This is a series highlighting folks who identify as Radical Doulas. Are you interested in being part of the series? Email me at radicaldoulaATgmailDOTcom.
Marea Goodman is a Bay Area radical doula who is consistently awed and inspired by the power of birth. She speaks Spanish and Portuguese, and is committed to working with diverse communities where her services are needed, often on a volunteer basis. As a queer womyn, she relishes each opportunity to work with the LGBTQ community, and feels passionately about reconfiguring the notion of what a “family” can be.
website: mareagoodmandoula.com
email: mareagoodwomyn@gmail.com
What inspired you to become a doula?
I became inspired to become a doula when a good friend of mine found out she was pregnant and asked me to be at her birth as her acupressure therapist. I decided to go through the DONA birth doula training, and completed the course in time to attend the beautiful home birth she was privileged enough to have in the East Bay. After experiencing the power of the birth room, I felt forever changed. Since then, I have dedicated much of my time and energy to providing my doula services to women and families in need.
Why do you identify with the term radical doula?
For me, the term “radical”connotes a commitment to breaking the mold of normative society and the oppression so many of us face because of it. A radical doula is someone who does this in the realm of birth and families. I speak Spanish and Portuguese, and am so grateful for every opportunity to support those members of society who are unfairly oppressed. As a queer womyn, I relish each opportunity to work with members of the LGBTQ community. I am sensitive to the preferred gender pronouns of each of my clients and to the role that their partner(s) play during labor and birth. I also have a personal commitment to reconfiguring the normative idea of what a “family” can be.
Radical Doula 