Meet the team

Renee Adair is the founder and director of the Australian Doula College, the Groundwork Program and the ADC’s charity-arm Doula Heart Network. She first began working with women and babies in 1994 as a massage and Aromatherapist and Reiki Practitioner and in 1998 after the home births of her two biological children she began studying and working as a Doula and Childbirth and Early Parenting Educator. 

Renee then worked for the Australian Red Cross at a young women’s health program/refuge in Sydney’s East, setting up both the outreach and childbirth and early parenting education programs for that service. 

Working In collaboration, Renee helped produce the first research on Doulas in Australia which was published in the Journal of Perinatal Education in 2013. She has spoken on a variety of radio programmes, at conferences and seminars and is a regular contributor for a range of publications, websites and podcasts. 

Renee has worked to change the way we think about Doula support launching an End of Life Doula Training for the College in 2021 with a view for the wider community to see Doula support though a broader lens, supporting all major life transitions, not just in the birthing space. 

In 2019 Renee proudly partnered with Charles Darwin University to co facilitate Accredited Doula training for Indigenous women in the remote First Nations community of Galiwin’ku. She now sits on the official Galiwin’ku steering committee to restore Birthing on Country. Renee has sat on the Consumer Advisory Board of the Australian College of Midwives, trained thousands of Doulas and supported hundreds of women, their partners and families through pregnancy, birth, early parenting and end of life over the course of her career. 

A fierce advocate for human rights, the proud mother of three adult children and three grandkids, blends her life’s work, spending downtime with her family, friends and fur babies. 

Ashleigh began her career volunteering in America, working with people who required support from all walks of life including disabilities, mental health, youth, dependencies, criminal justice, aged care, child protection and women in crisis. Ashleigh has been working in the Community Services Sector since 2005, supporting people through life’s transitions ever since.

 

Throughout this work Ashleigh has complemented her experience by obtaining degrees in Social Work, Community Services, Management, Welfare, Business and is a qualified Trainer and Assessor. Ashleigh’s passion really begun to focus on women as she embraced her own journey to start her family, facing hurdles she never knew existed which led to her burning passion being ignited deep within.  

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Since completing her Doula qualifications Ashleigh firmly believes and educates anybody who will listen, that families have the right to be informed, knowledgeable, validated and supported to pave the way of their own journey. Ashleigh is dedicated to supporting people to strive for what is most important to them in all aspects of life from first breath to last breath in her own uniquely fierce badass way. 

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Ashleigh’s experience and love for business paired with a mission to achieve total world domination, finds her leading our team under the wing of our founding director as our CEO, based in Victoria keeping busy raising her children, loving and appreciating every second of life!

Bronwyn brings with her a wealth of experience polished over 15 years of behind the scenes action, scheduling and coordinating a variety of television productions across New Zealand, UK, Europe and Australia.

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Bronwyn lives in Melbourne with her family.  When she’s not being her best doula self, she’s loving spending time with family and friends and both playing & coaching field hockey.

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The birth of Bronwyn’s first child didn’t go as expected. This triggered something inside of her as she begun educating herself and researching all things labour and birth. As her family grew, so did her passion. Bronwyn felt her calling to work in this sacred space - honouring women and their families as they go through the amazing journey of pregnancy and birth.

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After following her heart, Bronwyn is now a fully certified ADC doula. Bronwyn is passionate about empowering women and their families through emotional and physical support and sharing evidence-based information. 

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Her personal message to share is; “The ADC completely changed my life and I’m so excited and proud to be part of this team that is changing the world for so many others”

As a cultural exchange student in high school, Kylee learnt that being outside of your comfort zone can be very…uncomfortable yet incredibly powerful. It can build you from the inside out and create resilience as well as a thirst for knowledge. About people, places, history and culture, all of which play more of a role in childbirth than you may imagine. She’s been a people person ever since and an avid traveller.

 

Kylee started in childcare and hospitality, and then worked overseas as a nanny and mothercraft nurse in her 20s. Returning to Australia after a family tragedy, she training as an interior decorator before finding her way into decorator retail. Over the next 16 years she worked her way up to executive assistant at the corporate head office (which was almost all female!) and during the pandemic, followed her heart and came full circle; training as a doula with the College and returned to working with mothers and babies.

 

She loves talking to women about where they’ve come from and their choices in the birth of their baby. Kylee enjoys sharing knowledge and supporting women to know what they want and to help empower them to get there. 

 

Merging her administration skills with her calling to support birthing families, Kylee joins the Australian Doula College staff in 2022 and is looking forward to talking to future students about the College, the courses and what a difference they can make as a doula in a world that sorely needs them, while continuing to support mamas and families bringing their babies Earthside.

 

Life changing events such as pregnancy, a new baby, a serious illness, divorce or approaching your end of life are all major life transitions. These times can cause us to re-examine ourselves and our present state of being, making it challenging to navigate all that is happening around us.

 

A doula during these times, can help you ensure continuity of care, and give you a sounding board to help you navigate, find your voice, feel empowered and bring comfort to you and those closest to you. No matter what road you find yourself on.

 

I have completed my training as an End of Life doula and Birth and post-natal doula.  I provide heartfelt emotional and practical hands on support to all my clients ensuring that their individual needs are met . 

 

I also have a role at the Australian Doula College as their End of Life doula, providing necessary support to other doulas  and  helping the college stay up  to date with current information, so we can support our community in the best way.

 

I approach my doula role in the same way that I approach all facets of my life, by bringing a strong sense of commitment, compassion, good humour, and informed knowledge.

 

Jacki began working with pregnant women as a volunteer for ‘Pregnancy Support’ in the 1980’s. As her family grew so did her belief that support through pregnancy, birth and beyond was imperative to informed choice, mental health and parenting with purpose. 

 

When Jacki discovered the world of Doulas and their role in providing education as well as physical and emotional support to pregnant women and their families she knew she has found her calling. Jacki signed up to complete her Doula training and after supporting several clients through their births decided that she wanted to further her ability to teach and undertook the ‘Childbirth Educators Course’ offered by the Australian Doula College (ADC). The completion of this course saw Jacki being offered the role of face to face educator in the Sydney branch of the ADC.

 

In 2017 Jacki completed her Diploma of Nursing which brought further awareness to her role as educator as she gained experience of working within the hospital system and all this implied for birthing women. 

 

Jacki is currently the Lead Educator at the ADC with more than 12 years experience of teaching both face to face and via distance education. She lives in Brisbane with her super supportive husband and 4 of her 8 children and feels blessed to work within an industry that nurtures, nourishes and supports.

 

When a friend asked Gaby to be a support person for her and her husband for their first child’s birth in 1991 her passion was ignited. Gaby has five beautiful children and because all her births were so different (hospital, medicated and natural) she feels that she can offer a lot to expectant mothers and their partner with her patience, flexibility, guidance and full individual attention.

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Gaby is passionate about helping, nurturing, educating and guiding women in birth so that they can have the birth THEY want. Providing enough information to the expecting mum and their partner so that they can make informed choices is central to Gaby’s philosophy on childbirth. She believes when you are fully informed you can take a more active role in the decision-making regarding the birth of your child.

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Gaby studied to be a Doula with Birth Central in 2004 and qualified as a certified Doula in 2005. She then studied to become a Childbirth Educator and Postnatal Doula with the Australian Doula College in 2006 and is now teaching at the College in Sydney.

Deb began her journey with the Australian Doula College in 2018 on the Groundwork program. At the time, as a mother of a 3 year old and a 7 month old herself, Deb understood the need for support and attention, that all Mothers and their babies require postpartum and saw that these vulnerable members of our community were especially in need of the ADC’s wealth of knowledge and their specialised approach to motherhood.

 

The following year Deb was welcomed into the college in the capacity as the Events Co-Ordinator, but soon her ability and attention to detail, saw her move into all things Accounts and finance.

 

4 years on, with three beautiful children and 2 fur babies, she is still the accounts mistress, as well as becoming the Groundwork Program Manager in 2022.

 

Her dedication to help guide, educate and nurture the families involved in the Groundwork Program, as well as support the College graduates working within it, sees her tirelessly cultivating relationships with government and private agencies to meet the needs of these mums and bubs.

 

Outside of work, located on the beautiful south coast of Wollongong, there is nothing she likes more than spending time with her husband, family and friends …except for maybe, 15 minutes of alone time where her love of plants and gardening, will find her nourishing her soul, cultivating new growth and beauty.

Josie has a colourful background in terms of where her work has taken her. She’s dabbled in graphic design, hospitality, IT, finance and local government to name a few. When she isn’t working she is undertaking her latest creative project, cooking, outside in nature, enjoying time with family and friends with good food and definitely a boogie. In her you’ll find a bit of an old soul that loves to be busy but is learning to love to be slow. A person who has reverence for life and for death and understands the value and power of human connection. 

 

She came to doula work after having her own children and being completely in awe and amazed by birth and motherhood; but also found postpartum difficult. Having had two of her own life changing and beautiful births, she was perplexed when this wasn’t the story she was hearing from many of those close to her. Conversely she kept hearing many stories of people struggling in motherhood and it just seemed like a problem that she wanted to be part of the solution for. 

 

She is passionate about all people having access to individualised maternity care, continuity of care and evidence based information. She hopes to continue to share with all who she meets how essential it is that we improve the way in which we care for and support women and birthing people in pregnancy and beyond; because the rite of passage of matrescence is at the centre of the family and therefore the centre of community.

 

Josie is currently the Media and Events Coordinator, behind the scenes she manages our Instagram, Facebook and is the go to for all of the College’s events and bookings and feels very grateful to be working with a talented team doing epic work in service of others.

 

My name is Stevie and I was born and raised in the Illawarra. I currently reside in the lovely Northern Suburbs of Wollongong with my two children & cocker spaniel Sunny. As a doula and placenta encapsulator with the ADC, I am deeply passionate about supporting women and their families throughout pregnancy, birth, and beyond.

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With a rich background in hospitality management, I have had the privilege of traveling across Australia for various challenging and rewarding roles, including memorable stints in Ulluru and Manly Beach. Throughout my 15-year career in the hospitality industry, I have had the pleasure of organising and managing high-energy nightclub events, collaborating with renowned chefs, and connecting with people over drinks in country pubs. This experience helps me in my doula and ground work program work as I'm able to think on my feet, are attentive to details and read people & rooms. 

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Now that I’m in a new slower phase at in my life, I am working in supporting the Ground Work Program at the ADC, where I have the pleasure of working alongside incredible and compassionate women and leaders. It brings me immense joy and hope for the future to be part of a team that is dedicated to helping birthing women and their families.

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During my free time, I enjoy going to the beach to unwind and walk my dog, discovering new restaurants, planning vacations for my bucket list, spending time with friends, and baking with my children.

Hi, I'm Ellie, a passionate and dedicated birth and postpartum doula based in Geelong, Victoria.  

 

When I'm not immersed in the world of pregnancy, birth, postpartum and motherhood, you can find me enjoying my love of coffee, cherishing moments spent with friends and family, enjoying connections with new people, or hitting the gym to nurture my physical and mental well-being. My sister holds a special place in my heart and is my whole damn village of support. Her unwavering love and encouragement have been instrumental in shaping the person I am today.

 

My journey began in a small country town where I learned the value of community and the importance of nurturing relationships. At the age of 18, I headed out into the wide world to take on a new adventure working as a lifeguard, swim teacher, and camp counsellor at a New Jersey, America based children's summer camp. This experience taught me the significance of trust, compassion and the transformative power of support.

 

Delving headfirst into the word of numbers and analytics, I studied and completed a degree in Accounting. Although this career path provided some valuable skills, I was fuelled with a desire for exploration and stepping outside of my comfort zone, leading me into a backpacking journey through South America. Ultimately, I found myself in London where I had the privilege of working at head office for renowned brands such as Aesop, Burberry and Gordon Ramsay.

 

My travels across over 40 countries in Europe, Asia, Central & South America have given me the opportunity to witness the strength and resilience of women across the globe. I believe these experiences have deepened my understanding of the diverse needs and nuances surrounding pregnancy, birth, postpartum and motherhood.

 

Becoming a mother of two children truly ignited a flame within me and while each pregnancy, birth and postpartum experience was so different, they both opened my eyes to the incredible need for support during such a transformative time. 

 

I’ve noticed that motherhood has prompted an evolution in my values, beliefs and emotions and I was lead to question my career path and dig deep to discover what my true passions were.  It quickly became clear to me that I was driven by the belief that pregnancy, birth and postpartum is not just about bringing new life into the world but also about birthing new possibilities within ourselves. 

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​Working alongside extraordinary colleagues at the Australian Doula College, who hold deep appreciation for the importance of mutual support and extend it not only to each other but also to countless others, is an immense privilege.

Hi – I am Jess, and I look after all things compliance at the ADC!

 

I started my career in health and nursing working in the medical field before finding my true passion in palliative and end of life care.

 

I have been lucky enough to be given some incredible opportunities in the Northern Territory which found me working in the training sector. I have since worked alongside the ADC assisting Renee with course accreditation and all things compliance within the accredited training qualifications. I am passionate about advocacy and empowerment across all life stages and events.

 

I have one very sassy 4-year-old, and have a true passion for all things four-legged.

 

I am truly grateful for the opportunity to work within such a fierce group of women at the ADC, who are conquering the world one doula at a time.

 

 I am so incredibly proud to be a part of the team.

I’m the new Administration for the ADC and I’m a Mother to a beautiful 3 year old boy. 

 

I’ve always been passionate about helping and uplifting others and in both my role at the ADC and my own business I get to do so. The work that both Renee & the ladies of the College do really inspires me, it's such an empowering community to be a part of. 

 

Coming from an Indigenous background and hearing the about the life changing work Renee does with the Djakamirr in Galiwin’ku, my heart knew that this was a journey to embark on. To be a part of the ADC Family has really warmed my heart. I instantly knew that this is where I belonged and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I am eager undertake my doula studies shortly and cement myself into the doula sisterhood. 

 

When I am not caught up in the crazy but most rewarding “hood’ there is - Motherhood, I am running my online beauty company, making content and changing not only the crowns ladies wear on their head,  but their lives.