Wendy Scharp and Shawn Salter make up the team of The Balanced Doula.
Wendy and Shawn met in the summer of 1997 at a crucial time in their young lives. Wendy was 15 and Shawn was 17. In the Summer of 1998 they welcomed their first child T. When T was 1 1/2 they packed up left their families to pursue higher education in Madison Wisconsin. Shawn attended the University of Wisconsin – Madison and Wendy attended Madison Area Technical College. When Wendy was in the final semester of her Associates Degree in Human Services the couple decided to try one time for a second child. B joined their sweet little family in the winter of 2003. Feeling full and content, the couple was almost certain they were done having children. In the Spring of 2005 S decided to join their brood just a short 17 months after B arrived. In October of 2017 they celebrated 20 years of life together.
Becoming parents was the most intense, demanding, comical, wild and just plain fantastic 
adventure these two people could have decide to go on together. Over the last 19 years they have navigated parenthood together truly dedicated to having a strong role in their children’s lives. Together they explored and engaged in all the big parenting decisions. Attachment Parenting, Unschooling, Bedsharing, Cloth Diapering, Extended Breastfeeding, Vegetarian Diet, Feminism, Sex and Body Positive Parenting, and Anti Theism/Atheism.
Shawn and Wendy were dedicated to higher education, having a career they love and living in a community that supported their values as a family. Wendy completed her Associates Degree in Human Services in 2003 at Madison Area Technical College in Madison Wisconsin. She has pursued her career as a Birth Worker and Educator for the last 13 years attending countless trainings and holding many respected certifications in her field. In 2014 she expanded Doula Love, Portland Oregons Premier Doula Agency. Wendy is the lead instructor at the Doula Love Training Center which offers Birth Doula Workshops, Childbirth Educators Workshops, Continuing Educations and Mentorship Opportunities for birth professionals. The Doula Love Family of Companies keeps her going and always giving her an opportunity to create new things.
Shawn has a love of knowledge and holds a BA in Spanish Linguistics form the University of Wisconsin which he completed in 2005 one month after their third child was born. In 2014 he completed a Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of New England. Shawn career has 
been rich, full and often times painful as he has worked for over a decade in the addiction and homelessness field. He holds a position at a local non-profit that allows him to work with his beloved population. Shawn is most importantly a full time unschooling Dad! He spends his time cooking whole vegetarian meals from the families year round organic urban garden and transporting their kids to their many activities. If that was not enough he spends the remainder if his time helping with Doula Love and guiding Wendy to live a more balanced life full of self care.
Over their 20 year relationship they have moved across the country three times with their whole brood. After the birth of T the small family moved to Madison Wisconsin in 2000 to pursue their education. In 2006 they moved to Ashland Oregon with all three kids in search of a small more like minded 
community to raise their small children. In 2010 they packed up their family once again and moved back to Madison Wisconsin as they felt the diversity/amenities of a larger city was important in providing more opportunities to their unschooled family. After a short stay in Madison during a huge political upheaval of their beloved state in 2011 they journey back to Oregon but this time took up residence in Portland Oregon affording their family once again a like minded community to raise their family.
The couple has navigated many educational options as their children have grown. T started in public school and after an unsavory experience with her 1st grade teacher the couple decided to pursue homeschooling a path they had been researching for sometime. Over the years the family has lived an unschooling lifestyle. They supplement their time and educational needs with classes at community learning centers, private lesson, private classes, museums, travel, theater, martial arts, music and athletic academy’s.
In 2012 T decided she wanted to go to highschool. After some research the family decided that The
Metropolitan Learning Center in Downtown Portland was their best options. The school promoted a child lead learning style although very different from the free rage unschooling life she was raised in it afforded her a more comfortable transitions. T graduated in a short three years with heavy interest in reproductive justice and a volunteer position with Planned Parenthood giving her the credits to graduate early.
The couples two active athletic boys B and S are reaching their teenage years. The couple once again will help their children navigate their individual educational needs. Currently they are dedicated athletes training year round with an academy baseball club located in Vancouver WA. 
Their training and games require a large time and travel commitment for the family.
In 2017 the couple not so suddenly found themselves with three older kids who were no longer in need of constance attention and the huge milestone of reaching 20 years together.