About Dawn Ellis
Hi, I am Dawn Ellis, licensed clinical social worker of 26 years. I have facilitated support groups for pregnancy and early parenting for over 11 years. Witnessing and holding space for women as they navigate the transitions of motherhood is a passion that I feel deep in my bones. My pregnancy and early parenting group work is informed through the lens of matrescence, which is a holistic view of a woman's unique journey into motherhood.
Creating welcoming, non-judgemental, safe spaces where taboos can be discussed, examining structures that no longer serve us, and fostering deep friendships is what I do really well. Mothers leave my groups feeling empowered, validated, refueled and with a lasting community of true friends.
It isn’t just my charming sense of humor that keeps mamas coming back. Women feel comfortable with me and return to my support groups with their subsequent children because I am compassionate, curious, non-judgemental and truly feel that there is no right way to experience pregnancy or motherhood. The only right way is your way and I am here to help you discover what that is.
It is a privilege to be a witness to women as they transition through the rite of passage of motherhood. I am honored to be able to provide a safe container for women to examine their changing identities, learn about themselves as mothers, transform, gain confidence and create a lasting community.
In my own life I am a mother of three, wife and daughter. My love language is spiritual and personal growth and those play a big part in how I prepare for and show up in my work. In addition to my social work training, I am a reiki master and an ordained interfaith minister. I currently facilitate new moon women’s gatherings in my community which offer a space for women to reflect, connect with the seasons and set intentions for the month ahead.
Groups are in person and located at
70 Wells Avenue, Newton
Mama To Be Support Group
(SECOND & THIRD TRIMESTER)
Come join our community of women expecting their first baby. Bring the questions and concerns that aren't covered in books or in the brief visits with your doctor as we explore together. Our group is a space to honor your transition into motherhood, gather resources, learn self-care techniques, and make friendship that will carry through into motherhood. 4 week group.
New Mama New Baby Support Group
(NEWBORN-4 MONTHS)
Learn about the important developments your baby is experiencing in the early days and months of infancy. Join with other parents to create a place and time to explore all your questions and concerns. An honest environment to discuss all the amazing and not so amazing transitions into parenthood. Create a lasting support group of friends with babies the same age as yours. Gain the confidence that you can do it! 7 week group.
2nd Time or More Support Group
(NEWBORN-6 MONTHS)
Delight in alone time with your newest addition in this group especially for second and third time parents. Get the support you need, refresh your developmental knowledge, discuss the dynamics of your growing family, and make new friends. 7 week group.
Special Events
Feeding Support Group
FREE
Join lactation consultant, Danielle Donovan from Latched at First Sight for lactation support. Come for community, to ask questions and to get the support you need. Meet other moms in a supportive environment where all feeding, soothing and diapering is welcome.
All types of feeding welcome (breast, bottle or combo pump and breast).
Monday 5/13, 6/10 10:30 - 11:30am
Baby Mixer
NEWBORN - 1 YEAR
FREE
Open play. Come to socialize and meet other caregivers with your baby. There will be tummy time set ups for babies and teas and snacks for you. All feeding, diapering and soothing is welcome.
Wednesdays 5/8 and 5/22, 12-1pm
Arrive anytime between 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Music with Thomas, The Spring Swing
2.5 MONTHS - 5 YEARS
Thomas brings guitar-driven live music, engaging songs, real instruments, dancing, laugh-out-loud story-telling, and a bundle of positive energy for a super fun music experience for you and your little one.
For ages 2.5 months - 5 years.
Registration includes entire family.
Saturday, 5/5
9:30am - 10:15am
Tummy Time and More
NEWBORN - PRE-WALKERS
FREE
Come to meet the pediatric OTs from Baby Matters. Learn about infant development and feeding, and bring your questions. Some possible topics include: tummy time, head shape, neck preference, early movement skills - rolling, sitting, crawling, is my baby on track, how to play with your baby, what toys/equipment will help with development, starting solids, tongue ties, cups/bottles.
Newborns - pre-walkers
Monday, 5/20 from 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Tiny Talkers
10 MONTHS - 2 YEARS
Develop and enhance your child's early learning and social skills through songs, books and interactive play. Learn techniques on how to get your little one communicating. Progress from gestures, to sounds, to words.
Led by an experienced Speech-Language Pathologist and mom of two toddlers, Gillian Cohen, MA CCC-SLP/TSSLD
Wednesdays,
May 1 - June 12, 7 wk series
July 10 - August 14, 6 wk series
10:00am - 10:45am
11:00am - 11:45am
Afternoon Adventurers
6 MONTHS - 3 YEARS
Looking to get out of the house in afternoons? Join us for an engaging circle time with themed activities for all ages.
6 months to 3 years.
5 week series
Tuesdays, April 30 - May 28
4:00 - 4:45pm
Wiggle Worms
5 MONTHS - PRE-WALKERS
Is your baby starting to move and show more interest in other babies and the world around them? Join us for 45 minutes of songs, parachute play, story time and open play. While babies play you can meet other local parents and caregivers and make new friends.
Drop in classes
Fridays, May 3, 17 and 31
11:15am - 12:00pm
Little Lizards Presents, Family Fiesta Disco
1 - 3 YEARS
Ignite your child’s social interest through singing, dancing, and play! The Family Fiesta Disco is exciting, engaging and will support the learning of essential early socialization skills!
CANCELLED
Sing and Scribble
AGES 2 - 3
Enjoy a multi-sensory circle time and open-ended craft with your toddler! Using an approach informed by the Handwriting Without Tears methodology we’ll model fostering the skills your little one will need to become a strong writer. Leave with strategies and supportive language you can easily carry over into everyday activities! Led by experienced educators and moms Nora McManus Vincent, MS Ed, and Michelle Sampson, MA Ed.
Saturday, June 1, 4:00-4:45pm
Period Party!
9-12 YEARS
A fun gathering of moms and daughters exploring the ins and outs of periods through conversation, actitivies, and interactive learning. With an emphasis on accuracy, positive messaging and confidence building with the undertone of celebration, wisdom, and honoring our bodies. Facilitated by Brooke Reilly, OTR/L, CLC, PMH-C, PCES of She Thrives Therapy.
Monday, May 20, 6-7:30pm
Infant and Child CPR
This course will teach you the skills of CPR and foreign body airway obstruction for an infant and child. This hands-on class is taught by a Certified Red Cross Instructor. You will be practicing the life-saving techniques.
Saturday, June 8 at 10am or 12:30pm
Pregnancy Meetup
FREE
Come meet other women that are expecting. A welcome environment to ask questions, share resources and meet other local women who are also experiencing pregnancy. First time and subsequent pregnant mamas are welcome. Partners are welcome.
Wednesday, May 29 from 6:30 - 7:30pm
Exhale! Pilates and Breathwork
We pour our love into others, but an empty cup has nothing left to pour. Come fill your cup back up with this feel good class. Move your body and your breath to rediscover how you truly want to feel. Open to all fitness levels and no prior breathwork experience required.
Saturday, June15 from 9:00am - 10:30am.
Baby Booty Pop-Up at Dawn Ellis Groups
PREGNANCY - PREWALKERS
FREE
Baby Booty in Dedham is popping in to lead a 30 minute workout for caregivers and babies (you can workout with or without them). All fitness levels, pregnancy, and postpartum welcome! This workout includes movements we do everyday as new parents such as squatting, bending, lifting, hingeing. This workout includes warmup, squats, lunges, standing abs/arms and a barre style section.
Thursday, 5/23 from 1:00pm - 1:30pm
Spring Reset and Renewal
Open to women of all ages and stages. Stephanie Javaheri and Dawn Ellis will work together in this workshop with intentional breath work, mindful movement, Reiki and meditation. A welcome nervous system reset that will leave you feeling nourished, grounded and renewed.
Sunday, May 19 from 4:00pm - 5:15pm
Location, 70 Wells Avenue, Newton
New Moon Gathering for Women
Join this welcoming group for women of all ages and life stages. An authentic space to connect, reflect and set intentions for the month ahead through journaling and discussion. Leave feeling grounded and grateful.
Sunday,
May 5
7:00pm - 8:30pm
Dad's Meetup
0-12 MONTHS
Join John Carr, LICSW, parent specialist/educator and author of “Becoming a Dad: The First Three Years,” for a casual get together. Bring your baby or come solo to meet other dads, socialize and have some engaging discussions around fatherhood.
Saturdays, May 11, June 8 July 27 and August 17 all classes meet from
10:30am - 12:00pm except June 8 which will meet 2:30pm-4:00pm
Refund Policy
We do not offer refunds for missed classes but will do our best to accommodate you in an alternative class that works. While we will do our best we cannot guarantee make-up sessions for missed sessions.
Please understand that it’s common for everyone to occasionally miss a class due to travel, appointments, illnesses, unexpected naps, and other aspects of life with little ones!
Sick Policy
The health and well-being of all participants are a top priority. To prevent the spread of illness and help keep everyone healthy, we ask you to refrain from coming to class if your child is showing signs of communicable illness. This includes a heavy runny nose, persistent cough, fever, diarrhea, etc. We are happy to offer you a make-up class if there is another alternative class that works. While we will do our best we cannot guarantee make-up sessions for missed sessions.
Make-up classes will not carry over into the next session.
The discussions that Dawn prompted us to have were really valuable and her tips were extremely relevant to what I was going through in the moment. I felt really seen and supported.
FIRST TIME MAMA SUPPORT GROUP MEMBER
It is so normalized for babies to be challenging in the new-parent transition, but no one wants to talk about how difficult it is for older siblings (and by extension, their parents). It feels taboo to talk about these challenges, like hitting and regressions, when the baby arrives, so this platform was amazing to be able to do that.
SECOND TIME MAMA SUPPORT GROUP MEMBER
The experience made me feel part of a group, not alone and that other people are going through exactly what I have been going through! A great way to meet moms in the area and socialize.
SECOND TIME MAMA SUPPORT GROUP MEMBER
This group gave me exactly what I needed when I needed it! Dawn did a fantastic job facilitating discussion and creating a safe space where we all felt comfortable sharing our innermost thoughts almost immediately. I looked forward to each and every session!
SECOND TIME MAMA SUPPORT GROUP MEMBER
Dawn is an amazing moms group facilitator. She’s so real and honest and truly understands what moms are going through. Her advice and perspective is so valuable that I just wanted to hang out with her each week. She does a great job of connecting all the moms in the group to use each other as resources as we go through motherhood together.
FIRST TIME MAMA SUPPORT GROUP MEMBER
I enjoyed learning songs to sing with my baby and loved watching her learn to recognize the songs in the group and at home. It was great to be with other moms and continue to get support as my baby grew older. We looked forward to the group every week.
GIGGLES AND GRINS GROUP MEMBER
Healing for the Individual
Reiki
Reiki is a form of energy healing. It utilizes universal life force (Chi) to promote healing in the body, mind and spirit. The energy used in Reiki is only for the greatest good.
Reiki supports deep relaxation and I believe that this is where true healing begins. It is an energy healing therapy offered at most major hospitals because it has been shown to aid in the healing process. With the increased stress and anxiety in our culture, Reiki has come to the forefront as an important and valuable way for people to receive healing and care for themselves. Reiki can benefit your physical, emotional, spiritual and mental health in powerful ways. I am dedicated to offering energy healing and support to others. I offer individual sessions for energetic clearing and relaxation as well as ongoing work for people looking for support and guidance in addition to the energetic work.
What does a session look like?
You will lay clothed on a massage table and receive energy healing through light touch with hands held over your body. The session includes time to discuss your experience. Sessions are 50 minutes in length.
I work with people at all stages and also provide Mom and Baby Reiki sessions.
Spiritual Community Groups
NEW MOON GATHERINGS FOR WOMEN
New Moon Circles
Ever feel homesick for something you never knew existed? Welcome to the New Moon Gathering for women.
Since the beginning of time women have been deeply connected to the moon.
Join this safe and sacred circle of inter-generational women to connect with the ancient wisdom of the Earth, seasons, your own body rhythms and other women.
This is where you come to:
Process and reflect on the stuff you don’t have time to ponder on in your day-to-day
Set meaningful goals and intentions for the moon cycle ahead
Step into your power
Go deeper and connect with your authentic self
Experience sisterhood
Sundays, October 15, November 12, December 10 from 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Contact Dawn
