We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Esther Aliah a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Esther, appreciate you joining us today. How did you get your first job in the field that you practice in today?
My first training as a doula was in 2022. I felt called to the work, but found it difficult to get started after completing my training. The jump from talking about birth on zoom to actually attending one felt too scary. It took over a year, but I started getting an undeniable itch to actually do the work. I was still in my comfy job working for a large institution doing community outreach, but knew that I wanted to transition to doing healing arts and birthwork full time. Funny enough, my comfy 9-5 agreed to pay for me to do a yoga teacher training on their dime, in exchange for offering classes in the communities they served. I completed my 200 hour training and deepened my practice greatly. I started going to the studio I trained at weekly and building community in that space. One day I ended up overhearing someone having a conversation about birthwork and immediately inserted myself. Turns out one of my classmates was a practicing midwife. I told her my conflicting feelings about wanting to immerse myself in birthwork but being afraid and unsure about how to actually start. I tried to reason with us both and was adamant about not being “ready,” I’d rather assist another doula or shadow someone else first. She told me the only way was to just do it. She told me she’d start sending her patients my way, despite the fact I was completely resistant to the idea. A few months went by and every time I’d run into her I told her “please don’t refer anyone to me, i’m not ready.” She’d shrug me off and tell me to get over it. Eventually, I started to feel completely unfulfilled coasting at my job. I went for a walk with my dog, and prayed for a new opportunity and the strength to say yes. I prayed that I’d feel the fear and do it anyway. As I walked back in the house, the midwife from my yoga studio texted me in all caps “I have the perfect client for you and YOU CAN’T SAY NO” it was the clearest sign I’ve ever received. She connected me with a couple that was so gracious, kind, and understanding. We clicked and I attended my first birth a couple weeks later. Looking back on the experience allows me to find confidence within the fear. I still feel afraid all the time, but knowing that I’m living in my purpose and doing the work anyway gives me the strength to keep going.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a full-spectrum doula, healing artist, and community-centered practitioner originally from the Bay Area and now based in Los Angeles. My work is deeply rooted in my background in Black Studies and public health, where I first began to understand the structural disparities impacting Black maternal and infant health outcomes. That awareness, combined with my own ancestral connection to birthwork—my great-grandmother was a midwife—led me to this path.
I see birthwork as sacred, intuitive, and deeply ancestral. My approach is centered on helping clients reconnect with their inner knowing while also making sure they feel informed, supported, and empowered to advocate for themselves. I believe our bodies hold wisdom, and my role is to help create the conditions for that wisdom to be heard, trusted, and honored.
In addition to doula support, I offer a range of holistic healing services including reiki, breathwork, yoga, intuitive readings, and placenta encapsulation. My work often sits at the intersection of physical, emotional, and spiritual care—supporting people not just through pregnancy and birth, but through life transitions, stress, healing, and self-reconnection.
I’m passionate about making this work accessible. Whether that looks like low-cost services, community offerings, or simply creating spaces where people feel seen and safe, equity is at the center of everything I do.
What sets me apart is the way I blend evidence-based knowledge with intuitive and spiritual practices. I’m not just there to guide or inform—I’m there to hold space, to ground, to advocate, and to walk alongside my clients through some of the most transformative moments of their lives.
What I’m most proud of is the trust my clients place in me and the way my work continues to evolve into something bigger than just individual services. I’m just opened my first physical space that will serve as a hub for healing, creativity, and community—a place where people can access multiple modalities of care under one roof.
If there’s one thing I want people to know about me and my work, it’s that I lead with intention, care, and deep respect for each person’s unique journey. This isn’t just a business for me—it’s a calling, and it’s something I’m committed to growing in a way that stays aligned, accessible, and rooted in community.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
Compassion, intuition, and a self-care practice for sustainability. It’s extremely important to have a routine for spiritual hygiene when you do energy work or support people in working through trauma. Showing up for each client with attentiveness and compassion requires showing up for yourself with the same approach.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
Having an amazing team of mentors has significantly impacted my approach to the work. I have mentors that do very different work from one another which allows me to gain different perspectives and feel supported in my own approach.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://estheraliah.com
- Instagram: @estheraliah
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/esther-karpilow
Image Credits
Candace Reyes