Angelina Hudson is the Chief Executive Officer of NAMI Greater Houston, the local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. A mother of three and a mental health advocate, Angelina brings both professional expertise and lived experience to her work supporting individuals and families affected by mental health conditions.

Her journey with NAMI began 25 years ago as a mother seeking understanding, support, and resources for her own family. Over time, that connection grew into service as a volunteer, educator, trainer, staff member, and organizational leader.

Angelina’s “why” is deeply personal: helping families feel less alone, strengthening their confidence to advocate for loved ones, and ensuring that people know support is available. Through NAMI Greater Houston, she champions access to free family and peer education, support groups, resource navigation, and advocacy. She believes caregivers deserve opportunities to find connection, rediscover their strengths, and build hope alongside the people they love.

Angelina Hudson, NAMI Greater Houston

We will learn about the Whole Child Blueprint and the problems it solves for parents who are struggling with finding solutions for their children’s learning and behavioral challenges. The process of the WCB is simple and all virtual. It involves an initial step of a cheek swab (mailed to you) to gather the child’s genetic blueprint and then sitting down with Tracy and Heather to review two comprehensive reports. Tracy’s report will inform parents about their child’s genes and the details of how that genetic blueprint can actually tell us about their child’s focus, stress, mood, learning style, and much more. Heather’s report will take that genetic blueprint and interpret the information into a practical game-plan that the parent or teacher can use to make personalized and profound shifts in the social, emotional, and educational environments for the child.

Special gift for Whole Mother listeners – 15% off with the code WHOLEMOTHER that expires Nov 15, 2026. Visit heightsofhealth.com to learn more and sign up!

Tracy Wakefield Southwick, Naturopath, MBSR-MP, has dedicated over 30 years to the natural health field after overcoming a chronic “incurable” illness through natural therapies, a journey that ignited her passion for holistic healing. She founded Heights of Health naturopathic clinic in Houston in 2007. In 2019, she established the Mind Body Spirit Release® Academy, an accredited school training practitioners and health enthusiasts around the world in her proprietary emotional-clearing techniques.

Tracy is a cofounder and chief clinical officer at Illuminate Genetics, where she takes raw genetic data and creates highly specialized genetics reports. With her colleague, Heather Goodwin, she is a co-founder of TriVibrance (developer of EMF harmonizing products), a co-creator of The Whole Child Blueprint (a roadmap for your child’s success), and a co-creator of the powerful 6-week Manifestation course, Create The Life You Desire.

She is on the Clinical Advisory Board for CellCore Biosciences and Biocidin Botanicals and is a frequent guest on Fox 26 Houston, international conferences, podcasts, and wellness summits. Tracy continues to educate and inspire professionals and individuals alike to embrace authentic, mind-body-spirit approaches to health and self-healing. Her latest passion is using genetics to help people create their best life through managing their environment and lifestyle based on their unique DNA makeup.

Heather Goodwin, MA, HHP, MBSR-MP is the Director of Heights of Health Holistic Therapy Services and brings 35 years of experience in mental health, holistic healing, behavioral specialization and education. Her integrative, compassionate, whole-person approach blends mindfulness, behavioral science and energy medicine, with a focus on the mind-body connection, nervous system regulation, somatic work, and conscious goal manifestation. With her colleague, Tracy Southwick, Heather is a co-founder of TriVibrance (EMF harmonizing products), co-creator of The Whole Child Blueprint,and a co-creator of a powerful 6-week Manifestation Course, Create The Life You Desire. She is a co-creator of mindfulness and neuroscience based program for students called Present Time Kids. Heather is a master Mind Body Spirit Release® practitioner, an instructor with the Mind Body Spirit Release® Academy. Heather holds a Master’s degree in Education, is a Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner, and is a sought-after national speaker for over three decades. Guided by a lifelong calling, Heather supports adults, children, and families in weaving holistic wellness and personal transformation into everyday life, creating space to heal, grow, and thrive. Outside of her work, she loves trail running in the forest, practicing yoga and meditation, running a wellness-centered book club, and playing with her family in the natural beauty of her Oregon home.

Tracy Wakefield Southwick & Heather Goodwin

Our guest this week is Kathleen VanDegeissen, CNM, MN, founder of North Houston Birth Center. She will tell us the history of North Houston Birth Center and bring us up to date on the status of the practice. She will also share the advantages of using the practice and what you could expect. She will also share some recent changes in Medicare which may end the availability of this service to the community.

Certified Nurse Midwife since 1994, Kathleen VanDegiessen has been a Certified Nurse Midwife for nearly three decades, indicating her expertise in providing healthcare and support to pregnant women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period.

· Masters in Nursing 1995: Obtaining a Master’s degree in Nursing demonstrates a high level of education and specialization in the field of midwifery.
· Registered Nurse for 25 years: With 25 years of experience as a Registered Nurse, Kathleen likely gained a strong foundation in healthcare before specializing in midwifery.
· Worked as a staff midwife at Baylor College of Medicine for 4 years: Her work at Baylor College of Medicine indicates a dedication to providing midwifery care in a hospital setting.
· Started a Midwifery service at a small community hospital for 6 years: Her experience in starting a midwifery service at a small community hospital demonstrates her leadership and commitment to expanding midwifery care to underserved areas.
· Started a free-standing Midwifery service at North Houston Birth Center in 2005: Establishing a free-standing midwifery service suggests her entrepreneurial spirit and a commitment to providing women with alternative birthing options.
· Continues with full scope Midwifery: Kathleen VanDegiessen’s dedication to full-scope midwifery means she provides a wide range of healthcare services to expectant mothers, from prenatal care to delivery and postpartum care.

Her extensive experience, education, and career achievements suggest a passion for women’s healthcare and a significant contribution to the field of midwifery

Kathleen VanDegeissen, CNM, MN

Rayna Reid Rayford is the reigning Mrs. Black United States 2026 and Founder and Executive Director of Pregnant and Black, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to improving maternal healthcare experiences through personalized, non-medical advocacy.

Inspired by her own life-threatening pregnancy complication, Rayna is working to ensure pregnant and postpartum people are heard, believed, and supported. An attorney, former educator, and mother, she uses her national platform to champion maternal health, education, and community empowerment. She will tell us how and why she created Pregnant and Black and how this helps expectant and new mothers and how pregnant women can prepare for medical appointments, communicate their concerns, and advocate for themselves.

Rayna Reid Rayford

Dr. Valerie Akinwande is a Doctor of Physical Therapy with more than 14 years of clinical experience and the founder of PELAPY, a telehealth and concierge pelvic health practice that also offers community education and events. Dr. Akinwande holds advanced certifications in pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and pelvic health. She specializes in helping women navigate the physical changes of every life stage with confidence and clarity.

As a mother of three, Dr. Akinwande understands firsthand many of the challenges women face. Her personal experiences and years of clinical practice have fueled her passion for ensuring that women and girls feel informed, supported, and empowered—not dismissed or confused.

After witnessing many women struggle with unanswered questions, feeling uncertain about their own bodies, she founded PELAPY to make pelvic health education more accessible, honest, and empowering. Through her work, she helps women and girls understand what’s normal, recognize when something needs attention, and advocate for their health at every stage of life.

Dr. Valerie Akinwande – Pelvic Health & Recovery

Join us as we welcome Samantha Elizabeth of Missing Pieces, a Houston-based organization dedicated to helping families who have experienced miscarriage. Find out more about their plans for October, Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month.

Missing Pieces:
Need support after loss? Warm Line – 832-409-0002; Call or text — we’ll respond within 24
hours
General: 832-409-2389 | [email protected]
Website: https://missingpiecessupportgroup.org

Samantha Elizabeth of Missing Pieces

Members of the BIRTH Fair Leadership Team share what you can expect at the 22nd Annual BIRTH Fair.

Joining us on this week’s show:

Christine Diaz — Sponsor & Vendor Coordinator
Monisha Holley-Cherry — Community Outreach Coordinator
Natalie Guzman — Community & Spanish-Speaking Outreach Coordinator + Healing Arts Room Coordinator
Kiwasi Apeh — Volunteer Coordinator
Shay Wallace — Family Area Coordinator
JacQue Colson-Smith — Afua Hassan Midwifery Scholarship Raffle + Swag Bag Coordinator
Dr. Randy Holmes — Logistics Coordinator

We’ll give you a behind-the-scenes look at what we’ve been working on and why we’re so excited to welcome the Houston community back to BIRTH Fair!

BIRTH Fair will be held Saturday, October 3, 2026

10:30 AM – 4:00 PM

United Way of Greater Houston
50 Waugh Drive, Houston, TX 77007

BIRTH Fair Leadership Team

Our guest this week is our beloved co-host of Whole Mother Show – Debbie Hull who is a community Doula and a Cappa Leader and she is the BIRTH Fair Speaker Coordinator. She will tell us about the speakers for BIRTH Fair this year and more!!

Debbie Hull began learning about birth in 1996 after the birth of her first baby and has been serving Houston area families as a labor doula and childbirth educator since 1999. She was at the meetings way back when BIRTH was named and is very proud to have served in some capacity at every BIRTH Fair since the beginning. This year, she is the speaker coordinator and in her spare time attends births, teaches childbirth classes, and trains new childbirth educators and doulas for certification. Debbie is most proud to be the mother of two amazing formerly breastfed and homeschooled adults, the youngest of whom has been on a 25+ year nursing strike. When she is not working on her feelings about that, Debbie enjoys travel, movies, reading, and game nights, even when she looses

BIRTH Fair will be held Saturday, October 3, 2026

10:30 AM – 4:00 PM

United Way of Greater Houston
50 Waugh Drive, Houston, TX 77007

Debbie Hull, BIRTH Fair

Kirsten Nottleson, Parent and Teacher Educator/Consultant and Certified Hand in Hand Parenting Instructor. She will share with us the powerful Hand in Hand theory and techniques for healing and listening with ourselves and children no matter what their age. She will also share her upcoming classes (see below) and she will be speaking at BIRTH Fair from 2:00-2:50 pm and she will have a booth where you can talk with her in person.

BIRTH Fair will be held Saturday, October 3, 2026

10:30 AM – 4:00 PM

United Way of Greater Houston
50 Waugh Drive, Houston, TX 77007

Kirsten Nottleson, Hand in Hand Parenting

Whole Mother welcomes Moni Tang, M.A., Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Texas and Oregon, LMFT Supervisor in Texas, and Certified Perinatal Mental Health Professional (PMH-C) to introduce the Houston Moms Collective and discuss ways parents can set themselves up for success in their postpartum period.

Moni Tang, M.A.