Who is founder/facilitator, Jackie Kelleher?

This is a big deal for me. Ever have that sensation that things are clicking into place? That’s me right now. 

For more than thirty years, my life has focused around two seemingly disparate passions. The most obvious is family, raising my own four children while professionally supporting thousands of families as a birth and postpartum doula, educator, and doula trainer. I founded and operated a resource center for the childbearing years called BirthMark. There I hosted five support groups every week. I wrote a book called Nurturing the Family. 

As you might guess, my life has focused around women. Specifically, standing alongside them as they find their strength—both physical and other—and strive toward things they perhaps never imagined they could accomplish. 

About 25 years ago, I began studying martial arts. I studied Kenpo karate, Modern Arnis, and Krav Maga. I earned a third-degree black belt and the title Sensei. I started teaching self-defense to children. I focused on the girls. “Look how strong you are, Phoenix!” “You’re so powerful!” I used building words. I planted seeds. But I noticed.

Getting those same girls to put power into their voices and shout out, “KIAI!!!”, their sound of power and warning, was often painful. They would not yell. Sometimes the little 5-year-olds would. But the 12-year-olds? It was so rare.

I thought of all those teeny newborns I’d known. Those girls weren’t quiet. And their mothers in labor? They weren’t quiet either. 

My life evolved. I made choices that followed everything I learned by watching my mother and grandmother. Then I started making choices that were in direct conflict with my upbringing. I pushed through. Usually, I’m proud of my choices. Sometimes I falter. 

I gave my first presentation on this subject in front of 400 doulas almost twenty years ago. Back then the word boundaries was unfamiliar to some. Perhaps not the word, but the experience. I built it into every doula workshop. I facilitated exploration with women at local shelters. I yearned to turn this into my work. Still self-defense, but the kind that comes into practice in daily life because as we know, rape and violent crime by strangers are far from the only dangers we face as women. The idea was not welcomed at my dojo. I moved on.

Recently a young woman known through my circle of friends was raped. By a “friend”. In her own home. Statistically, that’s where women are the least safe—did you know that? I did, but it’s still shocking to hear. Every time. 

Like every woman, hearing the story makes me ill. Relating to the experiences, the ripple effects. You don’t need me to explain. You’ve lived it. Or you’ve lived the ripples. 

I loved and appreciated my life teaching physical self-defense. There’s plenty of that out there, though. There’s almost none of this. So here I am with my suggestion, my offering. I am by no means a person with the answers. I don’t know them. I don’t always live them. My experience is a practice, like everyone else’s. 

What I bring is a collection of information. Patience. Comfort in meeting people where they are and standing alongside without judgment as they experience their lives and choices in their own way. I bring community-building. I bring passion and respect. 

Please, reach out. I can't wait to meet you, to engage, grow, and learn alongside you.