The Voyage Birth Team
Starting in 2027, Suzi & Donya will be working as a doula team
Suzi Livingstone (she/her)
Birth & Postpartum Doula
Prenatal Educator
Suzi was born at Lions Gate Hospital and grew up in North Vancouver. She had never thought much about birth until everyone around her started getting pregnant, and a dear friend invited her to be present at their birth. That day changed everything for Suzi, introducing her to what a beautiful, peaceful, transformative experience birth could be.
With a background in International Development and a love of living internationally, in 2013 Suzi moved with her young family to Cambodia. After two wonderful births of her own, she knew that she wanted to work with other people experiencing pregnancy and birth. After reading everything she could about birth, her dream of working with families came true. Her work started in Phnom Penh, where she provided emotional and educational support to expecting families and attended several births.
Having returned to North Vancouver in 2018, Suzi completed the Wise Women Way of Birth doula training. This experience gave Suzi more tools, a great community of birth workers, and a renewed passion for seeing all families have access to compassionate, informed, holistic support during pregnancy, birth, and the transition into parenthood.
Since then, Suzi has been working locally as both a birth and postpartum doula, supporting over two hundred families across the Lower Mainland.
Suzi is pleased to offer services in both English and French.
Qualifications:
Wise Women Way of Birth Doula Training, 2018
Wise Women Way of Birth Postpartum Doula Training, 2021
Additional Training:
Birthing Advocacy Doula Trainings course, “Racism & Privilege in Birth Work,” 2019
Evidence Based Birth course, “How to Help Families Get Evidence Based Care,” 2020
Birth Takes a Village course, “Miscarriage & Abortion Support,” 2021
Birth Takes a Village course, “Supporting Queer & Trans Families,” 2021
Britta Bushnell course, "Centering Your Client: The Expert in Their Own Life," 2023
Lesley Everest course, “Trauma Resilience for Doulas,” 2023
Brood Care course, “Addressing Anti-Fat Bias in Pregnancy and Postpartum,” 2025
Other Education:
Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, University of British Columbia, 2008
Masters of Arts in International Studies, Simon Fraser University, 2012
Donya Afzal Khani (she/her)
Birth & Postpartum Doula
Donya’s journey toward becoming a doula began long before she knew what a doula was.
In her younger years, Donya found herself living between two very different worlds. She was working nights as a bartender, while teaching yoga during the day, specifically supporting women who had experienced abuse. At the same time, she was studying psychology and searching for a path that felt more aligned with her values, her spirit, and the person she was becoming.
Working with women who had experienced abuse, as well as cancer patients, deeply shaped Donya’s understanding of healing, vulnerability, and the human spirit. These experiences showed her how much she wanted to dedicate her life to supporting women and families through some of their most vulnerable and transformative moments.
Then, one day at the bar, a fellow bartender suggested that she would make a wonderful doula. Something about that suggestion resonated with Donya. She began researching birth work, and before long, she knew she had found the path she had been looking for. Donya pursued doula training and left her job at the bar to fully dedicate herself to this new calling.
Donya also knew she wanted to learn beyond the classroom and the certificate. She wanted guidance, wisdom, and the opportunity to grow through real experiences. She was fortunate to find a mentor, Jill Colpitts , who supported her throughout her first year of birth work. Having Jill’s guidance as she navigated those early births gave Donya a foundation from which to grow, learn, and develop trust in her own approach.
Eventually, Donya began working independently as a doula, building her own practice and continuing to deepen her understanding of birth, healing, and the importance of compassionate presence.
Looking back, she can see how every part of her journey brought her here. Yoga taught her the power of breath and presence. Psychology helped her understand the complexity of the human experience. Working with women taught her the importance of creating spaces where people can feel safe enough to reconnect with themselves. And birth became the place where these parts of Donya could come together.
Qualifications:
Wise Women Way of Birth Doula Training, 2021
Wise Women Way of Birth Postpartum Doula Training, 2021
Other Education:
Vipassana Meditation Practitioner, 2017
200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training, Semperviva Yoga Studio, 2019
500-Hour Master Yoga Teacher Training, Gloria Latham, 2019
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, 2020-present
Hannah Addario-Berry (she/her)
Prenatal Educator
Hannah continues to teach prenatal classes with Suzi, while pursuing her music career
full-time as a cellist with the Vancouver
Island Symphony.
Katie Collins (she/her)
Co-Founder of Voyage Birth
Katie is continuing her birth work by becoming a midwife. She is currently in her fourth year of the UBC Midwifery program.
Olivia van Bommel (she/her)
Birth & Postpartum Doula
Olivia will be on maternity leave for 2027, as she grows her own family.