Meet Our Doula Training Instructors

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed,it's the only thing that ever has.”

Gina Weidner

Founder

Gina is a seasoned maternal health advocate. educator, and the founder of DoulaBrella. With over 15 years of experience in birth and postpartum support, Gina transitioned the Life Cycle Doulas training program into a national training program, a family network, and a non-profit, the DoulaBrella Institute. Her goal is to address the systemic gaps in modern maternity care. Leading evidence-based doula certification, Gina has spent the last two decades refining a model that balances clinical excellence with family-centered advocacy. Her work is defined by a commitment to health equity, with a focus on building a skilled, sustainable workforce and supporting BIPOC, LGBTQ+ , and low-income communities. As a former practitioner who has seen the system 'from the inside, ' Gina is dedicated to creating the professional bridges necessary to integrate doula care into the standard of medical excellence. She is a fierce advocate for a respectful, evidence-based team approach to birth, believing that when we empower doulas, bring love to every room, and build family-centered care, we can create the best system for everyone.

“Families can thrive, not just survive.”

Amelia Varney

Training Coordinator & Lead Instructor

Amelia certified as a postpartum doula in 2018, following in the footsteps of her mother, and DoulaBrella founder, Gina. Her practice centers on the understanding that holding space for challenges while lovingly supporting each family eases the transition for both parents and babies. Raised by a full-spectrum birth doula and advocate, Amelia grew up in the doula community, giving her an acute understanding of the value of professional, non-judgmental support through major life changes. In addition to her postpartum certifications, Amelia has completed training in childbirth education, breastfeeding support, and birth doula training, and she is a certified Girl Talk instructor. Exceeding every expectation her mother had, Amelia has found a passion in training and supporting doulas. She offers modules on communication skills, holding space, self-care, and the daily expectations for postpartum doulas. She also hosts birth workshops and manages the DoulaBrella Network, where she supports and mentors doulas. Amelia believes that when doulas and families are well-informed and properly supported, they can overcome any obstacle.

“A supported community of doulas will support the world.”

Vanessa Guite

Doula Support

Vanessa is a certified birth and postpartum doula who brings a unique blend of analytical expertise, fierce advocacy, and deep compassion to perinatal care. After spending years navigating the complexities of family law as a practicing attorney, Vanessa felt a profound pull toward more heart-centered work. Driven by a desire to support individuals and families during life’s most transformative transitions in a deeply personal, nurturing way, she shifted her professional focus to doula care. Her background in law provides her with a sharp, grounded perspective on client rights, clear communication, and informed choice, while her doula training allows her to show up with emotional intuition and steady presence. Dedicated to expanding compassionate care throughout the community, she also serves as a key support pillar within the DoulaBrella Network, offering free doula guidance to emerging and experienced DoulaBrella doulas as they navigate their careers. Whether guiding parents through the birth process, offering gentle, practical support during the postpartum trimester, or supporting new doulas, Vanessa creates a safe, empowering space for growing families. She blends professional rigor with heartfelt empathy, ensuring her clients feel heard, respected, and thoroughly cared for every step of the way.

“Come as you are, darling. We'll figure out the rest together.”

Casey Gillen-Young

Doula Support

Casey is dedicated to providing for her community as a Full-Spectrum Reproductive Doula. She is honored to be able to be a part of every step of the reproductive journey for her clients. She believes inthe power of knowledge—whether it's about reproductive health or personal empowerment—and is committed to helping others navigate life’s big transitions, judgment-free. Casey specializes in a trauma- informed family approach, she has trained extensively in both traditional and non-traditional family environments. Casey is certified for both Birth and Postpartum as well as being a Placenta Encapsulation Specialist. Currently working on a Master's degree in Health Psychology at Daemen University she plans to further our community research and resources in the WNY area for everyone, regardless of anything.

“Heal yourself, with beautiful love, and always remember: you are the medicine.”

Sara Rodriguez

Birth Doula, Prenatal & Postpartum Yoga Instructor, Holistic Instructor

Sara is a Holistic Instructor dedicated to nurturing the minds, bodies, and spirits of doulas and growing families. With a deep respect for nature, healing, and wellness, she brings a restorative, grounding element to perinatal care and professional support. Sara crafts small batch topicals, tinctures and infusions using carefully selected botanicals designed to nourish the body. natural healing tinctures and lotions using carefully selected botanicals designed to nourish the body. In addition to her herbal craftsmanship, she facilitates immersive sound bath sessions to promote deep relaxation, emotional release, and nervous system regulation. Through her holistic practices, Sara helps doulas cultivate their own self-care routines and provides clients with gentle, integrative tools for healing throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

“Your perception of the outside world is a reflection of your internal world.”

Melissa Carrick

Birth Instructor

It is Mellisa’s passion to see and assist others’ on their journeys. She has always had a heart for educating and empowering herself in order to help others to do the same. Melissa has a medical background as a surgical technologist, blended with a holistic background in massage therapy, yoga instructor, birth doula and educator ,and holistic muscle testing practitioner. Birth imitates life. Seeing how the skills and mindset needed for both parallel each other, it is her intention to educate, empower, nurture, and guide practitioners and families alike, on this transformative journey. Melissa specifically focuses on educating doulas on empowering communication skills to bring confidence and respect to every interaction. She also prepares doulas to provide physical comfort measures for labor. Being able to teach, whether it’s other professionals on their way towards certifications, or expecting families, about their pregnancy and birth options, Melissa’s mission is to get her students excited, build their confidence, and oﬀer support in any area they need.

“Birth was and will always be the most commonplace of miracles - an event at once familiar and phenomenal, timeless and immediate, briefly making angels of us all.”

Jenni Kula

Postpartum Instructor

Jenni Kula, RN, C-EFM, M. Ed. started her journey supporting families in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum in 2017. She has worked as a birth doula, childbirth educator, postpartum doula, doula educator, placenta encapsulation specialist, labor and delivery nurse, and postpartum nurse. Jenni is passionate about supporting birthing and postpartum families as they move through the epic transformation into parenthood as they define it. As a registered nurse, Jenni strives to help families find wholeness, wellness, and make meaning from their birth and postpartum experience. Jenni helps doulas find their inner compass as they support and empower families and communities. Jenni lives in Batavia, NY with her husband and four children.

“Great people do things before they’re ready.”

Jamie Young

Professional Support

Jamie Young is a business strategist and marketing expert who helps doulas build sustainable, thriving practices. With 6+ years of experience in CPG startup marketing and client success, as well as firsthand knowledge from running her own doula business. As DoulaBrella’s Business Development Lead, Jamie teaches Business 101, helping doulas navigate the sometimes dizzying essentials of social media, client acquisition, financial management, and taxes. Jamie also offers specialized training sessions as part of the organization’s comprehensive doula education. Her goal is to help doulas cut through the overwhelm, take the next right step, and build a business that reflects who they are and the communities they hope to serve. She was and is instrumental in the development of DoulaBrella’s birth and is passionate about the mission and its success. She serves on the board of the DoulaBrella Institute and brings her skills as a practicing birth and postpartum doula to all her interactions. When she is not working with clients or training doulas, Jamie helps redefine how kids eat at FoodNerd, travels and salsa dances in South America, cheers on the Bills with friends and family, works out at F45, or sings way too loudly in her car. In between it all, she loves unwinding at home with her cats, Tofu and Cannellini.

“Breastmilk is the magical elixir of life… It's also a bodily fluid with a mind of its own, and pretending otherwise is how we fail families.”

Mary Miller

Feeding/Lactation Educator

PhD, IBCLC, RLC, CPD, is the founder and director of WNY Orofacial, a private lactation practice in Western New York. She works directly with families on feeding difficulties and the orofacial function that underlies them, and her doctoral research focused on tethered oral tissues. Trained as a birth and postpartum doula, she has spent the last ten years training doulas in a range of settings. She currently shares her experience, expertise, and knowledge through her breast/chest/infant feeding workshop for DoulaBrella birth and postpartum doulas. She is also Assistant Professor and Program Chair of the B.S. in Maternal Child Health and the M.A. in Human Lactation Studies at National Louis University. Both are Pathway 2 programs, the academic route to IBCLC certification. Every other Pathway 2 program in the world is a certificate; hers are degrees, which makes students eligible for federal student loans and VA education benefits and removes a financial barrier that keeps many qualified people out of the credential.

“When moms flourish, the whole family thrives!”

Olivia Bergeron

Perinatal Instructor

Olivia Bergeron, LCSW, PMH-C is a New York-based perinatal mental health therapist and parent coach specializing in postpartum depression, anxiety, and PMADs, with 20+ years of experience and 10,000+ client sessions. She is the founder of Mommy Groove Therapy & Parent Coaching and The Perinatal Connection, a network of 1,100+ perinatal providers, and has been featured in the New York Times, ABC News, and Parents Magazine. Olivia holds a Bachelor's degree from Vassar College and a Master's in Clinical Social Work from New York University, along with a Post Master's Certificate in Advanced Clinical Social Work from NYU and specialized training from the Postpartum Stress Center. She was honored to be selected for the inaugural coaching training led by Dr. Laura Markham, author of Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids, and is passionate about helping parents move from reactivity to connection with their children. DoulaBrella was fortunate to have her join the team teaching her module on perinatal mood disorders for doulas understanding and scope of work. Olivia is fluent in Spanish and French.

“In giving birth to our babies, we may find that we give birth to new possibilities within ourselves.”

Katherine Gillette-Cockerill

Childbirth Education

Katherine Gillette-Cockerill spent most of her career in conservation education and currently serves as Director of Conservation Education and Learning Engagement at the Buffalo Zoo. Katherine became fascinated with childbirth during the births of her two daughters. This fascination, coupled with her enthusiasm for education, fueled her desire to inform and guide families through their tender and momentous transitions. She trained at the Simkin Center at Bastyr University and taught Childbirth Education for four years at Great Starts in Seattle. After moving to Buffalo, she serendipitously met Gina at an event. They recognized a need for doulas to have specific training tailored to their needs, which allowed Katherine to continue her passion for educating families and then also doulas. She created a childbirth education program specifically designed for the role of a birth doula, bringing a missing piece to the DoulaBrella curriculum. Katherine empowers doulas with a strong foundation and understanding of labor stages and how a doula can support them and the families they serve. She lives in North Buffalo with her husband, teenage daughters, and cats Pumpkin and Smudge.

Meet Your Instructors

Everyone Teaches From the Same Table