Community Highlights: Meet Merrisa A. Stern of Luna & Sol Community Healing Collective and Luna Life Doula Services

Today we’d like to introduce you to Merrisa A. Stern.

Hi Merrisa, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey really began with my own lived experiences as a young mother and someone navigating mental health. I became pregnant at 18, and in those early years, especially as a single working mom balancing multiple jobs, I was searching for ways to regulate my nervous system, care for my mental health, and reconnect with myself. Yoga became that space for me. The mat became a place where I could breathe, process, and heal.

The vision for Luna & Sol deepened after the loss of my cousin to suicide, which pushed me to reflect more intentionally on how healing spaces can support people who are struggling silently. In 2019, I decided to pursue my yoga certification so I could begin holding that kind of space for others. That personal transformation is what eventually led me to create Luna & Sol Healing Community Collective, a nonprofit focused on community healing, mental health awareness, and accessible wellness.

Through teaching, maternal advocacy, and community work, I began to see how deeply the need for support extended into pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, times when mental health and emotional support are incredibly important but often overlooked. That realization led me to launch Luna Life Doula Services, where I support families through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum with an emphasis on informed care, nervous system support, and culturally rooted healing practices.
Today, both Luna & Sol and Luna Life reflect the same core mission: creating spaces where people: especially mothers and families, feel supported, empowered, and held during some of the most transformative moments of their lives. My work is really about turning my own healing journey into something that can support and uplift others in the community.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Oh no definitely not! There were things like being guided to walk away from my previous job, where I clocked in and clocked out. Literally, just trusting and having faith that all would be provided for and well.

It’s like okay “how do I get funding for this one” and “how do I find clients for these other businesses and streams of income?” and “What is my brand/niche?” It’s a very long process and not easily done over night. I literally just got my websites live in 2025.

It’s networking, sharing your brand/niche, collaboration and showing up in spaces of folks can remember your name and face.

For both my businesses it was getting yourself contracted with other folks and entities. That was extremely long process as a doula, because the insurance and us doulas were collectively learning together how to navigate the credentialing, accepting clients and billing since the Medi-Cal Doula Standing Recommendation Letter of 2023 and the passing of Assembly Bill 904 (AB 904), (effective January 2025).

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Luna Life Doula Services and Luna & Sol Healing Community Collective were both created from the belief that people deserve to feel supported, informed, and cared for during some of the most transformative seasons of their lives. Through Luna Life Doula Services, I provide prenatal, birth, and postpartum support for families. My work focuses on helping parents feel empowered in their choices, supported emotionally and physically, and connected to their own intuition throughout pregnancy and birth.

Alongside that work, Luna & Sol Healing Community Collective was created to expand healing beyond birth work. It’s a community-centered nonprofit focused on accessible wellness, yoga, and mental health awareness. The goal is to create spaces where people especially mothers and caregivers can slow down, regulate their nervous systems, and reconnect with themselves in a supportive environment.

I’m also grateful to be connected with The Alliance of Antelope Valley, which brings together community leaders and organizations working to strengthen resources and opportunities in the Antelope Valley. Being part of that network allows me to collaborate, advocate, and connect families with broader support systems within our region.

What sets my work apart is that it’s deeply rooted in both lived experience and community care. I approach this work not just as a professional, but as someone who understands firsthand the realities of motherhood, mental health, and the importance of having supportive spaces. I’m most proud that both Luna Life and Luna & Sol have grown into spaces where people feel safe to show up as they are whether they’re preparing to give birth, navigating postpartum, or simply needing a moment to breathe and reconnect.

At the heart of my brand is the belief that healing should be accessible, compassionate, and rooted in community. Everything I offer from doula support to community wellness spaces is about creating opportunities for people to feel supported, empowered, and reminded that they don’t have to go through these experiences alone.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Over the next 5–10 years, I believe we’ll see a major shift toward more holistic, community-centered care within the maternal health space. Pregnancy, birth, and postpartum are finally being recognized not just as medical events, but as deeply emotional, mental, and life-shaping transitions that require comprehensive support.

One of the biggest changes already happening is the growing recognition of doulas as an essential part of the maternity care team. More hospitals, insurance programs, and community health initiatives are beginning to integrate doulas because research continues to show improved outcomes when continuous support is present during pregnancy and birth. As the healthcare system continues to evolve, I believe doulas will become a more normalized and accessible part of care for families across many different communities.

Another important shift is the increasing focus on maternal mental health and nervous system regulation. Many parents are realizing that the transition into parenthood requires emotional support and tools for stress management, not just clinical care. This is something that has been foundational to my work through both Luna Life Doula Services and Luna & Sol Healing Community Collective, creating spaces where people can reconnect with their bodies, regulate their nervous systems, and feel supported throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

I also believe we will continue to see a rise in community-based care models. More families are seeking support that feels culturally aware, personalized, and rooted in real human connection. Community collectives, wellness spaces, and education-based support systems will likely become a larger part of the perinatal landscape.

In many ways, the direction the industry is moving reflects the values that inspired my work in the first place. My goal has always been to bridge birth work, community healing, and mental wellness, and I believe the future of maternal care will continue moving toward that more integrated, compassionate approach.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lunaandsolhealingco.org and www.lunalifedoulaservices.com