12/31/2025
My name is Sarah and I’m thrilled to finally introduce everyone to The Urquhart Program! This has been years in the making and truly is my dream come true 💜
A little about me:
I have been a registered nurse for 14 years this year, and I’ve spent the last 7 years working full-time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Saint John. I chose to go back to school to get a masters degree because I recognized that there are HUGE gaps in how we’re supporting parents. This is true in general, but is especially true when there’s loss, birth trauma, a NICU stay, etc. I wanted to do something to help, so this is where my idea started!
I graduated with a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology and became a Licensed Counselling Therapist- Candadite (LCT-C) in 2025. I completed birth and reproductive trauma training, and I have a certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) with a focus on women’s reproductive mental health.
During grad school and through my trainings, I was always thinking about this program and how to make it TRULY helpful. I had the education and training, I had the work experience in the NICU, but how do I truly know what would be helpful? I started having conversations in the NICU and I interviewed parents in our community. They are the real creators of this program. I just used the resources I had to bring it to life! I’ll forever be thankful they opened up to me and trusted me with their stories and recommendations.
I couldn’t have brought this program to life without the help of Dr. Alana Newman. She’s an incredible Neonatologist in our NICU, a fierce advocate for parents, and is a wonderful friend. She has worked tirelessly beside me helping me develop and launch the program. We share the same passion for improving support and care for parents, and I feel grateful to run the program with her by my side.
Lastly (this is already too long 😅), during the fall of 2025, I was able to travel the province and give presentations on trauma informed care that’s specific to the perinatal population. I presented to over 280 healthcare workers, and the presentations will continue this year. Education and advocacy are very important to me, and are a foundational part of The Urquhart Program.
I want to create safer environments for the perinatal population, help to decrease trauma, create more supportive communities, advocate for the reduction of barriers to support (especially financial), and help care for parents in the ways that THEY need to be cared for.
In the words of Taylor Swift, “Leave it with me, I protect the family” 💜
