Wednesday Wonder Woman: Dr. Tiffany H. Taft

Dr. Tiffany H. Taft is a womb care advocate, focused on the education and research of the healing. Dr. Taft helps women use their bodies’ experiences to tell their stories to support their mental, physical and spiritual well-being. For years, Dr. Taft leased out her life, energy, and time to traditional forms of medicine that only treated the parts of her and not the WHOLE. Today she has proven systems that help women improve and preserve their own womb health naturally.

This Wonder Woman is also an author and speaker who inspires, educates and empowers other women to live well at every phase of womanhood. Dr. Taft is licensed and certified in a full spectrum of integrative health therapies that support health and healing, including health and nutrition coach, advanced yoga instructor, birth/postpartum doula, childbirth educator, esthetician, licensed massage therapist, aromatherapist, reflexologist and reiki master. She helps women restore their emotional, physical, and spiritual balance through evidence-based integrative therapies that support the health and well-being of the WHOLE person. Finally, Dr. Taft is currently pursuing her B.S. in Nursing with a double major in Psychology and plans to continue her education toward completing her second Doctorate as a Nurse Practitioner (DNP) focusing her practice in the continuum of women’s health and wellness needs, naturally. Learn more about Dr. Taft and her work with Sacred Soul Wellness, LLC below.

Fancy: How would you describe your swagher? What makes Dr. Taft, Dr. Taft?

Dr. Taft: I am a quiet storm. I am just the right mix of powerful, intelligence, fierceness, and confidence with humbleness, grace, and supportive undertones. I know where my strength comes from and every day it is my mission to live out God’s purpose for my life. I am a traditional “southern belle” with a northern edge when needed.

Fancy: How did you begin your work in womb wellness?

Dr. Taft: The work chose me. Through my own personal challenges with my womb health and through listening to other women’s stories, I found a unique and divine connection to be that person that provides a voice for those that need it. I wanted to create the space and start the conversations that often may feel taboo to speak about and keep us in bondage. Womb wellness is about healing the essence of who we are and the generations of hurt and pain that has us tied to our ancestral roots. I have been working in healthcare for over thirty years. My first experiences in this area came from my work while on active duty as a hospital corpsman and one of my clinical rotations was through obstetrics and gynecology. I worked outpatient and inpatient services and this is when I knew that I would someday look to find my purpose in women’s health. I am the perfect mix of East meets West in my approach to care all because of my training in both western medicine and the healing arts; this combination has proven to be the right holistic jam for me. I was first introduced to medicine at the age of 6 and I have been in love with all things health ever since.

Fancy: So, in layman’s terms, can you explain what is that you and Sacred Soul Wellness, LLC do?

Dr. Taft: Sacred Soul Wellness LLC, is an integrative natural care center focused on WHOLE health programs to support each individual client through customized programs that support the Mind, Body, and Spirit. Our bodies and muscles have memory. They hear on a cellular level what we say and they feel the emotions of our being. I utilize evidence-based mind-body medicine concepts of western medicine, to educate and provide clients with options to find the perfect fit for their healing journey. I help to peel back those layers and allow for people to talk about what they really need and want out of this life. My services include Medical Massage for those dealing with chronic pain and rehabilitative issues and pain management, Prenatal Massage, Yoga, Thai Massage, Mindfulness/Meditation, Energy work such as Reiki and, Reflexology, Doula services, childbirth education, and Holistic Nutrition Coaching. In my practice, I am able to address each component of the individual to help support their journey and provide referrals to appropriate licensed professionals as needed outside of my practice. I am licensed and/or certified in all of my service offerings and I provide a safe and sacred space that promotes the healing of the individual without judgment. What’s knot to love?! 

Fancy: Do you perform all of the services yourself or do you have a team?

Dr. Taft: Currently I am a solopreneur providing all the services, but I fully expect to grow out of my current space within the next year and add a comprehensive and integrative team of professionals. Throughout this collaboration, I look for us to create an Integrative Wellness Center within the next 3 years. I am enjoying being a part of each and every client’s experience and watching them grow through their journey to wholeness. This is the next level building of a legacy. I hope to someday leave a meaningful impact on my community and be remembered forever. This is the time I use to put systems in place so that I can afford to step away from the day and watch the offering grow to meet the needs of the people. I am building strategic partnerships and collaborations to help support my clients’ full journey needs in the areas and specialties’ that I may not be able to provide directly, but that which may be required as a part of the recommendations for the clients.

Fancy: Doulas appear to be growing more popular within the Black community, or at least the conversations about them are growing, what are your thoughts on the matter?

Dr. Taft: This is very true but we have a long way to go. The black community has not caught up to the concept of birthing options outside of doctors and hospitals let alone knowing or having even heard of a Doula. Doulas work in itself is not new. Doulas first emerged around the 1960s and were often the first to assist the moms alone at home or as part of a medical team at a hospital or alongside the nurse-midwives in-home or waterbirths. The Doula was the one the mom called as she began to start her labor and is the one constantly providing maternal-fetal support amongst the team from labor through delivery. A Doula is the non-medical support for the mother, baby, and the family and whose only vested interest is to ensure that a safe space is provided during the most critical time in a woman’s life. The Doula provides options and information for the families. There is still a lot of education to be done in the black community. Black mothers and babies are dying at a disproportionate rate to their white counterparts and have far less access in most cases to quality care, education, and services. I sometimes feel that it is also considered a luxury in the black community because people just do not realize the importance of working with a Doula. They have not done their research. I feel that the gift to give mothers at her baby shower is a gift certificate for Doula services as something she will definitely need and use. Doulas are there for mom and baby to support their needs from conception through the baby’s first year of life. No black woman should ever find herself in labor and delivery without her Doula, in my opinion.

Fancy: Are there any signs that women can look for and determine if they are imbalanced?

Dr. Taft: This is a complicated question. There are so many potential layers. It depends on the woman and what is going on in her life. Classic signs of “imbalances” in the body can range from hormonal changes, mood swings, changes in the skin (like acne breakouts, dryness, or skin irritations). Other imbalances may show in the forms of restlessness, difficulty sleeping, sadness/depression, and so much more. The first signs that most will probably note is a change in their sleep patterns and a feeling of being overwhelmed. Women usually push through their packed days and agendas that are on their to-do list and never once stop to even realize just how tired they are from pushing so hard.

Fancy: Do you have any tips for the most basic form of womb care?

Dr. Taft: Every woman should find a way to create her own daily, weekly, or monthly ritual. A time where she solely pours back into herself with a ritual that refills her spirit. The woman’s womb is more than a place where a baby grows. It is a place that is the seat of all of our emotions. It holds many emotions and the body knows and holds all of them. The emotions it holds can vary from anger, excitement, frustration, happiness, abandonment, and joy and so much more. I would offer each woman the following simple tips to consider to include or start their womb care. Outside of the obvious self- care, things like massages, walks outside, exercise, rest, and eating well-balanced meals, women should also include any of the following as a part of their inner fitness that will feed their mind, body, and spirit. They are:

Let go of all the things and people that no longer serve you. Create healthy boundaries. This is a difficult process and may take time, but is necessary for her to begin and maintain her healing process and restoration.

Commit to herself that she will own and be responsible for her own inner fitness. That she will do things that nurture the very essence of who she is.

Stand naked in the mirror and thank the woman in the mirror for loving herself, for who she is, exactly as she is.

Keep a journal. A running log of thoughts, activities, dreams, and promises that you will keep for yourself. It will provide an amazing lightness to your soul to write it all down and to be able to reflect on the growth later while removing the chatter from your mind.

Fancy: How do you make time to continue your education?

Dr. Taft: I am a lifelong learner. I am constantly reading and looking for opportunities to learn and stay current in all my specialties. I am licensed in my work and thus, of course, there is the element of required, continued education. I really do enjoy the work and so I ensure that I target courses and trainings that will continue to add to my skills, toolkit, and knowledge for the various types of clients that seek my services out in support of their healing journey.

Fancy: So, are you planning to use your upcoming degrees to further your brand or do you plan to work for a company or hospital/clinic?

Dr. Taft: I have just started my newest journey to obtaining a Bachelors in Nursing and a degree in Psychology. My short-term goal is to finish that double major by 2023 and then begin the path to my Masters and my second Doctorate as a Nurse Practitioner with a concentration in Maternal/Fetal Health. I will continue to expand my business while in school to encompass an integrative wellness center which includes Western and Eastern medicine compliments across the spectrum for care as well as looking for ways to develop a non-profit that will support those in need within the community that may not have the resources to afford the services.

Fancy: Do you have any upcoming events or projects that you care to share?

Dr. Taft: 9/28/19 – Thrive Girl Thrive Book Signing and Candid Conversation in Christ Temple Church, Montgomery, AL

Continue to nurture my newest office location and home for Sacred Soul in Montgomery, AL.

I am working on something big but can’t quite disclose it as of yet. Stay connected for the details.

Connect with Dr. Taft below.

Wesbite: www.sacredsoulwellness.org

Instagram: www.instagram.com/sacredsoulwellness

Facebook: www.facebook/com/drtiffanytaft1