meet our midwives
Marinah Valenzuela Farrell, CPM LM
Marinah was raised in the traditional ways of her parents and was gifted to watch her grandfather and mother walk among plants, identifying their healing properties both in the mountains of Mexico and the deserts of Arizona. Her love for midwifery stems from this lifelong belief in the healing essence of the natural world, her strong political views regarding healthcare and informed consent, and the beautiful homebirths of her own children.
After partnering in a non-profit waterbirth center on the Mexico/Guatemala border and a short time in Uganda working at a primary care medical and birth center, Marinah is happy to be back in Arizona. Her current passions are linking Mayan/Mexican traditional healing with Chinese medicine as a way to further the healing potential of both practices and working on the board of the Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA) as the representative for the ten states that comprise MANA's western region. Marinah is also actively involved and participates in local grassroots politics as well as international non-profit work.
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”
-Harriet Tubman
Wendi Cleckner, CPM LM
Wendi is a desert child at heart, born and raised on the Arizona clay. In 1993 she helped a friend through the birth of her first child and felt a passion to devote her life to moms and babies. The calling of midwifery has blessed her with travel across the world, taking her to the Philippines, the Sudan and Iraq. She believes in the intrinsic knowledge women hold in the ability to bring forth life, and will continue to work both individually and with the community, rallying for women to give birth as they choose.
Wendi loves the sun and the earth, and enjoys coaxing new life out of the Arizona ground in her gardens. She continues to study herbalism and a number of other healing modalities. Wendi is always looking for the next adventure overseas to help women and families in under-served areas of the world.