Monika Boenigk, RN CM CNS GDCT

Monika studied Social Pedagogy, Nursing and Midwifery in Germany. She has worked as a Registered Nurse-Midwife in Germany and Australia, both in hospitals and private midwifery practice. As an advocate of upright birthing, she has presented papers at midwifery conferences and conducted childbirth workshops for midwives in Australia, USA, Viet Nam, Germany, New Zealand and Austria. Following the invention of a modern Birthing Seat, she founded BirthRite to improve childbirth-related experiences for women and their carers; a journal article on her philosophy of childbirth and the development of the seat featured in MIDIRS. Monika also holds a Graduate Diploma in Couple Therapy. Monika divides her time between putting the BirthRite philosophy into practice and running CoupleWorks, her private counselling practice.

Dr Adrian Ryan, MB BS (Syd)

Adrian studied Pure Mathematics and Philosophy at the Australian National University before completing a medical degree at the University of Sydney. Extensive work in Admissions Units of psychiatric hospitals in Australia led to the development of a triage system for psychiatric referrals and an intimate acquaintance with the overlap zone between the medical and legal worlds. When he has time out from consulting for BirthRite, Adrian likes to spend it pursuing his writing interests.

Adrian would like to draw the attention of the public to a matter of professional disclosure.