Welcome to The Birth Chat Blog!

As part of Barksdale Missions’ community-centered platforms, The Birth Chat offers real conversations, real support, and real life reflections on the lived experiences of parenting, perinatal mental health, and family life.

A trusted resource for all things pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, and parenting, our mission is to empower families through education, evidence-based information, and supportive community connections.

Our blog is powered by a diverse team of contributors from around the world—including birth workers, parents, and mental health professionals—who generously share their expertise, stories, and insights to help families navigate each stage of their journey.

Meet the Voices Behind The Birth Chat

Below, you’ll find the incredible individuals who make this space possible.

Interested in contributing or becoming a guest blogger? We’d love to connect with you. Contact us today to learn more!

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Ashley Barksdale, EdD, LCSW, CFLE, CADC-II, PMH-C

Founder

Ashley Barksdale, Ed.D., MSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Perinatal Mental Health Professional, Certified Family Life Educator, and Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor.

She owns Barksdale Missions, LLC, a private group practice where she is a therapist, social worker, educator, and advocate. Ashley uses a person-centered, holistic approach to supporting individuals and families in her community. She is also an Adjunct Instructor of Psychology and Family Science at Mississippi University for Women (MUW) and a Support Coordinator for Postpartum Support International (PSI).

Ashley holds additional credentials as a Certified Trauma Professional and Certified Grief Professional. She currently serves as Certification Board President for the Mississippi Association for Addiction Professionals (MAAP) and is a board member for both the PSI Mississippi Chapter and the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) Advisory Board.

Deeply passionate about family well-being, perinatal mental health, and psychiatric care, Ashley is dedicated to supporting and educating families and healthcare professionals to enhance their development and improve their quality of care.

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Nneka Hall

Mom, Doula, Bereavement Specialist, ROSE Peer Counselor, Minister

Nneka Hall is a Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness advocate with a primary focus on infant and maternal mortality within the African American Community. She is the founder of the Quietly United in Loss Together Campaign, which is a Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness campaign designed to raise awareness of all types of loss from conception through a child’s first two years of life, teach healthy fertility through womb health education, provide support to families who suffer these losses and provide support for memory programs so they won’t close due to inability to afford supplies.

Nneka is the mother of four: two Sunshines (Jelani and Symone), one angel (Annaya Marie, stillborn at 39 weeks gestational age on August 27, 2010), and one rainbow (Bradleigh).

Following her daughter’s stillbirth, Nneka sought ways to aid others in having a positive birth outcome. She stumbled across the doula profession and needed to learn more. She is a full-spectrum doula, holding certifications as a birth, bereavement, and postpartum doula. She is a certified International Bereavement Specialist, a Certified Community-Centered Herbalist, a Womb Health Specialist, a Crystal Healer, and a childbirth educator.

In June 2016, Nneka was selected due to her work in the pregnancy and infant loss community to participate in the US Women’s Summit as a Nominated Change Maker hosted by former First Lady Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey.

Mom, Doula, International Bereavement Specialist, Uterine Health Coach, Nominee Changemaker, and soon to add the title of “Author.”