About us

Read on to meet our team!

Dr. Abby Jorgensen is the founder and current director of Haven Bereavement Doulas. She works as an assistant professor of sociology and health care ethics at Saint Louis University in Missouri, USA, where she teaches and researches topics related to family sociology and methods with foci in health, politics, and culture. Dr. Jorgensen is also a doula and childbirth educator, specializing in birth and bereavement. She combines these two roles in her research and teaching on how to best support families through perinatal loss.

Dr. Jorgensen’s credentials include: Ph.D.(Sociology), HCBD, LCCE, CD(DONA), and CD(ProDoula). She is also a staff teacher at the Institute for the Study of Birth, Breath, and Death. You can learn more about her community work at abbythesociologistdoula.com and about her academic work at abbyjorgensen.com.

Julie McKay is the Creative Director of Haven Bereavement Doulas and one of our Instructors (Haven Certified Bereavement Doula training, fertility-related trainings). Her interest in women’s health began after she learned about the benefits of women charting their cycles. She then trained as a FertilityCare Practitioner, teaching women to track biomarkers to chart their cycles and gain insight into the workings of their bodies. She is a writer who focuses on women’s health, family, and theology. She also serves her community as the leader of a peer-to-peer babywearing group. She loves sharing babywearing with both moms and dads, so they can care for themselves while meeting the needs of their babies (and toddlers) and go on family adventures with greater ease. 

Julie is a Haven-trained Bereavement Doula. She lives with her family in Michigan. She holds a B.S. degree in Zoology. You can learn more about her at julierosemckay.com.

Dr. Carli Herzog is an Instructor (Haven Certified Bereavement Doula training) for Haven Bereavement Doulas. Dr. Herzog is an English Professor by training who specializes in the medical humanities. She leads the Behold Your Child Ministry for families experiencing perinatal loss at her parish and recently launched Everstead Path Bereavement Doula Services to serve the wider community both in person and online. She lives with her family in Iowa.

You can contact her at carli@eversteadpath.com.

TaKiesha Smith (she/her) is an Instructor for Haven Bereavement Doulas (Lactation after Loss), a passionate Neurospicy birth advocate, Certified Community Health Worker, and Certified Breastfeeding Specialist. Serving as the Indiana State Ambassador for Count the Kicks, TaKiesha is devoted to enhancing maternal health and advocating for equity. Through her company, Neuro Spicy Birth, she equips doulas with the skills to support neurodiverse families. TaKiesha’s mission is to ensure that every birthing experience is unique and that all families receive the highest quality support.

Br. Bobby McFadden, C.S.C., is the Community Facilitator for Haven Bereavement Doulas, and lives in Notre Dame, Indiana. His interest in grief work began when he first started reading the Roman philosopher Cicero and was moved by Cicero’s love for his daughter Tullia, whom he lost when she was young. Since that time, Br. Bobby has desired to bring his academic work to the community. For this reason, he now seeks to accompany authentically those who experience miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant loss as a Haven Trained Bereavement Doula.

Br. Bobby is also a Brother in the Congregation of Holy Cross. He teaches at Holy Cross College as Assistant Professor of Theology and Literature. His research focuses on friendship and grief in St. Augustine and Cicero. He loves teaching courses on Classical and early Christian literature. His favorite authors are St. Augustine, Cicero, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Flannery O’Connor. In his spare time, Br. Bobby loves reading, good conversation, traveling, writing poetry, and all things French! If you are interested in his research or need support in times of grief, please contact him at mcfaddre@gmail.com.