My name is Maryssa (she/her) and I'm a Full-Spectrum Doula & Lactation Education Counselor from San Diego, California.

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I've always felt such joy from spending time with families and little ones. I have a degree in Education and spent the first 10 years of my career working in after-school programs, family homes, and international ESL classrooms. Eventually, I realized I wanted to provide more specialized support.

After becoming a Lactation Education Counselor in 2020, I started working as a Family Support Guide for Cleo, a virtual care network. I had the chance to work alongside doulas, midwives, educators, social workers, and mental health specialists providing support to working families. As I worked with parents, I started to see the gaps in care and the difficulties many faced when seeking specialized care and education in their local communities. I also had the privilege of seeing how so many parents navigated these injustices with strength and reclaimed their power despite the challenges.

I knew this was a world I needed to be apart of. I started my doula training through Doula Trainings International in 2021 and became a Certified Full-Spectrum Doula at the beginning of 2023. I am now training to become a Childbirth Educator. In July, I joined the Board of Directors at The Birth Network of Monterey County as the Membership Director. 

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Above all else, I believe every person deserves care that is aware and inclusive of their values, lifestyle, abilities an environment. I also fully trust that you already know what's best. As a doula, I'm here to provide the individualized support, evidence-based resources, and tools to make navigating all of this a little easier on you. My goal is to empower you to advocate for yourself in order to have the experience that you want. I'm here to meet you wherever you are in each moment. 

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As someone with lived-experience as a biracial individual (second-generation immigrant, Mexican-American) raised in a multicultural & blended family, I'm especially passionate about providing support to those that identify as members of historically resilient communities. 

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I understand that receiving care from someone we feel connected to can be invaluable. I offer a free consultation to provide a space to talk through your unique hopes, fears, and needs so that you feel good about moving forward with me being a part of your support crew. If it doesn't feel like the perfect match, I will do my best to refer you to other available doulas in the area.