About Veronica

Kapu, pronounced kah-puh, is a Hawaiian word, meaning Taboo or Sacred among its much broader history and meaning. Kapu were rules that guided the Hawaiians in their way of life, but ended in 1819 as it did not treat women fairly. I’m not native to Hawaii, yet I chose Kapu to represent the essence of my small business. I do this with respect for the indigenous Polynesian people who created this word in their language, respect for the people who have Hawaiian ancestry, and respect for Hawaii Herself. As a woman born in California in the 1980’s, I’ll never fully grasp the concept of Kapu as I did not live in the time nor place where the law of the land was Kapu. But, I value the word in this capacity: it recognizes that something can be sacred, and still taboo, much like women's health topics have been throughout the world’s most modern history. I seek to keep women's health every bit as sacred as it always has been, with less of the taboo quality. These are my own thoughts, and have no bearing on what Kapu actually meant for Hawaiian people.

I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay, South America. My interest in herbal remedies began with my host mom teaching me about the medicinal plants that grew in our yard, and piqued when I befriended a 90+ year old man who taught me how he stayed so healthy-- boiled toad bones (like bone broth) and herbs!

When I returned to the states and got a "real" job, I became depressed and my acne was getting worse and worse. I remembered how learning about herbs was one of my favorite things during my time as a peace corps volunteer. As luck would have it, I discovered there was an incredible herb school 20 minutes away from where I was living in Berkeley. Long story short, I enrolled in a 4-year clinical herbalism program at the Berkeley Herbal Center becoming a trained clinical Western herbal practitioner and educator. Several years after graduating, I built up enough practice and clinical experience to apply for and receive professional recognition with the American Herbalist Guild. 

When asked by a business mentor, “Who are your products and services for?” I answered, “Women of course!” She replied, “Well, is it only for women who have vaginas and identify as a woman? Or for women who have vaginas, but identify with the masculine gender? Or for women who only call their reproductive parts vaginas?” This line of questioning continued further; Her point being that there are many people all over the world that identify as being a woman, but may not have been born with the reproductive system in which my products, such as the Menstrual Calendar are intended for and marketed to. She said I needed to be clear about who my audience is. I replied, “I started this business because I just want women to feel good about themselves. Can’t it just be that simple?” She said, “Well, that’s the premise of privilege in the first place, is that it can be that simple for you, but it’s not that simple for everyone.” I understood what she meant. It’s simple for me because I’ve never had to think twice about it. I was born with a vagina, I identify with the female gender, and these two facts fit in to society’s expectations of “normal.” But it is not this way for everyone, and I want to be understanding of everyone’s unique life experiences. With that being said, the Menstrual Calendar and all of my offerings are intended for those who have wombs. 

Not only am I a certified fertility awareness educator, but I'm proud and grateful to say I graduated from 1 out of 4 programs in the world that meet the professional standards of the Association of Fertility Awareness Professionals (AFAP). I'm AFAP certified, which means: 

• I successfully completed a rigorous two-year training program 
• AFAP-certified educators have demonstrated mastery in the AFAP core competencies and are highly qualified to provide instruction in Fertility Awareness-Based Methods (FABMs).
• In evidence-based studies that demonstrate high efficacy for FABMs, users received standardized training and follow-up from experienced instructors. Professional instruction can facilitate quicker learning and increase user confidence.
• AFAP-certified educators are skilled at helping clients address a variety and complexity of experience (e.g. coming off hormonal contraception; trying to conceive; preventing pregnancy in the post-partum period, during breastfeeding, and when approaching menopause; PCOS; infertility; endometriosis.)
• AFAP-certified educators respect all persons’ rights to receive inclusive and non-prejudicial professional care and competent reproductive health services.
• AFAP strongly recommends (as does Toni Weschler, in Taking Charge of Your Fertility) that people wishing to use an FABM, especially for the prevention of pregnancy, obtain professional instruction from a certified FAE. Community and peer support can be valuable, but are not a substitute for professional instruction.

Learn more at https://www.fertilityawarenessprofessionals.org/