I am a Licensed Massage Therapist and have been practicing Craniosacral Therapy for over 10 years. I went to massage school in Ashland, Oregon in 2011 and have extensively studied Craniosacral Therapy, Myofascial Release, Jin Shin Jyuitsu, Orthobionomy, and many other modalities. I received my Doula training through DONA International in 2016 and began studying midwifery in 2018 with Maternidad La Luz where I worked in a very busy Birth Center in El Paso, Texas. It is such an honor to attend births and to be the first hands to welcome new babies into the world.
In 2019 my focus went inward as I welcomed my own baby boy into the world. As a mother my perspective has changed a lot and I have renewed energy to support mothers and babies in every way that I can. It can be such an exhausting and overwhelming journey. It is so important that we are nourished and supported along the way. I would love to live in a world where birth is celebrated rather than feared and mothers and babies are held in a sacred cocoon during the tender creative postpartum period. I am working to be part of this change.
My background is in Zen Buddhism, Sensory Awareness, and River Rafting. I grew up in California with a dad who's a Buddhist Priest and mom who teaches Sensory Awareness. Our family vacation was often a long river trip. I spent 13 summers as a river guide going over waterfalls, long quiet scenic trips, and sleeping under the stars. I met my husband on the Rio Grande in New Mexico. I have spent years meditating, studying anatomy, kinesiology, Craniosacral, birth, and rivers. I am so grateful to have learned how to be calm in big scary whitewater, to read the subtle currents, and to trust the power of the river, the body, and birth. Navigating rivers and births keeps us humble and able to respond to what is needed in the present moment.
I live in Missoula, Montana with my husband, our 2 sons, and our dog. When I'm not working, I love spending time on the river, hiking in the mountains, camping, dancing, and studying in coffee shops.
I look forward to working with you! Carol Anne Lesser