our founder + executive director
STEFANIE D. BELNAVIS (s/h), BC-DMT, LMHC
is a Board-Certified Dance Movement Therapist + Licensed Mental Health Clinician specializing in infant-parent mental health, early childhood
mental health, perinatal psychotherapy + maternal mental health with over 7 years of experience in the Greater Boston area. Stefanie's work propels
intersectional socio-cultural dialogues that center creative forms of healing with the BIPOC experience within communities of color along with elevating
change that amplifies racial equity, intergenerational perinatal mental health legacies + healing along with anti-oppressive approaches to perinatal + birth
justice.
differently abled | kinesthetic creative + storyteller | portrait + perinatal photographer | dance therapist
Cultivating Creative Health | Stefanie Belnavis
Introducing Stefanie! Stefanie was the very first artist we filmed in 2020, when officially beginning Defining Leadership. Learning from her perspective felt divinely planned. Growing up and struggling with authority highkey forced me into seeking stability through creative ventures. Through Stefanie, I relearned the importance of finding creative liberation through self-awareness and positive collaborations.
Video: Paulina Kaba @conformingsucks; Jason Kimball @jason.kimball
Title Animation: Kayla Myers
Music: Karim @roxburys_finest_
as featured in:
EDUCATION
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MA, Clinical Mental Health Counselling: specializing in Dance Movement Therapy Lesley University,
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BA, Contemporary Modern Dance,Manchester Metropolitan University
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP
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National Black Doula Association (NBDA)
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New England Chapter of the American Dance Therapy Association (NEADTA)
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American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA)
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
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2021 Fellow, Babson WIN Growth Lab Accelerator , Babson College
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2021 Fellow, Infant-Parent Mental Health Fellowship, Jewish Children; Family Services
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2018 Core Fellow Institute of Non-Profit Practice