Meet Nurturely: Kyndl

As part of our relaunch we are highlighting our staff, volunteers and board members. Next up: Kyndl!

Describe your background and what led you to Nurturely’s work.

I am a doctoral candidate in the University of Oregon’s Counseling Psychology PhD program entering my final year of school. From undergrad until now, I have focused a large portion of my research and advocacy on Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence prevention and supporting survivors through social justice activism and therapeutic practices. During graduate school I began to do more education and community interventions centered on Men and Masculinity as it pertains to IPV, and how men can lead healthier lives and better serve the community with the McKenzie River Men’s Center. Also during graduate school, my Wife and I welcomed our first child into the world and my work on masculinity shifted to address how men can be the Fathers that their partners and children need them to be. This work was embraced by Emily Little and she invited me to get involved in the work Nurturely is doing for parents!

What motivated you to work with Nurturely?

It was largely the birth of my daughter and how that has changed me and how I engage with the world and those around me. Having not really had access to many of the support groups, communities, and resources that Nurturely offers, I was moved by the opportunity to help put those support systems in place and give other parents access to communities and information that I would have loved to have.

What is your role within Nurturely? 

I serve on the Board of Directors and I have helped develop and will facilitate the Tiny Human Survival Training for Non-Birthing Parents coming up in March!

What do you hope to do with Nurturely? What are your goals in working with Nurturely?

My hope with Nurturely is to do my part in establishing an organization that wholly addresses the barriers that people experience when on their perinatal journey. The work that is being done at Nurturely seeks to integrate the systemic issues at the core of perinatal wellness inequity in the supports that we offer, and I just hope to contribute to that mission. My goals with my specific work at Nurturely is to provide an educational resource to non-birthing parents, as well as a space for community and interpersonal support.

What do you do outside of Nurturely (hobbies, work, school, passions, etc.)?

Outside Nurturely, I am a doctoral student, parent, and partner — all roles that I cherish and put a lot of time into. For fun, I am a big Marvel nerd, I love playing soccer when it isn’t the middle of a pandemic, and I am passionate about being/becoming a therapist!