Helen Hunt
Helen Hunt (Co-Founder) is a qualified antenatal teacher (DipHE) and has many years' experience facilitating antenatal education.
She and Jo met when they were training and set up Birth Choices Worcestershire to provide accessible and affordable antenatal classes to local parents.
Helen also works as a midwife, has two children and lives in Pershore.
Along with Jo, she develops and runs two community websites that support pregnant and new families voluntarily.
Jo Lederer
Jo Lederer (Co-Founder) is a qualified antenatal teacher and transition to parenthood practitioner (DipHE) with several years' experience teaching antenatal and postnatal courses and supporting local mums and dads as they become parents.
She has a BA (Hons) in Psychology & Sociology and has undertaken further training and continuing professional development (see below) in infant development and maternal and infant mental health.
She has previously worked as a postnatal wellbeing support worker within Early Help.
As part of her commitment to safe practice, Jo receives regular clinical supervision for her work within Becoming Families.
Jo is a mum of 3 and lives in Worcester.
Cathy Green
Cathy Green has been a qualified antenatal teacher (DipHE) for many years and an experienced midwife working in a birth centre and homebirth team.
She is also a qualified Birth Trauma Resolution Practitioner. This therapy provides relief from the symptoms of birth trauma in as little as one to two sessions.
Cathy is passionate about supporting women and their families to have a positive and empowering experience of pregnancy, birth and the early postnatal period.
She is a mum to two teenage daughters and lives in Worcester
Lynn Ratcliffe
Lynn Ratcliffe has been teaching parents-to-be with the NCT, Birmingham Women's Hospital NHS Trust and Birth Choices for the last 10 years.
Lynn also teaches NCT Relax, Stretch and Breathe classes in Worcester and Evesham.
She is passionate about helping parents to explore their ideas and to get the birth they want and absolutely loves facilitating groups on their journey to parenthood.
Lynn has 3 children, lives in Evesham and works part time for the NHS in Worcestershire
Kate Mason
Dr Kate Mason is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist with over 10 years experience working in the NHS and the private sector. Kate supports children, young people and their families drawing on psychological therapy to help clients gain a better understanding of mental health difficulties. Kate has a particular interest in maternal mental health.
Kate has a BSc in Psychology and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, along with a colleague she runs Roots Psychology Group based in Worcester and delivers mental health awareness courses and parent training programmes as well as offering support in schools.
Prior to having her own Private Practice Kate worked in CAMHS for 8 years and was a member of the Neurodevelopmental assessment team
Kate is a mum of 2 boys and lives in Worcester.
Lara Mitchell
Lara Mitchell is a qualified Hypnobirthing Instructor, Baby Massage teacher, Birth Doula, Postnatal Practitioner and student midwife. Her whole career has been dedicated to working with babies and their families and she is committed to supporting women and their birth partners with having a positive birth experience, where they feel confident, informed and excited!
Lara lives in a village outside of Worcester with her two teenage boys and Molly their cockerpoo. She runs Lara Mitchell Pregnancy, Birth, Beyond, and has recently achieved her degree in Birth and Beyond with the NCT at the University of Worcester.
Jo's Qualifications and Training
BA(Hons) Psychology & Sociology The University of Sheffield
Dip(HE) Antenatal Education/Transition to Parenthood The University of Bedfordshire
Certified Birthlight Teacher in Yoga for Maternity
Certificate of Training in Nurturing Baby Massage, Birthlight
Certificate of Training in Birth Preparation, Birthlight
NVQ3 Children's Care, Learning and Development
Infant Mental Health Online Certificate Warwick Medical School
Infant Mental Health and Development Foundation Program The Wonder Weeks Academy
Maternal Mental Health E-learning Institute of Health Visiting
Postnatal Depression Training (level 4) Be Ready to Parent
Counselling Skills for Non-counsellors (level 3) Relate
Pregnancy loss and the death of a baby SANDS training
Pregnancy and Infant Loss: the Ultimate Bereavement The Foundation for Infant Loss
Certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Institute of Counselling
Attachment Theory OXPIP
Watch, Wait and Wonder OXPIP
Emotional Regulation in Pregnancy OXPIP
Assessing Parent Infant Relationships OXPIP
Ghosts in the Nursery OXPIP
Brazelton Newborn Behavioural Observation Practitioner, The Brazelton Institute
ITSIEY: Early Intervention Skills to Enhance Parent-Infant Relationships Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families with the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust
Helen's Qualifications and Training
BSc(Hons) Midwifery The University of Worcester
Dip(HE) Antenatal Education/Transition to Parenthood The University of Bedfordshire
Pregnancy loss and the death of a baby SANDS training
Safeguarding Adults, Safeguarding Children
Adult and Neonatal Life Support