About Birthing Rites Australia

Birthing Rites Australia is today acknowledged as a leading provider of the highest quality pregnancy education and counselling in the field of childbirth and parenting education, offering four different types of prenatal classes, parenting support classes, childbirth education courses, post natal yoga and a vast array of support services. We also run a full-time counselling service for individuals and families.

Birthing Rites Australia was established in July 1989 under the guidance and through the commitment of Marie Burrows, the company's founder and Director. Prior to that Marie trained educators and ran classes for Parent Centres Australia in Sydney in 1987 and 1988.

Before moving to Sydney Marie worked for the very progressive and innovative Childbirth Education Association - Malvern Offices in Melbourne, teaching classes and training educators from 1976-84. This association conducted the first major birth conference in Australia, the "Birth and Being Conference" at Melbourne University in 1976. Her background also involves secondary teaching, training, and working as a therapist under the guidance and influence of Dr Graham Farrant - a primal psychiatrist instrumental in bringing changes to labour wards across Australia and overseas.

After the formation of Birthing Rites Australia further studying and training was undertaken as a Hoffman Facilitator in 1989 - a therapy based program for self-transformation recognised and run worldwide. In 1992 Marie travelled to America doing further training with John Bradshaw's Inner-Child work in Los Angeles and the Ingleside Addiction Hospital.

Mission Statement

Our aim is to support you during one of the most fundamental and challenging yet life enriching and transforming experiences:

That of being pregnant, giving birth and becoming a family.

The Birthing Rites Australia Philosophy recognises pregnancy, birth and parenting as a fundamental transformative experience in life. We aim to provide support, knowledge and integration of these experiences.

"Tell me and I will forget,

Show me and I will remember.

Involve me and I will understand."

- Confucius