I’m Danielle Jernigan an author editor and former doula whose latest essay A Sister's Salve is out in No Contact: Writers on Estrangement.
Namaste
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My writing explores the spaces between numbness and presence, tracing the subtle transitions of becoming emotionally alive. I write books, essays, and reflective vignettes that treat language as lived experience rather than explanation—inviting moments of attention, return, and self-regard.
My writing has appeared in the New York Times, MadameNoire, and YourTango, including an essay exploring complex PTSD in the aftermath of challenging child birth experience.
Are you a doula or birth worker who needs editorial support for your book or essay? A survivor who wants to write to heal and build the confidence to share your story? I am building a workshop. Get on the waitlist here.
I write books and essays for parent survivors of childhood abuse and neglect.
Author. Editor. Former Doula.
Read My Origin Story
I am writing for parent survivors of childhood abuse and/or neglect who want to love their children well but sometimes feel afraid they can’t, especially in moments when the present awakens the past and they feel like they are failing despite all the work they have done on themselves. What they may not realize is that underneath the fear and self-judgement is a deeper belief: that maybe you are limited by your past and do not have the capacity to love their children well. Here is the truth - your ability to love is not a fixed trait you inherit—it is a capacity you can nurture. By the end of this book, you will feel seen in your struggle and have a greater trust in your capacity to love.