We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tina Harris. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tina below.

Tina, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

In 2017, I was pregnant with our first child, however at 21 weeks pregnant I went into preterm labor and was diagnosed with Incompetent Cervix, which is an early opening of the cervix prior to reaching full term. Our son was born extremely premature and unable to sustain life outside of the womb. The care and support I received during that labor experience from the medical staff was grossly lacking, and I wouldn’t wish any family to ever endure that experience. As I processed through my grief, I was inspired and determined that my son’s life would not be a memory of brokenness, rather I would create a legacy of love and transformation. I sought out Doula training – with its own share of ups and downs, triggers, and the Birth of our Rainbow Baby – I was able to complete my training in 2020. I combined this with my knowledge and expertise as a Physical Therapist and began supporting families virtually at the height of the pandemic with Doula support and care they deserved.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am a certified Birth and Bereavement Doula and Doctor of Physical Therapy specializing in Pelvic Health with a special interest in serving the perinatal population, which includes fertility, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum seasons of life. Since high school, physical therapy has always been a dream and goal of mine, however it wasn’t until I was in PT school that I even became aware of Women’s Health/Pelvic Health as a career option. As I explored the field, I fell more and more in love with it because it included all of the things I am passionate about. I love uncovering and talking about the taboo topics (call me a rebel), and I also realized how life changing providing this service is and its impact. Since pelvic health is so taboo in our society, not many people discuss it, and therefore suffer in silence not knowing there is help; and I want to bring that to light. In addition, I’ve always loved and been intrigued with the miracle of pregnancy and birth, and as a PT I saw that many providers are hesitant to treat folks during pregnancy due to the over-arching mindset of fear, restrictions, and unknowns. Once again, leading to pregnant people dealing with pains and discomforts that can be easily addressed and managed. In becoming educated, I find so much freedom and possibilities available for healing and well-being.

In 2020, I founded my organization Competent Heart in which I provide coaching and support to families by incorporating my passion for childbirth with my unique set of skills and holistic healing methods to help them LEARN to align body, mind, and spirit with their heart’s desires as they journey through the transformations of bringing forth and nurturing new life. Within our time together we embark on self-discovery with journaling and meditation practices, Pregnancy, Birth, and Postpartum education and preparation; as well as Pelvic Health education, resources, and evidence-based care. The depth and time that I spend with my clients is something rarely seen in the industry at this time, but I am committed to holistically serving my community in all aspects of their Being and growth. Each pregnancy, birth and parenting experience is a journey and results in a transformation of the parent(s) and they deserve to be fully supported, held, and heard throughout. This is especially true for my Black community as we are battling unacceptable Black Maternal Mortality rates in the US, and Georgia ranks as the worst state in the nation. There are multiple well-known factors contributing to this such as systemic racism, barriers to care, lack of resources and education, etc – and we are actively and consciously fighting against these elements. Studies are showing the work that I am doing alongside my colleagues are making a positive shift in the maternal health landscape.

As I move forward with Competent Heart I will continue to gear efforts and attention to maternal health, and include more educational pieces regarding Pelvic Health. Competent Heart will be known as a source of Maternal and Perinatal Pelvic Health Education, Advocacy, Community, and Empowerment (P.E.A.C.E.). The transformations I have been blessed to witness when people understand the foundational aspects of their body and well-being is amazing and inspiring, and I wish to bring that to more people on a wider scale. We truly have the power to prevent and improve our health outcomes, and I believe it begins with awareness and education.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

I was actually having this conversation with a friend a few days ago. After some thought, my answer is yes I would choose the same profession and specialty. I love the path that I am currently on. If I could go back, the only thing I would change is starting sooner with pursuing my dream specialty and current career/business path.

Although I knew I wanted to be a Physical Therapist since high school, I knew I loved pregnancy related care nearly my entire life, and I became interested in women’s/pelvic health in PT school, I didn’t quite know how to put this all together into what I have created. When I graduated PT school there were not many therapists in this specialty field in my area and I didn’t have the preparation to go right into it. After a few years and continuing education classes I gained the foundational knowledge, yet somehow I still didn’t believe in myself enough to do it. Instead, I decided to do travel PT work which afforded me the opportunity to work in a variety of settings across the country. I don’t regret this choice either because it added an additional layer to my experience and enhanced my ability to adapt to changes.

It wasn’t until I had my own pregnancy, birth, and postpartum story that I was able to fully see and experience the totality of impact that this work can have for other individuals and families; and that is when I chose to go full force into pursuing my dreams.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Probably like most people, 2020 was a pivotal year in life. In 2019, I committed to primarily focusing and working as a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist and was going through the certification process to become a Birth and Bereavement Doula. I completed my Doula coursework in April 2020 and was ready to open the doors to support expecting and Birthing families. Well of course the pandemic hit. Everything changed. Hospitals and birthing facilities were limiting the people that were allowed in the Birth space, and families were taking precautions of who and how much face to face interaction they would engage in during pregnancy and especially with their newborn child. The traditionally known role of Birth support being in-person, hands-on, up close and personal completely flipped.

We now had to rely heavily on virtual support while still providing the same level of education, comfort, interaction, intimacy, etc that being physically present provides. This is where my skills as a PT came in handy as we are trained and used to coaching people how and where to place their hands and move their bodies to accomplish a task. I was determined that although I could not physically be in my clients’ birth space, I would be available throughout their pregnancy journey, create that connection and intimacy, and prepare their primary support person as much as possible to do the things I would; especially during labor and Birth. This is when it dawned on me. That’s actually how it should be. Partners and chosen support people should be the ones providing the majority of the physical, mental, emotional support during labor and birth.

As a Doula, I take on the role of a guide and coach, but this is my client’s birth experience, it’s their family, and it is so much more powerful to have the partner be an integral part of the Birth story of their child. As I made this shift in the business and was then able to hear my clients retell their experience from their perspective, the degree of confidence, empowerment, pride, joy that oozed from them made my heart smile. The way they shared how well prepared they felt and were able to ask questions and advocate for themselves and their baby inspired me each and every time. Witnessing the transformation from being scared, uncertain, and timid to becoming strong, competent, intuitive parents was amazing. It was from this pivotal experience that I became even more aware of the power of education and preparation and how it fosters active participation in decision making, in having a voice, positive outcomes, and in life.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.chperinatal.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/chperinatal
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/chperinatal
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-harris-dpt/
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@chperinatal