When it came time for a childbirth class, my husband and I didn't want to do the all day option at…read moreour hospital or a 6 week course; we wanted something that focused on an unmedicated hospital birth and was more personal and concise. I found D'Andrea via a google search for natural childbirth classes in Austin and I'm so glad I did. D'Andrea traveled to our home for a private 4 hour class which was incredibly informative and hands on. We covered a lot on the body, what can be expected during labor, positions and support my husband can offer, the birthing process, etc. I'm due with my first baby next week and I know that the information, skills and techniques D'Andrea introduced us to, and practiced with us, will be crucial while I labor at home for as long as possible! Her class really made my husband and I feel more confident and empowered and ready for this experience. D'Andrea was personable, professional and knowledgeable and was always quick to respond to any emails. She also provided us with a few sample birth plans and additional resources after our session which have come in handy. We are not using a doula for the actual birth but if we were, it would be D'Andrea.

De'Andrea was an amazing teacher - compassionate, straight forward, patient and detailed. With…read moreour first child on the way, my partner and I were aiming to have a natural birth. De'Andrea educated us via her weekly birthing classes how to prepare for a natural birth but also to be emotionally prepared for various outcomes, because each labor is unique. My partner and I learned so much together and felt educated and sure about what we wanted because the knowledge De'Andrea provided empowered us to be our best advocates for this very special time in our lives. Because of the coping techniques I learned in De'Andrea's class , I was able to stay at home for 8 hours when labor started, and even let my partner sleep because I was informed and calm about what was happening to me during the early stages of labor. Also, after the classes were complete and right before I went into labor, I had emailed De'Andrea about a personal issue and she was so kind and helpful - she won my heart and our business forever : )

I am currently working with DTI and Tara Brookes to earn my labor and postpartum doula…read morecertification. I could not have found a better more dynamic organization to work with. Their 9 month program is empowering and inspiring as are the three founders Tara, Aimee & Gina. The group training was exceptional and their mentor program keeps me grounded. The business training that they give will ensure that I am not only a great doula but can run a successful business as well. I recommend DTI to anyone considering doula certification!

I trained as a Childbirth Educator in 2016, earned a certification, and as a Postpartum Doula in…read more2020 (wasn't able to complete requirements so I stopped). I asked for a discount so I could fulfil requirements in the future and it wasn't granted, I complained about the fact that their rules were too strict in times of pandemic and I was literally kicked out of Facebook discussion groups and learning platform on the spot (October 2020) even though my payment was active until December 2020. There's nowhere to complain about this now but it is important to mention that this company is money-centered in a field where the human aspect and specificities should be taken into account.

I just completed an Excel class here and was pleasantly surprised by the experience. The instructor…read morewas terrific as he led the class through all exercises for 8 hours. The facilities are first rate with easy parking, clean restrooms, and a nice break room with beverages, vending machines and a fridge for those who want to bring their lunch. I plan on taking other MS Office classes here and look forward to learning more.

I just completed an Excel 2007 Level 2 course at New Horizons. My employer does all computer…read moretraining with New Horizons so I was not exactly shopping around with training. The account manager working with my company was very friendly, even when I had to change my course date twice. I took what they call an Online Live course where the instructor was actually in New York and myself and the other students were at computer workstation at various New Horizons locations. I honestly wasn't thrilled with this setup because I had imagined being in a classroom with other students and an instructor that was physically there. The workstations had two monitors, one to display the instructors screen and one for my own Excel practice. Students can virtually raise their hand and type questions to the instructor, which many of us did. I actually ended up enjoying this setup because I was able to focus without a room full of people but also sneak a peek at my work email a few times. The instructor was terrific and tried to relate the course to how we could use these new skills in our jobs. I was fully prepared for 8 hours of boredom but now I want to take Level 3 in the future. My one complaint is that the headphones provided are uncomfortable. My ears hurt and I had a terrible headache by the lunch break. After lunch I figured out a way to put them on my face right in front of my ears with the volume turned to max and be able to hear without pain (and luckily no one was in the room to see this.) Bring your own headphones! Also, the classes have a course book but they didn't have a paper one to give me like they normally do. I got an access code for the online book but I'd rather have a paper copy for easy reference. In the course evaluation I asked to get one. If I get this I'll be thrilled and probably increase this to 5 stars!

Nothing but scamming people out here in the world and Electrician testing is one of them. Scheduled…read morea class and was told the class had to be rescheduled 4 days before the class was supposed to take place. Asked for a refund and they agreed but I never received a refund and they stopped messaging me back. Horrible people I would definitely stay away.

After having an issue with the delivery of my material. I received a message from Michael the owner…read morereaching out to me wanting to make it right. He understood my frustrationand and obviously wants his knowledge accessible to anyone who is willing to take it. I was shocked how nicely his material was put together. Very professional and very informative. You know right away everything you need is right here in front of you. He puts it in terms you can understand and then goes a step further and tells you why it is the way it is. I took one of his courses and really enjoyed how his teachings took the pressure off of test taking. I recommend his material to any fellow electrician...

We found Anya through the Central Texas Doula Association and she was the first doula we met with…read more My husband and I felt almost instantly that she was the doula for us! Her passion for her work, for mamas and babies, is contagious and so comforting -- we knew we would be in the best hands through the prenatal journey and birth of our first child. And we were right! Anya was there for us every step of the way. She dedicated herself to getting to know us, getting to know our worries, wants, and wishes. I loved preparing for the arrival of our little one with her -- she shared so much wisdom and made me feel at ease both physically and mentally (the one-on-one yoga session included in our package was such a nice treat!). We were so ready when the day arrived to deliver our baby! By day, I really mean days... Anya was with us through an incredibly LONG natural labor that ended at the hospital. (But we still delivered vaginally and I owe so much of that to her!) Our journey began at the Austin Area Birthing Center on Monday night and ended on Wednesday morning. She spent every minute of that time encouraging me, supporting me and my husband (literally, like physically supporting me), standing up for and reminding me of the things I wanted and needed, and helping us make some really tough decisions. She was basically like family to me for all those days. It was bittersweet to go our own ways at the end -- sad because she had just shared with us the most momentous occasion of our lives and that kind of connection is so real, but sweet because she needed to rest too!!! Could we have done it all without her? Sure. Would we have wanted to? Absolutely not. I cannot recommend Anya enough if you're looking for a little extra support through your own prenatal/birth/postnatal journey. She's a force. You'll get so much more from your relationship than you ever expected!! We sure did.

Anya is an AMAZING force. I interviewed several doulas, but I went with Anya because of her energy…read more-- she was the perfect balance of confident, non-judgmental, calm and wise. I wanted someone who would help prepare and support me through a natural birth, but who wouldn't judge me if I changed my mind in the end. I'll never forget the thing she said to me in one of our prep meetings that really put me at ease, "There IS something -- a position or a technique -- that will help bring you relief during birth. We'll practice some options now and when the time is here, we'll find the exact one that will work for you." And we did just that. I can say for certain that there is no way we would have been able to avoid an epidural without all the prep she did with me and my husband ahead of time and without her calm, supportive presence in the room. We met with her several times ahead of the birth and she was super thorough with us, never rushed the process and made sure that we as first time parents were as confident as we could be going into this. She lent us books we could peruse if we wanted, but honestly her guidance ahead of time was so thorough and we were so ready for the big day even without taking a formal birthing / breathing class. She even did a prenatal yoga class with me in my home a couple of weeks before our baby arrived. We also hired her for the placenta encapsulation -- it was wonderful having someone who already knew us well do that for us and we opted for her to do it at our home, which sounded strange to us at first, but she scoured the kitchen before and after and in the end, it was a really cool learning process!

Our daughter was entering her senior year of high school and ready to start applying to colleges…read more We had no idea how much the college application and admissions process had changed since we attended college. After attending an informational seminar at More Than a Teacher we decided to hire a college advisor to help us get through the college application process. After the 1st of five meetings, the advisor was very slow to respond to any of our voicemails or emails. It became apparent that we would not be able to get through the process in our remaining 4 sessions which were $250/hour. I could have upgraded to the 'unlimited' package to get additional help but I did not feel that this advisor would have my daughter's interests in mind irrespective of how much money we spent. I decided to pay a visit to my daughters school and talk with the school counselor in hopes of getting some direction. The schools don't typically endorse or recommend college advisors in the private sector but luckily I was able to get the names of a few private counselors that had previously worked in our school district. I reviewed their websites and proceeded to phone the first counselor... Carol Niemann. Wow what a difference! Not only had Carol just retired from my daughter's high school so she already had a huge advantage but she took the time to talk with me and understand our needs. We set up an initial consultation, free of charge, with my daughter to make sure it was a good fit. My daughter loved Carol and I realized that not only did she have a wealth of knowledge about college applications/admissions but she also knew how to effectively communicate with today's teenager. Carol was able to get my daughter through the application process and we successfully applied to 8 colleges. Throughout the process, Carol always responded to any questions we had and she was fabulous to work with. Without her help we would have had a lot of drama and fumbled through the process. We highly recommend Carol Niemann to anyone that is interested in having their student work with a college advisor that thoroughly understands the process and also cares about the individual.

This class was truly a life saver. My husband and I were clueless to most things being this is our…read morefirst child. Kristen really took the time to explain everything we needed and wanted to know. She is so personable and kind and easy to follow. It was an interactive class even though it was a private class. She kept us engaged and made me as a soon to be mom feel SO encouraged and empowered to feel confident about my birth plan. I now know that I can advocate for myself and I few great going into the birth! We also learned a lot about breastfeeding. This class was so worth it. Please take this class!!!!

My wife and I took two different childbirth classes. This class and one through our OB's…read moreoffice/hospital. Kristen's class was by far the better class. It covered much more than the other class, had much better explanations, and we'll actually be using info and exercises from this class during labor. Also, if you're interested in a natural birth at a hospital and avoiding a c-section or epidural, this class is a MUST. Kristen's class is like your best friend being a labor and delivery nurse tell you all sorts of insider secrets. She's also pretty hilarious, which was a big plus.

"The important thing is, the nurse I had for the last 8 hours of labor was AMAZING and didn't leave…read moreus until my daughter was born... she would also make a rad doula." ^ That's what I wrote about Maureen in my review of the hospital where I birthed my daughter in 2015. I didn't go into details in my review of the hospital, but I'll expand here: I had been in induction and (natural) labor for more than 24 hours when I had begun what were to be many hours of transition labor. I'd stopped listening to my husband. Maureen walked into our hospital room at the beginning of her shift, and her voice and demeanor got me back to reality and focused on delivering my baby. She managed to get a very difficult patient (me) to cooperate with relaxation and pain management options, calmly guided me through difficult contractions, and reassured me when she said, "I'm not leaving you until your baby is born." For those last eight hours of my labor, she was supportive and encouraging. Any new options were always presented clearly, and she laid out options, advantages, and disadvantages quickly (and so I didn't have to listen during a contraction!). It was a total change from the previous nurses I'd had. In terms of empowerment, there were two things Maureen did during this experience that definitely stand out. The first was when she confidently said, "You are having this baby by lunchtime." Up until that point, I had no idea what time it was, and didn't want to ask about a finish line. Once she told me the end was near, I became more focused on my role in completing labor. It was just what I needed to hear. The second thing was, after delivery, when she was pushing me in the wheelchair to antepartum, she spoke with me on the walk about the whole labor process. I asked her if I was really in transition for about 10 hours, and she confirmed it, and added, "You tell everyone that. You are an amazon." Those words were something I reflected on often in the next month as I transitioned into life with a newborn. I'm excited that Maureen is now available through Empowered Birth Austin. We are planning to have another child, and figured the chances were slim that we'd manage to snag Maureen as our nurse for a second delivery at the hospital. She will definitely be a part of my next pregnancy and birth experience.

I vividly remember the phone conversation we had a few weeks before my first son's due date…read more Maureen gave me tons of info about the birth process and tips for both me and my husband. I looked over all these notes again leading up to my second delivery, and she was also able to tell me how things might be different the 2nd time around. She was my go-to person to text with during the very confusing time when I thought I felt labor starting mere hours after my OB said it wasn't going to happen anytime soon (and baby did arrive later that night!). Also helpful for providing trouble shooting and advice when I thought I might be having mastitis/clogged duct. Maureen is extremely knowledgeable and caring, and I'd recommend her to anyone!