We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dr. Shauna Wallace. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dr. Shauna below.
Dr. Shauna, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
The idea for my business was born from lived experience, professional passion, and a deep sense of responsibility to disrupt systems that were never designed to serve everyone equitably—especially not Black mothers, underserved families, or vulnerable youth.
It started in the spaces where my personal and professional worlds collided. As a single mother earning my BA with one child and pursuing my master’s while pregnant with my second, I quickly became familiar with the overwhelming gaps in support systems. I was navigating educational, maternal, and emotional terrains—mostly alone—yet determined to thrive. I didn’t just want to survive these experiences; I wanted to transform them into something meaningful. That’s where the seed was planted.
My journey as a Licensed Independent Social Worker and Certified Birth Doula gave me a front-row seat to systemic failures—how marginalized families are pushed to the margins, how trauma and inequity show up in classrooms, delivery rooms, courtrooms, and communities. I realized something powerful: families weren’t broken—the systems were.
I launched 3E Consulting and Training Solutions to Engage, Educate and Empower individuals and organizations through trauma-informed, culturally responsive training, therapeutic services, and consulting. Shortly after, I expanded the mission through 3E Affinity, where I brought my birth doula and perinatal mental health expertise under one roof—because healthy starts matter, and so do the people helping to make them happen.
What made this a worthwhile endeavor wasn’t just the pain points I saw—it was the hope I carried. I knew I was offering something different: holistic, wraparound services that meet families where they are, speak their language, and honor their lived experiences. Whether it’s supporting a teen mom through her first birth or guiding a nonprofit leader on culturally competent service delivery, I combine clinical skill, community insight, and soulful advocacy.
This wasn’t just a business idea. It was a calling. A bold decision to stop waiting on systems to catch up and instead build something that centers people, heals trauma, and plants seeds for generational change.
I knew it would work because it was rooted in truth, and truth always makes room for transformation.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Hi, I’m Dr. Shauna Wallace — a Licensed Independent Social Worker, Birth Doula, Educator, and Founder/CEO of 3E Consulting and Training Solutions L.L.C. and 3E Affinity Incorporated. I’m also a proud mother of two incredible daughters who have been the fire behind every step I’ve taken. My life’s work is rooted in advocacy, equity, and healing—especially for those the system too often leaves behind.
How I Got Started
My path into this work wasn’t a straight line—it was a story of resilience. I earned my bachelor’s degree while raising my first daughter and completed my master’s while pregnant with my second. Later, I pursued a doctorate not just for personal achievement, but to create change from a seat at the decision-making table. I became a social worker because I saw how communities like mine needed culturally competent, heart-forward professionals who could navigate systems while also challenging them.
But I didn’t stop there.
After years of supporting families through mental health services, trauma recovery, and youth advocacy, I saw a persistent need for culturally grounded care at the very beginning of life—during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. That’s when 3E Affinity was born. As a certified birth doula with training in perinatal mental health, I expanded my work to include maternal health equity, birth support, and parent education—especially for Black and brown birthing people who face disproportionately higher risks in our healthcare system.
What I Do
Through 3E Consulting, I offer:
Training and workshops on trauma-informed care, DEI, ethics, and maternal mental health
Clinical supervision and organizational consulting for social service agencies
Program development and capacity-building for nonprofits and community-based orgs
CEU-compliant continuing education for professionals
Through 3E Affinity, I provide:
Birth doula services and emotional support throughout pregnancy, labor, and postpartum
Education on birth options, postpartum wellness, breastfeeding, and newborn care
Perinatal mental health support and referrals
Interactive tools like birth preference cards, digital birth plan boards, and pregnancy journals
Community outreach and advocacy around Black maternal health and infant survival
Together, these businesses create a wraparound model for support—from the delivery room to the boardroom. Whether I’m working with a nonprofit director, a new mom, a teen navigating the juvenile system, or a fellow social worker, I bring the same core values: education, empowerment, and elevation.
The Problems I Solve
I help people and organizations navigate trauma, systemic inequities, and service gaps—while building sustainable solutions that honor lived experience. My clients come to me when they’re overwhelmed by red tape, unsure how to connect with marginalized communities, or looking for guidance that doesn’t compromise cultural integrity.
I also help birthing people feel informed, supported, and powerful in a system that often silences them. From positive birth experiences to mental health healing, I walk with them every step of the way.
What Sets Me Apart
What makes my work different is that it’s rooted in lived experience, backed by evidence, and delivered with love. I don’t just offer services—I build relationships. I bring together my clinical background, doula practice, nonprofit leadership, and educational expertise to bridge the gap between systems and the people they’re supposed to serve.
I’m a positive disruptor—I challenge outdated norms while creating safe, affirming spaces for healing and growth.
What I’m Most Proud Of
I’m most proud of the impact—of watching a mother advocate for herself in the delivery room, a youth find their voice in court, or a burned-out provider rediscover their purpose through one of my trainings. I’m proud that I built this with my daughters by my side, showing them that legacy is built through love and purpose.
What I Want You to Know
If you’re reading this, I want you to know:
I see you.
Your story matters.
And whether you need a doula, a training, or a consultant who gets it—I’m here.
3E stands for Engage Educate, and Empower—and that’s not just a slogan. It’s a promise.
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
Managing a team and maintaining high morale is about leading with empathy, clarity, and purpose. Whether you’re working with doulas, clinicians, interns, or administrative staff, people thrive when they feel seen, supported, and valued.
Here’s the advice I’d give based on my experience:
1. Lead with Purpose and People First
Remind your team of the why behind the work—especially in service-oriented fields. When folks understand how their role contributes to something bigger, they stay more engaged. At the same time, remember that they are people first. Life happens. Grace and accountability can co-exist.
2. Communicate Often, Honestly, and Transparently
Clear communication builds trust. Create regular check-ins—not just for tasks, but to listen. When people feel heard, morale improves. Be honest about what’s going well and what needs adjusting, and invite feedback.
3. Celebrate Wins, Big and Small
Don’t wait for major milestones to celebrate. Shout out the quiet wins, the behind-the-scenes efforts, and the “I see you” moments. Recognition fosters connection and motivation.
4. Invest in Their Growth
Offer opportunities for professional development, cross-training, mentorship, and wellness. Show your team that their growth matters to you. Empowering others doesn’t just build morale—it builds loyalty and leadership.
5. Model What You Expect
If you want your team to show up with integrity, compassion, and consistency, you’ve got to embody those traits too. Leadership sets the tone.
6. Build a Culture of Psychological Safety
Create an environment where people can be honest about burnout, confusion, or mistakes without fear of shame or retaliation. This is especially important in trauma-informed spaces. Safety—emotional, physical, and relational—is foundational to morale.
7. Keep the Mission Alive
Especially in nonprofit and helping professions, burnout is real. Re-center the team in the mission regularly through storytelling, testimonials, and shared impact. Help them feel the difference they’re making.
At the end of the day, high morale doesn’t come from pizza parties or performance bonuses alone—it comes from belonging, purpose, and care. And when you lead with those values, you build not just a team, but a movement.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
When I think about resilience, I think about the very different experiences I had with the births of my two daughters. Both were life-changing, but for very different reasons—and together, they shaped not just who I am as a mother, but who I am as a professional, a birthworker, and a human being.
When I had my first child, I was surrounded by support. I had family nearby, friends who checked in, and a village that made sure I could rest, heal, and bond with my baby. I was young, still learning about myself and the world, but I never felt alone. That community wrapped around me like a blanket and gave me space to grow into motherhood.
But when I had my second child, everything changed.
I was pursuing my master’s degree, living in a new place, and doing it all—completely on my own. There were times my oldest had to attend classes with me, no car to get to practicum, no one to take care of me when sick or just sit in that space with me hold so I could sleep for more than 90 minutes in a restful state instead of survival mode. It was just me, exhausted and determined, trying to balance textbooks and pregnancy, assignments and being present for my oldest daughter.
The loneliness was real. The weight was heavy. And the world didn’t pause to make room for my reality. But even in those moments—when I cried silently between writing papers or rocked my baby while reading journal articles—I knew I had to push forward. Not just for me, but for her. For both of them.
That experience taught me the rawest form of resilience: the kind that grows out of necessity, out of love, out of fire. It showed me what it means to do hard things with no applause and no shortcuts.
And that’s why I show up the way I do now—as a social worker, birth doula, and advocate. Because I know how it feels to be held, and I know how it feels to hold it all alone. My work is rooted in making sure no one has to walk their journey unsupported. I want people to feel seen, equipped, and never invisible.
That chapter of my life was hard—but it built the foundation for the powerful, purpose-driven life I live today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.consult-3e.com
- Instagram: @3Eaffinity
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093170416283
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shauna-wallace-dsw-lisw-s-lcdc-iii-cctp-sap-aoip?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=android_app