People: Rachel Koszka
Photography by Sterling Analogue.
Name: Rachel Elizabeth Koszka (she/they)
Location: Occupied Duwamish Territory/Seattle, Washington
Who makes up your family? Myself, my partner Nick and our Australian Cattle dog Pike.
Occupation/ Business: I am a full spectrum doula, meaning I support folks throughout the entirety of their reproductive journeys. This includes supporting people during birth and postpartum, but also people who are experiencing pregnancy loss and people struggling to conceive. I’m especially passionate about supporting all humans with hormones as they navigate their menstrual cycles, regardless of gender identity or choices around childbearing. It’s important that doula care is not just reserved for folks having babies, but that anyone with a uterus can receive care and support.
What core principles / values inform your practice? While my work can be very practical and hands-on, I am slowly developing a style of support centered around the conversations that I have with my clients. This will look like asking them hard questions to engage with what they are feeling or experiencing, allowing them to express emotions that often remain hidden. I deeply value the role of the unconscious in my art and practice, the hidden desires and fears we can’t always voice. Cultivating room for the unknown to be explored with my clients is becoming one of the most exciting aspects of this work.
What are you currently working on? Since navigating the monthly hormonal cycle is such an important part of my work, I am collaborating with a good friend and fellow doula on a compilation of recipes that are cravings based and designed to support your hormones throughout the menstrual cycle. I’m also starting a personal project that will explore my relationship with the cycles of nature and how they interact with the phases of my hormone cycle over the course of a year.
What daily practices or rituals connect you with your centre? Most of my practices are very food centered! Checking in with my cravings throughout the day has become a tender daily ritual that develops my intuition around food and how it can nourish me physically/emotionally. My cravings also invite me to reflect on my inner world and the moods that I’m experiencing. It’s a very sensual process - deciphering my cravings, selecting ingredients and carefully handling them, implementing a variety of cooking methods, savoring the meal I’ve created. I find it all very sexy.
What does community mean to you? Community to me means accountability. I’m very fortunate to have a community of people who challenge and inspire me to think about things like gender and sexuality, anti-racism and social justice, and mental health in complex ways that constantly confront my privilege. I firmly believe that if my community doesn’t disrupt the way I view the world and my work, then I need to reconsider who I am including in my community. This approach is not just about receiving comfortable care from others, but about receiving radical care that is dedicated to advocacy and long term social change.
How does community care and self-care intersect for you? I think that self-care relies on the idea that you need to become an expert on self-regulating. While self regulation is an important tool, I’m learning that co-regulation from other people is equally important. Self-care that is not grounded in community care can easily promote a capitalistic/individualistic mentality. I love spending time by myself, often to a fault. Finding a balance between caring for myself so I can better care for others and pushing myself beyond my comfort zone when a need arises in my community is a balance that I’m always working on.
How has motherhood/ parenthood impacted your identity? The more I support clients through postpartum, the more I learn how much the experience pushes the edges of who you were and how you felt entering parenthood. The highs are so high, and the lows are so low. It’s a very expansive process, and one that I don’t take lightly. My partner and I talk often about the impact that becoming parents will have on our lives, and the ways we can prepare now. Lately, I’ve been feeling sad about how much will change when I do find myself on the other side of parenthood, especially in regards to my menstrual cycle.
What is something you're proud of? My ability to listen and not have all the answers
My cup is full when… I've had a nice, long soak in the bath. A hot spring after a long hike is even better!
I'm grateful for… How much people can change
Where can we find you (website, IG etc.)? You can find me on Instagram at @themoodydoula and through my website at www.themoodydoula.com
