SFFD Female Health Summit

Serena is a Mother, a Certified Nurse Midwife, A Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. She became a midwife in 2009, earning her degree from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Since becoming a midwife she has worked at Sage Femme Birth Center, St. Luke’s Hospital (now CPMC Mission Bernal), The Homeless Prenatal Program and The San Francisco Birth Center. She is the founder and primary midwife of The KAZ Project, a Midwifery Corporation. Through the KAZ Project she offers in home postpartum, lactation and well-person midwifery care. The KAZ Project also offers workshops and classes for new and expectant families to help reduce the isolation and singular focus that comes from being a parent. As a midwife and mother of three she understands the postpartum from the perspective of a provider and a parent. She created the KAZ Project as a way to empower parents to find their own path while being uplifted by a supportive and unique community. When Serena is not working with families she enjoys arts and crafts with her daughters, sewing, hiking and sailing on the bay with her husband.

Dr. Charisse Balance, PT, DPT, RYT is a mama, yogini and a holistic pelvic health physical therapist. She helped to create the Functional Restoration Program at Integrated Pain Care in San Pablo, CA- an interdisciplinary program serving injured workers suffering from chronic pain. Through experience in working with chronic pain clients she found that addressing pelvic floor was often the missing link. In 2015, she obtained her yoga certification (RYT-200) and later pursued specializations in Restorative, Yin and Pre/Post -natal Yoga . She continues to incorporate the healing modalities of yoga into each treatment with her clients and offers various workshops regarding anatomy, healthy movement and pelvic health around San Francisco. She gave birth to her sons in 2020 and 2022, giving her an entirely new appreciation and perspective on pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. Her personal experience, helped her discover additional healing modalities to support herself on her postpartum healing journey: Ayurvedic Support, Low Pressure Fitness, and Vaginal Steaming. She continues to incorporate these tools into her treatments with clients. : Charisse is passionate in serving birth givers in during pregnancy and the postpartum period . She utilizes an evidence based treatment approach, and incorporates intuitive and holistic practices when working with each client. Her goal is to educate individuals about their bodies to maximize confidence in their physical abilities and minimize injury. In that, her intention is to promote a sense of empowerment through knowledge and the support of community and connection. She provides services at her offices in Ventura and San Francisco as well a Telehealth support via online consultations.

Heather Buren, Mom, Firefighter, Paramedic

With over 25 years of experience in the field, Julie Birdsong has dedicated her career to guiding women through the rites of passage from birth through menopause. Julie Birdsong is a 2012 graduate of the UCSF Midwifery Program and practices as a Certified Nurse Midwife and Women's Health Nurse Practitioner. Julie co-founded the San Francisco Birth Center and is now the Supervising Nurse Midwife/Nurse Practitioner at San Mateo Medical Center Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic where her clinical practice provides reproductive health care to the underserved community. Her own journey through the menopause transition ignited a period of transformation, realizing the full depth and breadth of her calling as a midwife to honor the sacred rhythms and to hold the container of safety during periods of intensity. Julie views menopause as a sacred rite of passage, an initiation into the second half of life, and offers support for those experiencing the transition.

Amelia Kriss is a Drama Therapist and Certified Coach in private practice in the Bay Area, California, where she lives with her husband and two powerhouse daughters. She works primarily with recovering people-pleasers and "nice" girls who want to learn how to care for themselves like they tend to care for others. Amelia is also deeply committed to Birth Story Medicine work--helping birthing parents integrate, and move forward from, unresolved issues connected to the experience of giving birth. She believes that supporting parents through birthing as a rite of passage is an important (and too often missing) piece of creating healthier & happier families. Learn more at ameliakriss.com & birthingforreal.com Amelia is also a Registered Drama Therapist (RDT 663), and a Director for Self-Revelatory Performances & therapeutic theatre. She completed her counseling psychology practicum training at the Living Arts Counseling Center in Emeryville, CA under the supervision of Armand Volkas. She also received training under Suraya Keating with the Shakespeare at San Quentin program, using theatre to foster growth, empowerment, and healing. Her work in prison has deepened her commitment to social justice, as well as her passion for self-love, self-acceptance, and self-forgiveness.

Kelly Wong McGrath, CNM, AGPCNP is a midwife, primary care nurse practitioner, and mom of three. She currently works as the Clinical Director at the San Francisco Birth Center. She is passionate about shared decision-making and informed consent. She enjoys finding creative and fun ways to spread information about women's health.