Ashley Gerhard CD(DONA), Arizona, U.S.

Ash Gerhard is a doula, educator, yoga teacher, and maternal health advocate with over a decade of experience supporting families through pregnancy, postpartum, and the long arc of parenthood. She is the founder of Phoenix Transformations, a heart-led perinatal education and support organization rooted in trauma-informed, nervous-system-aware care.

Ash’s work bridges direct family support with professional development for birthworkers, focusing on sustainability, access, and ethical business practices. In addition to supporting families, she mentors doulas and perinatal professionals in building values-aligned practices that reduce burnout and expand access to care, particularly for families navigating systemic barriers.

A mother of seven herself, Ash brings both lived experience and evidence-based insight to her teaching. She is currently leading the development of a community-based birth and family wellness center in Contra Costa County, California, with a focus on collaborative care models and partnerships that increase options for families, including survivors of domestic violence. Ash is known for her grounded, compassionate teaching style and her ability to translate complex systems into practical, actionable tools for doulas working in diverse settings.

Session

From Burnout to Sustainability: Building Doula Practices That Expand Access and Preserve Care

Doulas are essential to improving maternal and family outcomes , yet many doulas struggle to sustain their work long-term, limiting access for the families who need support most. This session explores how doula sustainability is not just a business issue, but an equity issue.

Drawing on real-world experience as a doula, educator, and founder of a community-based perinatal care model, Ash Gerhard will guide participants through practical, evidence-informed strategies for building financially sustainable doula practices while staying aligned with values of access, cultural humility, and trauma-informed care. Attendees will explore how systems literacy, collaboration, and supportive infrastructure can reduce burnout, expand access, and strengthen the future of doula care. This session offers concrete tools doulas can adapt to their own communities, regardless of practice size or setting.