Presentors
Sophie Jeffries
Sophie is a postnatal doula, perinatal somatic practitioner, Shiatsu therapist and Pilates teacher, with over 20 years experience in movement, rehabilitation and bodywork. She has worked in the birth and postpartum field for almost ten years, supporting mothers and families through pregnancy, birth and the transition into parenthood, with a particular focus on postpartum recovery, embodiment and connection. Sophie has undertaken training in Integrative Pre- and Perinatal Dynamics (IPPD) and trauma-informed practice for birth and bodywork professionals, alongside extensive training in prenatal and postpartum rehabilitation. Her multidisciplinary approach brings together movement, touch, somatic awareness and practical postpartum care. Through her in-home postpartum doula work, Sophie is particularly interested in the ordinary moments of care that can help families move from overwhelm towards greater stability, connection and capacity. She is the founder of The Motherbody Movement, an ongoing community of care for mothers.
Rachel Penn
Rachel — Somatic Modality Practitioner I’m a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and body-based therapist based in Geelong, Victoria, with a particular interest in the ways our earliest experiences shape the nervous system, our relationships, our sense of self and the way we inhabit our bodies. My primary modality is Somatic Experiencing® (SE), a nervous-system-based approach developed by Peter Levine. My work focuses on noticing what is happening in the body in the present moment and supporting the nervous system towards greater capacity, flexibility and choice. A significant area of my work is pre- and perinatal experience. I’m particularly interested in how experiences from pregnancy, birth, early bonding and our earliest relationships can continue to be expressed through the body and nervous system, even when we have no conscious memory of them. I have undertaken and assisted in IPPD (Integrative Pre- and Perinatal Dynamics) training, which has deepened my understanding of these early developmental experiences and their relationship to attachment, regulation, embodiment, relationship and our fundamental sense of safety and belonging. Alongside Somatic Experiencing and IPPD, I draw from Integral Somatic Psychology (ISP), NeuroAffective Touch, Kathy Kain’s Touch Skills for Trauma, the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP), Transpersonal Art Therapy and other body-based and creative approaches. Together, these modalities inform a body-based, relational and developmental approach to supporting people to understand themselves through their bodies, develop greater nervous system capacity and explore new possibilities for connection, regulation and change.
Beyond Survival:
Trauma-Informed Support for Families After Birth
Doulas don't need to become trauma practitioners to participate meaningfully in trauma recovery after birth.
Birth can be a deeply challenging experience, and its impact can continue long after the baby is born. A mother might find herself feeling overwhelmed, anxious, disconnected from her baby or disorientated inside postpartum, while the effects of the birth can ripple through the whole family.
Early postpartum support can play an important role in helping families recover from difficult or traumatic experiences related to pregnancy, birth or postpartum.
The ordinary moments of postpartum care, such as sitting with a Mother, listening to what happened, making them food, celebrating their baby, can all matter enormously. This workshop invites doulas to understand why these moments matter, to become more intentional in how they use them, and to recognise when a family needs something more.
Drawing on postpartum doula practice, Integrative Prenatal and Perinatal Dynamics and trauma-informed nervous system care, we offer a simple framework for working with families after birth:
STABILISE → RESOURCE → REFER WHEN NEEDED
We will explore recognising nervous system dysregulation, supporting co-regulation, orienting towards what is working, noticing moments of goodness, and helping families discover what safety, connection and joy feel like for them.
Through practical examples and experiential somatic exercises, we will explore what is happening in the nervous system during the ordinary moments of care, and how doulas can use them more intentionally in their practice.
This is not about doulas treating trauma. It is about understanding how the care they already provide can support mothers and families after they've been through a lot.
The workshop will also explore the boundaries of postpartum doula care, including recognising when stabilisation and resourcing may not be enough, and when a family may benefit from additional specialised support.