Before I became a doula, I have done lots of different things, many of which have helped me acquire skills that come in handy in my current occupation. Here are some examples:

 

I started out as a medical student, and acquired a good foundation of medical knowledge, which enables me to easily understand, explain / translate and question procedures.

 

I specialized in cultural and gender studies, and become (more) aware of how society approaches women and their bodies.

 

I traveled and worked in South-America and Europe, thereby acquiring a good to excellent level of English, Spanish and French, and basic knowledge  of Portuguese.

In Argentina and Paris, I learned to dance tango, becoming skilled in body work, in subtle following and leading.

 

Back in The Netherlands, I trained to become an energy healer and developed intuition, deep listening skills, self-love, compassion and a fierce respect for my clients' choices and decisions.

 

I also trained as a professional clown, in Ibiza, which, I think, has made me grow into a person who is very open, inclusive and non-judgemental.

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During the first years of working as a doula, I trained as a relationship coach and a systemic coach, so as to better be able to support couples; and to gain more insight into family dynamics and how they may effect the birthing process (and vice versa).