Meet the Team
Sarah Teel is an experienced doula, researcher and policy advocate whose work is grounded in the understanding that families are the true experts on their own needs.
She has advocated both legislatively and in the community for more access to doula support, working as an independent doula as well as with the unique Doula Project collaboration at Washington County Mental Health.
She is passionate about supporting the integrity and independence of the doula profession and preserving doulas’ ability to be trusted advocates for and with their fellow community members.
Mary Etna is a certified birth doula, and Evidence Based Birth® Instructor.
She began working as a doula in 2013, during which she discovered her passion for perinatal care and education.
As a non-clinical healthcare worker, Mary Etna sees herself as a link between individuals and their clinical care providers.
Her goal is to not only empower her clients, but also to strengthen ties between different levels of healthcare providers, so that we can truly work as a network to support our community.
Improving access to doula support, especially for marginalized and low-income communities is an essential part of this work.
Harley McKenna (they/them) is a full-spectrum doula, certified postpartum doula, and certified lactation counselor who has supported families in Central Vermont since 2020.
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As a member of the Community Doula Care Program and Doula Case Manager with The Doula Project at Washington County Mental Health, Harley brings a trauma-informed, BIPOC queer feminist approach to their work. Their goal is to empower clients to make intentional choices, feel fully supported, and experience growth and self-compassion throughout each reproductive journey.
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Harley is deeply committed to supporting diverse family structures and ensuring that doula care is accessible and affirming for all, especially for marginalized communities.
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Their approach to doula care is deeply informed by trauma literacy and BIPOC queer feminism, with a goal of supporting their clients to claim their agency, make intentional and informed choices, feel seen and heard and cared for, and glean all of the growth and self-compassion that each reproductive experience has to offer.
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Laura Pascoe (M.S., PhD, CD) is an internationally experienced birth doula, childbirth educator, researcher, and strategic thinker.
Founder of Team Birthhood, she provides evidence-based, compassionate, and inclusive support that empowers birthing people and their partners to feel prepared, respected, and heard from pregnancy through postpartum.
Laura co-founded DAV because she is passionate about advocating for equitable access to doula services and ensuring sustainable conditions for doulas.
Based in the Upper Valley of Vermont, she is committed to fostering dignity, care, and positive birth experiences for all families, regardless of their background or circumstances.
Kathy Wohlfort (MS, CD(DONA) HCHD) became a doula in 2017 after 25 years of wildlife research in New Hampshire and Vermont.
Kathy enjoys supporting pregnant people and their partners as they navigate our complicated, often overwhelming and confusing medical system.
Kathy is committed to using evidence-based information to prepare people for birth, build confidence in their preferences and creating space to use their voice at any time.
She joined DAV because the support doulas give should be accessible to anyone regardless of circumstances and sustainable to those who choose to be doulas.