Teri Nava-Anderson, PhD, CD/PCD(DONA), ICCE, CLE
Director of Certification
With 30 years as an educator, mentor, and researcher, and 12 years as a doula, Teri is an experienced and enthusiastic perinatal professional. She has a passionate commitment to educating and preparing pregnant people and their supporters for the year surrounding birth. She leads the childbirth and lactation education series for the Harmony Doula Group, teaches doula skills to nursing students at Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts, and both coordinates and teaches a community-centered (also called community-based) birth and postpartum doula training program at the Welcome Home Community Birth Center in Sacramento and Homestead Natural Birth Center in Modesto.
Teri is certified as a Birth and Postpartum Doula (DONA International), Lactation and Childbirth Educator (ICEA), and Midwife’s Assistant. She is also a Certified Professional Aromatherapist and holds a PhD from Stanford University. She is a VBAC specialist with additional training in acupressure, rebozo use, pelvic floor balancing, Spinning Babies (optimal baby and maternal positioning), mindfulness, hypnosis for childbirth (both Hypnobirthing / Mongan Method and Hypnobabies), and placenta processing. As a trauma-informed care birth plan consultant, she was trained and mentored by industry leaders Penny Simkin, Phyllis Klaus, and Selena Shelley.
Teri is an established, active member of the doula community, dedicated to the advancement of the doula profession. She also serves as the Chair of the Continuing Education Committee for DONA International, as well as the Board President of the Mt. Diablo Doula Community, and as a peer support group leader for the International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN) and La Leche League (LLL).