Our Team of Midwives in Phoenix
Alyssa Johns
Alyssa's Story:
When I was a teacher one of my students looked at my pregnant belly and said, “My mom had my brother in a hot tub!” Shocked yet intrigued I got to know her mom who was a doula and a childbirth education teacher. I became immersed in home birth stories and was surprised that birth could look peaceful, calm, cozy, and homey. I then questioned why I would want to labor and give birth in a sterile hospital with machines beeping and tubes everywhere if I could stay home. I took her HypnoBirthing classes which completely transformed my mindset around birth and what it can be. The only birth options I knew were of what society portrayed, which was as a scary emergency and it usually does not need to be that.
So I had a home birth with my son and it was beautiful. It was hard work, but peaceful, supported, and calm. I felt so amazing and strong and it affected how I viewed myself as a woman. I didn’t know I could tap into so much raw power. I was proud for following my heart and going against the grain to do what felt right. I was no longer afraid to follow my instincts regarding any circumstance. Choosing to birth at home was the most empowering thing I had done. And learning to trust my body and my instincts changed me completely.
It revealed to me why birth is so sacred... it’s a becoming.
Alyssa became a doula & HypnoBirthing instructor in 2012 and has been a midwife since 2017. Before that she earned a Bachelor's in Education and a Masters in Education in Curriculum and Development, serving for 10 years as an early child hood educator and curriculum developer.
If you want to read about the powerful birth of Alyssa's daughter, check it out here:
Mia's Birth Story
Interviews with Alyssa Johns:
All About Breastfeeding Podcast- Episode 305
Moms on High- Hyperemesis Gravidarum Podcast
Moms on High- Video Link
Interview with VoyagePhoenix
Director & Founder- Alyssa Johns, LM, CPM, MEd
Masters in Curriculum & Instruction, Certified Professional Midwife, Licensed Midwife, Certified Integrative Trauma Coach, Certified Childbirth Educator, Certified Master Reiki Practitioner
Alyssa founded Aurora Midwifery in 2017. She is dedicated to midwifery work because she knows how your confidence is directly affected by your pregnancy, birth and postpartum experiences. She provides education and care because you deserve to know you have options and be empowered to make the decisions that are best for you and your child.
She believes fiercely in supporting other midwives so that this important work can be sustainable. Building a team of midwives was important to her in providing the best care from rested, balanced, and supported midwives. She believes multiple minds and hearts taking care of families are better than one.
Lexi Gonzalez
Office Manager- Lexi Gonzalez
Lexi joined the Aurora team in 2022.
If you’ve called our office, chances are the kind and helpful voice you heard belongs to Lexi. As our office manager, Lexi brings warmth, clarity, and exceptional communication to every interaction. She has a true heart for supporting families and has gained an incredible depth of knowledge about pregnancy and birth through her work with our team.
Though she recently relocated to Oregon, Lexi remains an essential part of our practice—keeping things running smoothly behind the scenes and being the first point of contact for many of our clients. She’s quick to answer questions, offer reassurance, and make sure families feel cared for from the very beginning.
When she’s not working, Lexi enjoys relaxing with her husband Juan and their two dogs, heading outdoors for camping or off-roading adventures, and soaking up all the beauty the Pacific Northwest has to offer.
Lisette Peña
Midwife- Lisette Peña, LM, CPM
Certified Professional Midwife, Licensed Midwife, Certified Childbirth Educator, Spinning Babies Aware Practitioner, Prenatal Yoga Instructor, Certified Reiki Practitioner, Licensed Hypnotherapist, Craniosacral Fascial Therapy Practitioner
Lisette joined the Aurora team in 2020
Lisette's Story:
Lisette was the doula and childbirth educator mentioned in Alyssa's story. She has been a huge inspiration for many in the Phoenix area birth community for over a decade. She has five beautiful children, and their births are as varied as they come. Her first was born in the hospital, her second was born via c-section, and her three sons were born at home in the water. She has served families in many capacities and continues to serve now as a midwife.
Lisette has been attending births since 2004. She uses her training and experiences to empower women to learn about their bodies and teaches them how to tune in to what their bodies are communicating through changes, pain and emotions. She incorporates multiple modalities in her teaching and coaching of women to include movement classes, hypnotherapy, and yoga. She has her BA in Social Work and has offered Doula support to over 300 families. She is a licensed real estate agent and continues her service to families by assisting them with all their real estate goals. She finds her work with women, families, and real estate to be beautifully intertwined and feels honored to be able to help families with such significant and important experiences within their lives.
Dwan Price-Katz
Midwife- Dwan Price-Katz, LM, CPM
Certified Professional Midwife, Licensed Midwife, Certified Childbirth Educator
Dwan joined the Aurora team in 2021.
Dwan began her journey in birth work as a birth doula in 2019, expanding her support to include postpartum care in 2021. That same year, she embarked on her midwifery path through the traditional apprenticeship model, training alongside experienced homebirth midwives across Arizona. In 2021, she joined the Aurora Midwifery team as a student midwife, where she deepened her clinical skills and community-based care experience.
Dwan became a Licensed Midwife in 2023, certified through the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) and licensed by the Arizona Department of Health. Her qualifications also include certifications in CPR and Neonatal Resuscitation.
Outside of midwifery, Dwan is a passionate foodie who enjoys discovering new flavors-from a perfectly brewed coffee to a thoughtfully crafted cocktail. She is the proud mother of young adult twins and shares her life with her husband, Aaron, the love of her life.
Mona Ziems
Midwife- Mona Ziems, LM, CPM
Certified Professional Midwife, Licensed Midwife,Certified Childbirth Educator
Mona joined the Aurora team in 2020.
Mona's Story:
Mona was born and raised in the heart of the Southwest, Santa Fe, New Mexico, to a rug merchant and statistician. There she grew up in a culturally diverse and eclectic community. It is Mona’s sincere belief that the impact of birth extends beyond a single moment and directly relates to the spiritual, social and emotional health of the woman and her family—influencing the well-being and progress of society at large. She has been attending births in varying capacities for well over a decade.
Beyond a love of all things birth related Mona enjoys immersing herself in the natural beauty of deserts, forests and anywhere near water. She is an avid reader and podcast listener, and great lover of a quality shot of espresso. In February 2019 Mona welcomed her first child into the world, who was born in the water at home.
Stephanie Mitchell
Midwife- Stephanie Mitchell, LM, CPM
Certified Professional Midwife, Licensed Midwife,Certified Childbirth Educator, Spinning Babies Trained, Breech Without Borders Trained
Stephanie joined the Aurora Team in 2022.
Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and spent years working as a personal trainer before starting her family in 2016. In 2020, a season of change led her to train as a doula—and in that journey, she discovered her deep passion for walking alongside families through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. By 2021, she was sharing her knowledge as a childbirth educator and has continued teaching with Dare to Birth.
Stephanie is the proud mama of three amazing kiddos. Her first was born in a hospital after a planned birth center birth turned into a hospital induction. Her second arrived at a birth center, and her third was born powerfully at home in the water in 2023. Each of her births shaped her path and deepened her commitment to birth work.
Inspired by her first home birth experience as a doula, Stephanie began training as a midwife in 2022 with Aurora Midwifery. She feels incredibly honored to support growing families and believes every birth is a powerful, transformative experience. She is grateful to be able to continue supporting Aurora families as a midwife after completing her training in early 2024.
Kaylee Craig
Birth Assistant- Kaylee Craig
Certified Childbirth Educator
Kaylee joined the Aurora team in 2021.
Kaylee’s calling and passion is to offer families a sacred and healing birth experience through holistic wisdom and evidence-based care.
She has known she wanted to be involved in the birth field since she was young, but really started to dive into it all after she had my first baby 11 years ago. She sees birth as an empowering and spiritual experience.
When she’s not attending births, she loves spending time with her family- her husband Brandon and their 4 cute kiddos, cooking homemade meals, and listening to podcasts of all kinds (birth of course, parenting, and she’s a crime junkie)! She loves art in all forms, enjoys crafting with her kids and is an eyelash technician.
Michét Hicks
Senior Student Midwife- Michét Hicks, LMT
Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Doula
Michet joined the Aurora team in 2023.
Michet is a labor doula, Licensed Massage Therapist, and dog mom! She grew up in Spokane Washington and moved to Phoenix in summer of 2016.
In 2020, she became a Licensed massage therapist and started Love your Soul Massage, LLC. In massage school she learned about doulas and knew immediately that job was for her. The advocacy, the emotional support and the education bring her so much joy. In 2022, she was honored to join the Cherry Blossom team as a labor doula.
Over the last year through prayer and attending countless births she has been drawn to learning more about Midwifery care and leaning into this role.
Kathy Lott
Senior Student Midwife- Kathy Lott
Certified Doula, Fluent in American Sign Language
Kathy joined the Aurora team in 2024.
Kathy is a mother of 4, mother-in-love to 2 bonus sons, Grammy to 1, and “Mama Lott” to many. These are, by far, her most treasured titles.
She is also an Arizona native, lover of the sun and the sea, connoisseur of cheese, florist by trade, 20 year veteran homeschool/homestead mama, teacher, birth doula, birth assistant, placenta encapsulator, and she is fluent in American Sign Language.
Each of her four births unfolded in very different and difficult journeys in which she did not have a midwife. In fact, she navigated 5 pregnancies, 4 births, 1 loss, and the depths of postpartum without the care, love, wisdom, nurturing, or support of any woman in her life. These rich and challenging experiences awakened in her a deep and sacred passion for birth work, and ultimately, an intense call to midwifery.
Serene Augustain
Junior Student Midwife- Serene Augustain
Certified Lactation Counselor, Certified Birth and Postpartum Doula, Trained in Perinatal Mood Disorders and Loss & Bereavement, Certified Personal Trainer
Serene joined the Aurora team in 2025.
Serene has a passion for reproductive health and improving maternal birth outcomes. She loves supporting families mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually as they transition into parenthood. She makes it a priority to bring deep intention and care into the birthing space, ensuring you feel heard, understood, and supported every step of the way.
She loves being outdoors—hiking, camping, or exploring nature. She is also an artist and spends her free time painting and creating. She cherishes time with loved ones and takes every opportunity she can to travel. While she stays active, she also enjoys a cozy day watching her latest binge-worthy show with her favorite snacks.
Sara Bolson
Naturopathic Doctor- Sara Bulson
Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine
Sara Bulson, ND is a licensed naturopathic doctor in Arizona with a strong passion for supporting families through all stages of life—including pregnancy, postpartum, and early childhood. Her journey into natural medicine began as a licensed massage therapist, where she often felt a deep desire to offer more comprehensive support to her clients. This passion ultimately led her to discover the healing philosophy of naturopathic medicine.
She earned her undergraduate degree from Colorado State University Global and went on to receive her Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine (ND) from the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in 2021.
Dr. Bulson is dedicated to supporting family health, with a strong emphasis on emotional well-being. She believes in the body’s innate ability to heal and the restorative power of nature. During her medical training, she developed a deep appreciation for homeopathy and now integrates it alongside a variety of treatment modalities, including hydrotherapy, Pranic healing, and acupuncture to create personalized care plans for her patients.
Outside the clinic, Dr. Bulson enjoys life in Arizona with her husband, two children, and their beloved dogs, Arch and Auggie. She treasures quality time with loved ones, whether that’s playing board games, tackling puzzles, or simply savoring a quiet cup of coffee with her husband.
