Jodi Hall

If there is a cause to support, many would want Jodi to lead the way.

Jodi's devotion to women's issues is both enlightening and admirable.

She has dedicated her academic years to fighting social injustices through her knowledge of issues and activist attitude. She draws inner strength and power from those close to her - her partner, her parents, her friends and colleagues, and her three young children. She advises her fellow graduate students to stay connected with each other. "The most important aspect by far in helping me sustain passion for academics has been my six fellow graduate [school colleagues]".

Committed to issues related to reproductive health care, Jodi's current research involves understanding the impact routine pelvic examinations can have on women and, in turn, how practitioners can learn from this impact and adjust their practices for the better.

Through an autoethnographic study, Jodi attempts to give voice to other women by using her own voice to describe her feelings of being a patient herself.

Jodi's past job experiences have centred primarily on women's issues as she assumed a community, direct client care role in becoming a woman abuse counsellor, doula, and childbirth educator. Later, her attention shifted to understanding women's reproductive health from a theoretical standpoint as she decided to pursue her PhD in Health Professional Education. She tends to resonate well with both direct client care and theoretical research roles. One thing is for sure for Jodi, her work on the front line and her insightful research are constantly interacting and informing each other.

Jodi's activist roots shined when she founded the only website committed to supporting "pregnant survivors of childhood sex abuse, sex violence, and woman abuse". Called "Safe Passage," this website provides resources and counselling for those wanting to empower and prepare themselves for any impacts past abuse might have on their pregnancies and after birth. When not reaching individuals from use of the internet, Jodi lectures educators and doctors on the topic of trauma and motherhood to spread her message of change. In May 2009, Jodi spoke at an international conference in Cape Town, South Africa on the topic and plans to train health professionals in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Jodi will be presenting the following talks at the 2013 conference:

Body Mapping Creative Workshop

Open to anyone who has experienced trauma. “Trauma” has many forms. In this workshop we will use various forms of artistic media to discover and work through trauma as it shapes our lives, and the role trauma may play in supporting other women through the transition to mothering.

Good Enough Mother

Preconference: A Safe Passage