Our Team
Ariana Birnbaum
Ariana Birnbaum is the founder of Becoming Maternity and Parenting Centre and the mother of three amazing children who inspire her work at the Centre, Mason aged 7, Eden aged 4 and Noa aged 1 year. Ariana facilitates some of the New Mom and Baby Groups and does Private Sleep Consults at the Centre. Ariana also holds a law degree and an M.B.A., and is lactation educator.
Susan Georgoussis
Susan Georgoussis is the Co-founder of Becoming Maternity and Parenting. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto, Faculty of Nursing and has completed her certifications as a perinatal nurse specialist (PNC), lactation consultant (IBCLC) and Lamaze childbirth educator (LCCE). For more than 25 years, Susan has focused her career on women’s health issues related to birth and parenting. She has been actively involved in development of programs for parents of multiples, healthy pregnancy classes and an anaesthesia education clinic for women anticipating caesarean birth. She has also been a group facilitator and educator for women at risk for postpartum mood disorders. In addition to her professional experience, Susan can also credit her parenting expertise to her four entertaining and “resilient” children: Elise 23 yrs, Nicholas 20 yrs, Nicole 19 yrs (adopted at 18 months old) and Janette 16 yrs.
Laura Crouse
Laura graduated with honours from the nursing diploma program at Humber College and is currently completing her nursing degree at Ryerson University. Laura is a certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) and finishing her requirements for certification as an international childbirth educator (ICCE). She was recently awarded an RNAO Advanced Clinical Practice Fellowship and used this grant to improve the care of breastfeeding women and their babies through the development of Nursing Practice Guidelines. Laura has also been recognized for her dedication to the education of women and their families, recently receiving a Nursing Education Award. She has been actively involved in the development of educational materials and teaches a specialized program to prepare parents expecting multiples. Laura is an experienced educator and facilitator has been honoured to present her work at nursing conferences.
Frank Cuzzocrea
Frank has extensive experience as a counsellor and facilitator working with diverse groups of people in various stages of transition. Frank developed Options Forty-Five, a unique program focused on coping with change and transition for individuals faced with midlife career changes. Over time, he realized these concepts mirror the challenges to lifestyle, self-image and relationships that many men encounter as they become fathers. Building on this, and on his experience as a stay-at-home father to his two children (Mike, 19 and Cayla, 16), Frank has developed a unique program to educate and support men during the transition to fatherhood. In addition to leading our Becoming a Dad course, Frank teaches in the Career Counselling program at George Brown College.
Lauren Davidson
Lauren is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator. She completed her undergraduate degree in psychology at the University of British Columbia and then pursued a career in nutrition at Ryerson University where she graduated with honours. Her dietetic career began with a clinical internship at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto and expanded to the Hospital for Sick Children where she provided nutrition counseling and support to children with cancer. She currently works in a clinical setting at Sunnybrook and Women's College, providing nutrition counseling for the prevention and management of diabetes and for moms and moms to be. Within her private consulting, she has been the nutrition guest speaker for moms2be prenatal classes and is currently a co-facilitator of the groups. She balances her time between her part-time work at the hospital and her full-time work as a mom for two children, aged 4 and 2. It is through her work with children, pregnant women and moms, and her experience as a mother herself, that she feels passionate about promoting health and nutrition for families as a whole.
Geraldine Dempsey
Geraldine began practicing yoga five years ago when pregnant with her first child. In 2003, she completed her training in pre and postnatal yoga and began teaching yoga to pregnant women and new mothers. Together with her work as a doula, Geraldine looks to yoga to help her stay grounded in her busy life with two young children. She believes in a practice that encourages patience and acceptance, allowing the body and mind to open slowly and safely.
Hanne Garfield
Hanne is a registered nurse, midwife and educator with more than 35 years of experience in all aspects of pre and postnatal care and education. Hanne graduated as a midwife in 1969 from University Hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark. She has worked as a midwife for normal and high-risk pregnancies and has advised women in all aspects of nutrition and relaxation in preparation for delivery, as well as post-partum nursing. After arriving in Canada and becoming a registered nurse in 1979, she worked in one of the largest paediatric practices in Toronto. Hanne has 4 children of her own raging from 20 to 40 years of age. She is also the proud grandmother of 5 grandchildren, ages 9, 7 and 5 years, 8 months and 5 weeks.
Elissa Kline-Beber
Elissa is a registered clinical social worker, who has worked with children and families for over 15 years. She completed her undergraduate degree at McGill University and her graduate Social Work degree at the University of Toronto. In her practice at the Hospital for Sick Children and at the Toronto District School Board, she specialized in individual and family counselling, as well as developing and facilitating innovative group programs for both children and parents. Elissa is the busy mother of three young boys, Samuel (7), Jonah (4) and Ezra (1). With the birth of her children, Elissa recognized a need for interesting, interactive and informative parenting education. She is passionate about providing a forum for parents to be thoughtful about their parenting strengths, challenges and goals. Elissa regularly lectures on a range of parenting topics and is excited to bring her expertise to Becoming Maternity and Parenting Centre.
\Julie Mindel
Julie graduated from York University in 1994 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. She then completed a Master’s level degree in infant/child psychology at the Institute of Child Study at the University of Toronto. Julie has extensive knowledge about infant and child development with a focus on assessment, counseling and brain development. She has spent over 10 years working in hospitals with children and adults who have acquired brain injuries. Julie is thrilled to bring her expertise to Becoming Maternity and Parenting Centre. She is a co-facilitator of the Moms2B prenatal classes and also provides one-on-one support to new moms addressing issues relating to the challenges of having a new baby. Julie is the proud mom of two boys; Zack (4 years old) and Cooper (2 ½ years old).
RonniLyn Pustil
RonniLyn has been practicing yoga for 15 years and teaching for five years. In 2000, she received her certification from the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Ashram in the Bahamas, followed by a vinyasa (flow) teacher training in downtown Toronto. She completed a prenatal teacher training with Janice Clarfield from Vancouver in the spring of 2005 and expands on her prenatal yoga education with workshops, reading and through exploring her own practice now as a pregnant student. RonniLyn teaches a stretchy, relaxing and playful practice with self-celebration at the heart of each class. With a deep focus on the breath, the practice is made quietly meditative. She encourages students to bring three things to their yoga practice: patience, an open mind and a sense of humour.
Dr. Ian Sandler
Dr. Sandler is a partner in the Ontario Veterinary Group and practices at the Rosedale Animal Hospital in Toronto. Ian is a graduate of the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph and has a varied practice that includes special interests in oncology and internal medicine. He appears monthly on CTV’s Canada AM as the animal expert, and has written articles for many publications including Dog Sport, Maclean’s and Reader's Digest magazines. Ian was elected President of the Toronto Academy of Veterinary Medicine in 1997, is past Chairperson for the Toronto Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind and currently serves on the executive board of Pet Trust, the research and fundraising arm of the Ontario Veterinary College. Ian is the proud father of 3 year old twin boys, Leo and Cole. Ian teaches the Pets, Pregnancy and Babies class at Becoming Maternity and Parenting Centre.
Risa Waldman
Risa is the Director of Making Music Together and teaches our Wednesday Babies Music Together classes. Born in Toronto, her background includes studies of Piano, Music Theory & History through The Royal Conservatory of Music, Developmental Psychology and Children’s Literature at The University of Toronto, and she is a graduate of the Banff Centre for Fine Arts. Risa has taught various disciplines of dance for many years and is actively involved in Children’s Television and Theatre as a choreographer and director. Risa became a registered Music Together® teacher in New York City and has been teaching the program here in Toronto for the last two years; she was recently awarded Music Together Certification Level 1 from the Centre for Music and Children in Princeton N.J.
Debbie Zinman
Debbie Zinman graduated from McGill University in 1992 with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology. She then spent two years in Kyoto, Japan teaching English as a Second Language in a Japanese High School. Upon her return from Japan, Debbie completed a Master's of Science degree at University of Toronto in Bioethics. Her thesis investigated informed consent and the doctor-patient relationship. She completed a Bachelor of Education degree at University of Toronto and taught high school English, Society and Special Education. Debbie worked as a volunteer sexual health counsellor at Planned Parenthood of Toronto and has volunteered in a variety of organizations in Toronto including Voices of Positive Women, Out of the Cold and Mazon Canada. Debbie is the co-facilitator of the Moms2B seminars and the co-founder of the Red Tent Seminars now both offered at Becoming Maternity . She is the mother of two children, a son age 4 and a daughter age 1.
