able to create a lactation group support for Spanish speaking clients in the future.

Doula

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Doula

Karla is a certified birth and postpartum doula, childbirth educator, and pediatric sleep educator based in Toronto. As the founder of The Doula That Could, she leads a team dedicated to holistic, evidence-based perinatal care for families across the city. Her practice blends clinical expertise with deep emotional support, empowering parents through every stage of pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum journey.

Fluent in English and Spanish, Karla brings bilingual sensitivity to her work, ensuring inclusive, culturally attuned care. She holds certifications in childbirth education, breastfeeding support, NICU family care, hypnobirthing, clinical aromatherapy, nutrition, and preventative newborn health. Her approach is rooted in calm, clarity, and compassion—guiding families with confidence and warmth through life’s most transformative moments.

With a background in resource creation, client communications, and team leadership, Karla also collaborates with hospitals and local organizations to expand access to quality perinatal support. Whether designing visual handouts, planning family meals, or introducing continuity of care through her team, she remains deeply committed to nurturing families with practical tools and heartfelt guidance.

She / Her

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Bio Coming Soon

She / Her

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Nikita (she/her) is a Cornerstone-trained doula and the founder of Solace Support, based in Milton, Ontario. Her journey into birth work began in 2018, inspired by a deep desire to nurture and support others through life’s most powerful transitions.

Currently pursuing a degree in Women and Gender Studies, Nikita’s education strengthens her trauma-informed and reproductive justice–focused practice. Since joining Birth Mark Support, she has supported over 90 diverse families across the Greater Toronto Area through labour, birth, and the postpartum period.

Grounded in the belief that everyone deserves informed choice, Nikita prioritizes empowerment through education and builds relationships founded on trust and safety. She is known for her calm, compassionate presence and feels deeply grateful to the families who invite her to share in such transformative moments.

She/Her

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Natalie (she/her) hails from Toronto, Ontario. With over 20 years of doula experience, she has dedicated herself towards assisting families with their doula needs. Her experience includes education on natural or belly births, adoption, fostering loss or abortion, as well as, prenatal and postnatal care for the whole family. Natalie has also increased her educational background with certification(s) in: childcare, medical administration, community services, first aid and foster care - all areas of expertise focused to better hone her doula skills.

Her own experiences with pregnancy and childbirth pushed her to continuously grow and expand her knowledge base of being an even better doula. No labouring person should go through an experience like childbirth blindfolded and feeling as if they have no options.

Natalie’s passion has been enduring for providing informational, physical, and emotional support for people during their pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum journeys. Natalie considers herself a resource to the families that she works with by helping navigate medical terminology, protocols and systems, while allowing trust and comfort to flow naturally between herself and the client. Ever since witnessing her first live birth she was hooked into the world of child birth advocacy.

Follow Natalie on Instagram: @natalieshelpinghands and her Facebook page: @NataliesHelpingHands.

Visit her website at nhhcanada.com

She/Her

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Specialties: birth, postpartum, multiples

Tish (she/her) is originally from the Bronx, New York, but has been in Canada for over 30 years. She finds great fulfillment in helping families recognize there is someone out there to help them make the transition to parenthood.

Tish’s first experience with birth was at a young age. From this experience, she discovered that she wanted to give others the things that she wished she’d had during her own pregnancy, labor, and birth. She feels that it's important for her clients to know that they are being supported by someone who really cares, and therefore puts a lot of herself into the families she supports both prenatally and in the postpartum period. She focuses on helping them find resources for how to transition into becoming parents as smoothly as possible. Her goal is to leave her clients feeling confident in their parenting skills after her time with them as their doula has ended.

In addition to being a trained birth and postpartum doula, Tish has certifications as a medical administrator and in First Aid/CPR-C. She has volunteered with the elderly and as a lunch monitor for elementary school students. Currently, she is working on completing her childbirth education certification.

Tish loves reading but has currently turned to audiobooks for the drives before and after supporting a client’s birth. She also likes listening to old-school music on blast.

Follow Tish:

Instagram: @tish_thedoula

Facebook: tishthedoula

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Gill Cullen (she/they) has transitioned from their role as the Founder and CEO of Birth Mark to Co-chair on the Board of Directors, effective August 1st, 2025. After seven incredible years at the helm—a journey she calls the honour of a lifetime—Gill established Birth Mark as a national catalyst for transformation, fundamentally reshaping how reproductive health and care are accessed, experienced, and understood across Canada.

A Force for Systemic Change and Health Equity: They directly developed the operations, training, and team structure to ensure Birth Mark's vision and mission were not just met, but exceeded for seven years running. This included embedding a trauma-informed approach across all services, ensuring every client receives compassionate, inclusive support. She recognised that for many families, barriers like poverty, isolation, racism, and gaps in care make pregnancy and early parenting exponentially harder. Their mission was clear: to ensure all families—regardless of income, identity, or circumstance—receive compassionate, culturally responsive, and relationship-based perinatal support.

Gill is a fierce advocate for reproductive health equity, working towards policy changes and grassroots action. She has been given the honour to speak on these critical issues within the House of Commons in Canada, as well as at multiple women's health reviews and conferences. Under her visionary guidance, the organisation directly addressed the needs of families most impacted by systemic barriers, including young parents, racialised and newcomer communities, 2SLGBTQ+ families, and individuals experiencing housing or income insecurity.

Gill is a certified Doula, Reiki practitioner, intuitive and healing practitioner, with expertise and certifications in craniosacral therapy, hypnotherapy, and spiritual life coaching. Their current work to become a certified sex therapist is the next step in this evolution, allowing her to integrate the spiritual and physical body for deeper, more comprehensive healing."

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Olivia Scobie (she/her) MSW, RSW, MA, PH.D Candidate

Olivia is a social worker specializing in perinatal mood, reproductive trauma, and parental mental health. Despite a subspecialty in provider burnout, her work spans across

several areas. Olivia is the co-founder of Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Trainings, maintains her counselling private practice, and is completing her PhD in Health Policy and Equity. She will probably talk too much about her research, which is exploring the reproductive trauma experiences of 2SLGBTQ+ birthers. Most importantly, she believes in eating dessert every day, telling your story, and barrier-free access to mental health support."

"Gill Cullen (she/they) - Board Co-chair, Advocate for Reproductive Health Equity

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Dr Thorne is the medical lead for the procedural abortion program at Women’s College Hospital and the national medical lead for the Canadian Hospital Abortion Network, as part of the Health Canada-funded CART Access Project. She coordinates the PGY 1 ObGyn rotation in family planning. Dr Thorne completed the CARE Fellowship at Queen’s University in 2017, and worked with AMPATH-RH for 2yrs before joining the faculty at WCH/Sinai and the University of Toronto as Assistant Professor. She shares her practice in general obgyn, complex contraception, and abortion care with Dr Millar. Off hours, Dr Thorne can be found at her farm north of Toronto, chasing her toddler, hiking or biking, or cooking up something delicious.

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Kristen Yee Joshi (she/they) is a settler of mixed ancestry. Raised in small towns across southern Ontario, Kristen currently resides in Treaty 13 territory (Toronto) with her rambunctious family. 

Having used a variety of reproductive health services in their lifetime, Kristen appreciates the need for services that meet people where they are at, especially those that embrace all our identities, desires, and histories. Kristen is committed to centering the experiences of Indigenous and equity denied communities in their work. 

Kristen holds a Master of Public Health from Emory University. Kristen works at Family Navigation Project, a youth and family mental health and addictions navigation service in the Greater Toronto Area. Alongside regional collaborators, Kristen leads the service’s growth in northern Ontario. For more than 15 years, Kristen has worked in Canada and across the globe as a project manager, funder, facilitator and researcher. Some of Kristen’s most cherished work includes supporting Indigenous-led birthing programs in Guatemala and expanding access to HIV/AIDS treatment in Zambia.  

Kristen is a former board member of South Riverdale Community Health Centre, and a current advisor to Criterion Institute. Kristen is delighted to contribute their collective experience to help Birth Mark thrive. 

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Dr. Anita Ewan is a certified doula, childbirth educator, and perinatal mental health researcher with over 15 years of experience supporting families through pregnancy, birth, and early parenting. She is a registered early childhood educator and social worker, and currently serves as a faculty member in Early Childhood Care and Education at Capilano University.

Her professional and research work is dedicated to creating culturally safe, accessible, and inclusive spaces for birthing people and their families, with a particular focus on equitable perinatal mental health care. Drawing on her lived experience as a Black mother of seven, including two autistic children, Dr. Ewan integrates academic expertise with community-based practice. She has led research projects on equitable health systems, trained providers in culturally safe perinatal care, and consulted with hospitals, birthing centers, and community organizations on family-centered approaches.

As a member of the board, Dr. Ewan brings both scholarly expertise and grassroots advocacy to ensure doula support and perinatal mental health are recognized as essential components of holistic, family-centered care.

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Thanya Duvage is a retired Speech-Language Pathologist currently pursuing creative writing. She is Filipina and Sri Lankan, and explores how colonial histories impact diaspora in her writing. She is a queer, neurodivergent mother. Disability justice is a cause she cares deeply about, and she is committed to a vision of healthcare which humanizes all patients and practitioners. Thanya is excited to embark on her governance journey with Birth Mark and grateful to live and work on the land known as Tkaronto/Toronto.

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Michaela Rutherford-Blouin is a Senior Consultant, Health and Life Sciences at Global Public Affairs – Canada’s largest privately owned public affairs and government relations firm. As a consultant, she has provided leadership in stakeholder management, strategic planning, and policy research and has demonstrated deep parliamentary and political knowledge. Through her work with health-focused non-profits, associations, and pharmaceutical companies, Michaela has actively championed initiatives that advance women’s health and protect reproductive justice.

Prior to joining Global Public Affairs, Michaela spent five years as a political staffer on Parliament Hill. She worked in various roles, including positions in the Office of the Prime Minister in both the Chief of Staff’s Office and on the Special Projects team under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Office of the Minister of Labour as Special Advisor for Ontario and Atlantic Canada, the Liberal Research Bureau, and on a national re-election campaign. Michaela also worked as a Senior Organizer for Nature Canada, Canada’s oldest conservation organization.

Michaela graduated from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Studies with a minor in Global Development Studies.