there for you during life’s biggests moments
Doula - mentor - herbalist
I feel fortunate to have my roots deeply planted in the mountains of Western North Carolina. It is a privilege to witness the growth and cycles of this abundant landscape, as well as the blossoming of the families and doulas that I support!
About Evan
I come to doula work with deep care and intention, and a passion for advocacy and helping you see how powerful you truly are. Living in the mountains of Asheville for my whole adult life, I have a strong connection with the abundance that this land has to offer, as well as the community at large. As an activist, I strongly believe that everything and everyone is connected, and all of our actions impact one another and the earth. With the values of harm reduction, trauma-informed care, gender inclusivity, and a dedication to anti-racism work, I aim to create a safe and comfortable container for anyone who enters and feels excited to work together.
My work embodies a gentle yet strong core, deep listening, and intuition. It is my goal for you to feel safe, seen, and supported as the individual that you are throughout our time working together, whether I am your doula or your mentor. I know that there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to birthwork and teaching, and I do my best to meet each person where they are while ensuring that you walk away from our time together feeling completely WOW-ed by how much you learned and how cared for you felt!
Birth Support
As a full-spectrum doula, I am there for you during the BIG life moments that are often kept behind closed doors. I offer support as an abortion and loss doula, as a birth doula, and as a postpartum doula. I’ve been lucky enough to support over 200 families in the Asheville area, and bring a wealth of knowledge yet a humble and curious energy into your birth or beyond. No matter where you or your family members are on your path or how your experience unfolds, I am here for you.
Mentorship
Have you recently finished a doula training and aren’t sure what the next steps are? I’ve been there! Through my experience becoming a doula, I learned first hand what gaps need to be filled in the process of becoming a doula. The mentorship that I offer is non-judgmental, advocacy-focused, and tailored to meet your needs.
I offer both 1:1 mentorship and small group courses.
Mentorship is offered in person in Asheville & virtually for anybody anywhere!
Flower Essences
A flower essence is a vibrational remedy and is safe for everyone- pregnant people, babies, children, and even animals. Flower essences are gentle yet powerful, and tap in to your own essences to provide deep shifts to your inner self. Yes, they are woo woo and that’s part of why I love them! They’re a drop of magic that you can carry around with you in your pocket.
All essences in my shop are created by me- from flower to bottle. Each essence is created on the land where I live, on a sunny day with spring water.
A note for BIPOC
It is my mission to learn, listen, and provide reparations for the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) community. All of my services are available at a sliding scale for BIPOC, and I am also able to recommend and refer people to BIPOC healers both in Asheville and virtually. I strongly believe that healing work is anti-racism work, and they can not be separated.
Western North Carolina is Cherokee land. This fact informs my relationship with this landscape, my herbalism and harvesting practices, and my politics. I do not wild harvest herbs unless they are abundant and I have a relationship with that plant and it’s specific location.
A note on gender
I am a cis-gendered woman and use she/her pronouns. I aim to use gender-inclusive language when talking about birth work and plant medicine, I will always respect your pronouns, and I aim to create a safe space for gender non-conforming people within the birthing community. If you believe that you must have a vulva to be a woman, I am not the doula for you. If you are open to learning and am curious about what this means, I am always happy to have a conversation.
Honoring My Teachers
It is incredibly important to acknowledge those that came before us. I attended Warren Wilson College from 2008-2012, where I worked for a crew called RISE (resistance, intervention, safety, education) led by Kelly Kelbel. This is where I began to deepen my knowledge and do the work of teaching consent, working towards ending rape culture, abolition work, and crisis intervention work. During this time, I began volunteering as a hotline advocate for OurVOICE, the local rape crisis center, where I volunteered for 7 years.
I began my journey of connecting to plants and growing herbs at Red Wing Farm with Beth Trigg and Christopher Fielden in 2013. In 2014, I attended Terra Sylva Herb School and studied with Dave Meesters and Janet Kent. In 2014 I began working with the Open Umbrella Collective, an abortion doula collective that volunteered out of FemCare. In 2016, I trained with Chama Woydak and my birth doula journey with Homegrown Families began. I trained to become a postpartum doula with Jen Chandlee in 2018. I am currently enrolled in Aviva Romm’s Herbal Medicine For Women course to continue deepening my knowledge of herbs and women’s health.
I also attribute much of my knowledge to Beverly Holt, an elder and dear friend with who I began studying flower essences and homeopathy with at a very young age. In 2020 I had the privilege of supporting Bev through the portal of death and I am hoping to carry on her legacy of a healer, homeopath, herbalist, and flower essence practitioner. I also attribute much of my wisdom to my parents, Liz Gunn, who is an amazing astrologer and intuitive guide in the Asheville community, and Neil Cohen who made me who I am and taught me the true meaning of caregiving and family when I supported him through the final years of his life in 2022 & 2023.
