Dr. Belinda Lashea is a Certified Nurse-Midwife, educator, researcher, and leader whose career spans more than 25 years of clinical practice, midwifery education, advocacy, and mentorship. Her professional journey began through traditional midwifery apprenticeship and evolved into doctoral preparation, giving her a unique perspective that bridges the wisdom of traditional midwifery with contemporary evidence-based practice.

Belinda currently serves as Clinical Assistant Professor and Concentration Director of the Nurse-Midwifery Program at East Carolina University, where she is dedicated to preparing the next generation of nurse-midwives. Her scholarly work focuses on reflection in midwifery education, professional identity formation, and transformative learning processes that support the development of reflective, compassionate, and clinically excellent midwives.

A respected leader within the profession, Belinda serves as Vice President of the North Carolina Affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives (NCACNM). Through her leadership, teaching, and advocacy, she works to advance access to midwifery care while preserving the foundational values that have long defined the profession.

Throughout her career, Belinda has attended more than 1,000 births across home, birth center, and hospital settings. Her passion lies in restoring and preserving the arts of midwifery—relationship-centered care, presence, continuity, storytelling, hands-on skills, and traditional healing wisdom—while integrating these practices into modern healthcare and midwifery education.

As Bear Root Midwifery evolves, Belinda now focuses on integrative primary care, well-woman and reproductive health, concierge prenatal and postpartum support, mental health care, clinical herbal medicine, education, and consultation. Her work remains rooted in the belief that healing occurs through meaningful relationships, reflective practice, and whole-person care.