To our supporters,
For many people, the holiday season is a time of joy and reflection; a time to reminisce with friends and family about memories past while creating new memories upon which to reflect in the coming years. For others, the holidays can be emotionally vexing, for a number of reasons both internal and external.
In this edition of The Clarion, we explore various ways of dealing with the complex emotions that can sometimes accompany the birthing experience.
On Page 5, Stephanie Larson, the founder of Dancing for Birth, shares with us her unique approach to utilizing movement and dance to help mothers both prepare for and recover from birth by modeling how to live in the present moment.
Dr. Alyssa Berlin, an ICAN advisory committee member and prenatal/postpartum clinical psychologist, discusses the importance of having a support network during pregnancy on Page 7. For women who find themselves with limited social support, Dr. Berlin describes a number of professionals, from acupuncturists to psychiatrists, who may be of assistance during the birthing year.
One way that mothers process their birth experiences is through art. On Page 10, Rebecca Honeycutt shares her personal story of how art helped her to gain an understanding of her feelings about her journey through the realm of birth.
We share the insights of Pam England, founder of Birthing from Within, on Page 17. In the article “Healing Your Birth Story,” England discusses how the process of telling and listening to birth stories can lead to a healing beyond the birth experience itself.
In each edition of The Clarion, we feature a local chapter who is working hard to make a difference within their sphere of influence. In this edition on Page 14, we feature one of our international chapters, ICAN of Jakarta Selatan, which is located in Indonesia. We also feature the profiles of some of our amazing volunteers who are making a difference on Pages 11-13.
Lastly, Monica Cruz shares the story of her unmedicated vaginal birth on Page 15.
In closing, we wish you and your family a safe and joyful holiday season and hope that you find new insights and/or support from our edition on emotional healing.
Thank you for supporting the mission of ICAN!
In Solidarity,
LaQuitha Glass
ICAN Board President
2015-2016
