Laura+

Greetings! First of all, I am a real person. I truly care for and strive to accompany my clients wherever they are at in their lives. I would love to hear your voice. Give me a call at 334-220-3233. I get a lot of spam calls, though. So be sure to text me, too. I don’t want to miss you.

My interest in holistic herbalism, wellness, and pain coaches comes from my own experiences. I am deeply spiritual, and I see that all parts of life are infused with spiritual meaning. I’ve always been attracted to the contemplative life and try to carve out time on a daily basis for this. I’ve been a military spouse for 23 years and have spent decades raising my 4 beautiful daughters.

My path is such that I have experienced different kinds of overlapping trauma. I also have a history of chronic pain. I have found this combination to be quite common. Trauma can lead to chronic pain, and chronic pain can lead to trauma. Both of those make a person at-risk for isolation, ostracization, or abuse, which can lead back to more pain and trauma.

As a fellow survivor, I have journeyed with more than 5 dozen clergy abuse victims/survivors. I have volunteered as an Air Force key spouse and spent decades being what is called a “mental health first responder” within the military community. Sometimes there would just be a handful of us military-associated folks living overseas far from military bases. I was a birth companion for women with little or no social support, including women struggling with substance use disorder. I worked with WIC and follow HIPAA.

There is a higher power. Our Creator loves us and will never abandon us.

You have a beautiful and good purpose on this earth.

Here is a bit more about me:

+Certified health and wellness coach. (AFPA)

+Trained pain coach. (Pain Coach Academy)

+Active member of the Christian Herbalist Guild.

+Certified lactation counselor. (CLC)

+Birth and postpartum doula.

+Experience with spiritual trauma, homelessness, and SUD.

Work and Volunteer

• Prenatal and Birth Support, including work with private clients and as a UNMH Birth Companion Program Volunteer: Counseling Moms and Providing Continuous Birth Support. (Summer 2025-Current) 59 hours
• Postpartum and Breastfeeding Support, including work with private clients and as a WIC Designated Breastfeeding Expert: (July 2023-present) 95 hours
• Homeless and People with Substance Use Disorder: I have experience providing perinatal support to women with SUD. (11.5 hours)

Certifications and Memberships

• NM Board of Nursing: Lactation Provider License (Obtained January 2025. Expiration January 2027)
• Adult and Pediatric First Aid, CPR, and AED: Certification (February 2025)
• American Fitness Professionals and Associates: Certification as a Health and Wellness Coach (September 2024) 34 hours
• The Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice: Certification as a CLC. (June 2023-current) 52 hours

Continuing Education

• Pain Coach Academy: Pain Coaching Essentials (June, 2026) 10.5 hours
• Materia Medica and Nutrition: Approximately 250 hours
• New Mexico Breastfeeding Task Force Hospital and Clinic Summit: Lactation and Substance Use Disorder (November 2025) 3.5 hours
• UNM Echo Perinatal Community Partnership: Supporting Perinatal Clients with a History of Substance Use (May 2025) 1 hour
• UNMH Birth Companion Training: (Spring 2025) 9 hours
• New Mexico Breastfeeding Task Force Annual Conference: Lactation Through the Lifespan- Parents, Babies, Providers, Community (April 2024) 13 hours
• Breastfeeding Conferences: Challenging Paradigms (March 2024) 3 hours
• Gold Learning: ReLATCHtation: Transitioning the Exclusively Bottle-fed Baby to Nursing (February 2024) 1 hour
• Gold Learning: Substance Use During Pregnancy: Supporting Healthy Outcomes for Women, Infants, and Their Families. (February 2024) 1 hour
• The University of Indiana Continuing Education: Trauma Informed Care (November 2022) approximately 4 hours

Lab Experience and Lab Research

• University of New Mexico Work in Chemistry, Biology, and Biochemistry Labs: (August 1999-2002) approximately 1020 hours
• UNM Biochemistry Department Breast Cancer Research: Received undergraduate grant to conduct breast cancer research. (Summer 2002)

Other Formal Education

• Holy Apostles College and Seminary: graduate level ethics course (2023)
• National Catholic Bioethics Center: Two-day seminar: Catholic Health Care Ethics: A Tradition of Compassion and Care for the Human Person (2021)
• University of Oxford: MSc in Mathematical Modelling (2008)
• University of Colorado at Boulder: BA in Pure Math (2004)
• University of New Mexico: 2 biology courses, 8 chemistry courses including organic, quantitative analysis, and physical chemistry, 1 biochemistry class, 2 anthropology courses including cultures of the world. (1999-2003)