Meet Our Team:
Maya Guruswami, ND, Founder of Bliss Birth & Fertility Center
Maya’s heartfelt mission is to bridge the gap between birth out-of-hospital and birth in-hospital. “Why not have all the benefits and luxuries of out-of-hospital birth and still have the support of obstetricians who honor your choice to birth out-of-hospital and naturally?” She asked. The professionalism that Bliss Birth & Wellness Center has fostered respect from the hospital-based birthing community and Maya’s dream has come true. Maya’s vision is to offer safe and professional care without compromising any of the loving and personalized attention that is inherent to birth center maternity care.
Maya transformed a run-down residential house into a beautiful birthing sanctuary. She warmly welcomes all families for tours at the birth center and is passionate about educating families about their various birth options so that everyone finds the best choice for them.
As a Naturopathic Physician, Maya is trained to offer individualized care starting with the gentlest most effective therapies first. She is unable to practice medicine in Florida because licensure for Naturopathic Physicians was sunsetted in 1959. Opening a birth center was suggested to her by her midwives after the birth of her second daughter and has become a powerful way to affect positive change in the healthcare system. She advocates strongly that all healthcare should follow naturopathic philosophy:
- First do no harm.
- Support the body’s inherent self-healing ability.
- Identify and treat the root cause.
- Doctor/Midwife as teacher.
- Treat the whole person.
- Prevention is the best medicine.
In 2004, Maya received her Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine– a 4-year degree. She also holds degrees from McGill University in Anatomy & Cell Biology, and Pharmacology. During her career she has worked as a family medicine doctor with specialties in nutrition, botanical medicine, acupuncture, hydrotherapy, and homeopathy. In Florida, she has taught as an associate professor at Everglades University.
Maya and her husband Brad are both passionate advocates of natural birth; they welcomed both of their daughters into this world gently with beautiful water births.
Krisa Forgione, MSN, CNM
Born and raised in Wellington, Florida, I have always felt called to a career in healthcare, driven by a deep love for serving and caring for others. That calling led me to Palm Beach Atlantic University, where I earned my Bachelor of Science in Nursing and became a Registered Nurse in 2018.
During nursing school, I welcomed my daughter into the world—a life-changing experience that sparked a profound appreciation for pregnancy, birth, and the incredible strength of the female body. Witnessing firsthand what God designed the body to do, and experiencing a natural birth supported by a midwife, forever shaped my path. The care, empowerment, and impact my midwife had on me inspired me to pursue midwifery myself.
I went on to fulfill that dream at Frontier Nursing University, where I earned my Master of Science in Nursing and graduated as a Certified Nurse Midwife and Advanced Practice Registered Nurse in early 2023.
I am deeply honored to work at a birth center that respects women, supports informed choice, and honors the natural physiology of birth. My experience includes both birth center and hospital-based care, including time practicing in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. It is a true privilege to walk alongside families during such a sacred season of life, and my hope is to offer the same compassionate, empowering care that once so profoundly impacted me.
Michelle Turshon-Schramm, MSN, CNM
Michelle is deeply passionate about supporting women through empowering, natural birth experiences. She treasures the meaningful connections she builds with the families she serves and believes birth is one of life’s most sacred moments—rooted in the strength and wisdom of a woman’s body and guided by the grace of God.
With over 25 years of experience in labor and delivery and 14 years as a midwife, Michelle brings both expertise and calm confidence to her work. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from The Ohio State University in 2008, graduating magna cum laude, and completed her Master of Science in Nursing at the University of Cincinnati in 2012, graduating summa cum laude.
Michelle is the proud mother of three grown children and a new grandmother. Outside of her work, she enjoys spending time with her dogs, singing, scuba diving, and tending to her garden.
Dr. Vythiya Tum, MD
Dr. Vythiya Tum has been practicing obstetrics in West Palm Beach for over 40 years and delivered over 4000 babies. What stands out most to our clients is his compassion and how deeply he cares He has emeritus privileges at Good Samaritan Medical Center and honorary privileges at St. Mary’s Medical Center and is highly respected by the staff of both hospitals.
Dr. Tum has been on staff at Bliss Birth since 2020. We at Bliss are grateful to Dr. Tum for sharing his expertise and wisdom with our midwives and staff. He comes in once a week to consult and meet with our patients.
Dr. Stoessel, MD, FACOG, Maternal Fetal Medicine
Dr. Ruel Stoessel is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist and a leading specialist in Maternal-Fetal Medicine, with over 35 years of experience. He is the founder of the Pre-Birth Centers of America and Premier Associates For The Healthcare Of Women, serving the South Florida community.
Dr. Stoessel has served as a collaborating physician with Bliss Birth since our opening in 2020. Mothers and families consistently share positive experiences with the care he provides during hospital transfers, noting his calm presence and respectful approach. Dr. Stoessel prioritizes low-intervention options whenever appropriate and honors each mother’s choice to begin her birth journey in a birth center setting. We are deeply grateful for Dr. Stoessel’s partnership and support in helping ensure positive, respectful birth experiences when a “change of plan” is needed.
Barbara Harper, RN, CLD, CCCE
Barbara Harper is passionate about birth. Her personal mission has always been, to change the way we welcome babies into the world. She is recognized all over the world as expert on waterbirth and gentle birth. Her long career started as an obstetric and pediatric nurse in the 70s and early 80s, then continued as a homebirth midwife, childbirth educator, midwifery instructor, doula trainer and a Blissborn Birth Hypnosis instructor.
Barbara has published two books and dozens of articles. Her best-selling 2005 book and DVD, “Gentle Birth Choices,” has inspired hundreds of thousands of parents and professionals alike. Her professional workshops, and waterbirth and hypnosis trainings have been hosted by hospitals, medical schools and midwifery schools in 75 countries. Barbara founded Waterbirth International in 1988, to provide couples and professionals with research-based information and training. Barbara moved to Boca in 2009 from Portland, Oregon, and was happy to be here to ride out Covid and provide Blissborn Classes for Parents online and in person at Bliss Birth and Wellness Center.
She is the mother of three grown children (two born at home in water) and has two grandsons, one in college and one in pre-school. She mentors midwives, volunteers for her synagogue and Boca Helping Hands, and is currently writing two new books and editing a collaborative book project.
Robin Powers, RN, PhD
Robin Powers is known for her conscientious approach to care—taking the time to consider each aspect of a patient’s experience and ensuring they feel supported and respected.
Robin earned her undergraduate degree from Cornell University, where she completed a double major in Nursing and Psychology. She went on to receive both her Master’s degree and PhD in Nursing from Florida Atlantic University. With over 50 years of experience in nursing practice, Robin has worked extensively in ICU, Emergency, and Trauma settings, bringing a calm, steady presence to even the most complex situations.
In addition to her clinical work, Robin has spent many years teaching undergraduate and graduate nursing students, sharing her knowledge and passion for excellence in care with future generations of nurses.
Robin is married to her high school sweetheart and is the proud mother of two children and grandmother to three grandchildren. She also shares her home with three beloved dogs and enjoys time with her four “grand-fur-babies.”
Amy Broberg, BSN, RNC, Bliss Birth Assistant
Amy Broberg is a dedicated obstetrical nurse with over 30 years of nursing experience and a deep passion for supporting women through childbirth. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Florida State University in 1992 and has since worked across a variety of nursing settings, with obstetrical care always at the heart of her work.
Much of Amy’s birth experience has been in rural, culturally diverse communities, where she developed a deep respect for the strength and resilience of the women she serves. She is continually inspired by the commitment and inner power of women who choose natural birth.
Amy brings a unique perspective to birth center care, having spent much of her career in hospital-based obstetrics before expanding her practice to include birth center and water birth settings. She finds great fulfillment in supporting laboring women in a calm, intimate environment and considers it a privilege to be present during such meaningful moments.
Amy obtained her national certification in Inpatient Obstetrics in 2007. She is the proud mother of two children and just recently became a grandmother. Outside of the time she spends taking care of her grandson, she enjoys dog obedience training, yoga, crafting, repurposing furniture, and traveling with her three beloved dogs.
MaryAnn Smith, MSN, ARNP, CNM
MaryAnn Smith has been a midwife for nearly 40 years. Now retired, she remains an ARNP (Nurse Practitioner) and is a mentor and advisor to our birth center and midwives.
Although she has worked in many different settings - home, hospitals, clinics - birth centers have always been her favorite place to practice. She and her husband operated The Birth Center of Gainesville for nearly 20 years. The Birth Center of Gainesville was one of the first birth centers in the US and helped lay the framework for more birth centers to thrive. She now enjoys consulting with birth centers and ensuring that the tradition continues and flourishes in a safe, professional, holistic way.