Event
Presentations
Presentations about motherhood, wellness, and mom’s self-care will be happening throughout the event. We recommend that you look at the speaker schedule (coming soon) to see which topic(s) you would like to see.
View the presentation topics and speaker bios below.
Speakers & Topics
Topic
Postpartum Body & pelvic Health
Have questions about your postpartum body and pelvic floor? Join Melissa as she explains, normalizes, and dispels myths about five common symptoms after baby; incontinence, prolapse, diastasis, pain with sex and a body that feels foreign.
Speaker
Melissa Dessaulles, Physical Therapist
With 15+ years experience as a physiotherapist, Melissa’s mission is to help clients adopt a proactive approach to their pelvic health so they can feel empowered as they weather the changes that come with aging, pregnancy, childbirth, menopause and living an active lifestyle.
Host of the pelvic floor project podcast.
Topic
The Good Enough Mother
In a world where parenting often feels shaped by pressure, comparison, and impossible expectations, many mothers are left wondering whether they are doing enough or “getting it right.” But what if children don’t actually need perfect mothers? This engaging and compassionate presentation explores psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott’s influential concept of the “Good Enough Mother” and how modern attachment and developmental research continues to support the importance of connection, repair, and ordinary caregiving over perfection. We will also reflect on the value of maternal instinct and the often-overlooked wisdom that can emerge through attunement, presence, and knowing one’s own child over time. Together, we’ll explore how children grow through safe relationships, why mistakes and repair matter, and how self-compassion may be one of the most important gifts a parent can offer both themselves and their child. Grounded in research yet accessible and relatable, this talk offers reassurance, insight, and practical reflection for mothers navigating the realities of parenting in today’s world.
Speaker
Dr. Zoe Sehn, RCC, CCC
Dr. Zoë Sehn holds a PhD in Counselling and Psychotherapy. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor, a Canadian Certified Counsellor, and a maternal mental health specialist. She is also a mother to two small children.
Her business, Hopeful Pathways Counselling, is a mental health service dedicated to all aspects of creating families, which emerged from her own experiences and an inability to find the support she needed.
Topic
Staying Partners, Not Just Parents: Protecting Your Relationship While Raising Kids
Parenthood can shift even the strongest relationships. This session explores why connection often gets lost in the demands of raising kids—and how to rebuild it.
Learn research-backed strategies, including insights from John Gottman, to improve communication, reduce conflict, and strengthen your partnership through small, meaningful habits.
Walk away with practical tools—and one simple action you can start immediately—to feel more connected and supported in your relationship, even in the busiest seasons of motherhood.
Speaker
Cheryl Koressel, RMFT, RCC
Cheryl Koressel is a Registered Marriage and Family Therapist and Clinical Counsellor with over seven years of experience supporting children, adults, and families. Based at Lakeside Clinical Counselling in Kelowna, BC, she is known for her warm, relatable, and professional style.
Her work integrates CBT, mindfulness, and a systemic lens to support concerns such as anxiety, depression, neurodivergence, relationships, and life transitions. As a speaker, she translates psychological concepts into practical, actionable tools that empower lasting change.
Topic
Fueling Motherhood: Practical Nutrition for Energy, Health, and Everyday Mom Life
Motherhood is demanding, but your nutrition does not have to be. Join two registered dietitians for practical, realistic strategies to support steady energy and overall health at all stages of motherhood. Learn how to build balanced meals, simplify snacks and meal planning, and cut through common pregnancy and postpartum nutrition myths so you can nourish yourself and your family with confidence.
Speakers
Intuition Dietitian Corp.
Joelle Davidson, RD
Joelle Davidson is a Registered Dietitian and Intuitive Eating Counselor helping women and families build peaceful, sustainable relationships with food. She founded Intuition Dietitian Corp., a group dietitian practice offering personalized, inclusive, evidence-based nutrition care. Joelle supports moms at all stages, from preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum to starting solids and raising intuitive eaters, helping both moms and kids feel confident in their food choices. As a mom of two young children, she understands the challenges of nourishing yourself through all seasons of motherhood and focuses on practical strategies that fit real life.
Toni Vandenbrink, RD
Toni Vandenbrink is a Registered Dietitian and first-time mom to a wonderful baby boy. She specializes in helping women overcome binge eating/overeating and heal their relationship with food & their bodies. She is also passionate about simplifying nutrition for women during pregnancy and postpartum.
Topic
Beyond Sleep Training: Supporting Families First
Sleep is one of our most basic human needs, yet for many moms, sleep can feel impossible to prioritize. In this honest and encouraging conversation, Kerissa Connolly, The Mama Coach, explores the realities of maternal sleep, self-care, and the pressure surrounding sleep decisions. This session will also dispel common sleep myths, provide a simple overview of children’s evolving sleep needs, and help parents better understand what is developmentally normal at every stage.
From co-sleeping to sleep training, changing sleep needs to sleep transitions and everything in between, this presentation offers a judgment-free perspective rooted in choice, flexibility, and what works best for each family. Moms will leave feeling seen, supported, and empowered to make sleep decisions that care for both their children and themselves.
Speaker
Kerrisa Connolly - The Mama Coach, RN
Kerissa Connolly, The Mama Coach, is a Registered Nurse and mom of two who is passionate about helping families navigate sleep with confidence, flexibility, and without judgment.
Through both professional experience and motherhood, she understands the challenges sleep can bring at every stage of childhood. Her work focuses on maternal well-being, realistic sleep expectations, and empowering families to make sleep choices that work best for them.
Topic
Beyond the Birth Plan: Preparing for Early Parenthood
Birth is just the beginning. While many parents spend months preparing for labour, few prepare for the realities of the early postpartum period. Join birth doula and prenatal educator Kristin Eapen for a conversation about what really helps families thrive after baby arrives. Learn practical ways to prepare for the fourth trimester, build a strong support system, set realistic expectations, and navigate the transition into parenthood with confidence.
Speakers
Kristin Eapen, LCCE, CD(DONA)
Kristin Eapen is a certified birth doula, Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator, grief and loss coach, and the founder of Nurtured Nest in Kelowna, BC. As a mother of three, Kristin combines professional expertise with lived experience to provide evidence-informed, compassionate support throughout pregnancy, birth and the early postpartum period. In addition to supporting families one-on-one, she teaches childbirth education classes that help expectant parents feel informed, prepared, and confident as they approach birth and the transition into parenthood. Kristin is passionate about creating spaces where families feel supported, seen and heard.