Chaplain Sundria Sam Wright, ACPE, M.Div., MAST, CSSC, CIIT-2, CIMI®-2

Chaplain Sundria Sam Wright is a Certified International Instructor Trainer with Infant Massage WINC, bringing nearly two decades of holistic experience in infant massage education, family support, and nurturing touch practices. Recognized for her uplifting teaching style and her compassionate approach to the science and spirituality of connection, Chaplain Sundria embodies WINC’s global mission of advancing healthy, intentional, evidence-supported touch for infants, parents, and caregivers.

Born in Mississippi and raised in California, Chaplain Sundria’s professional journey has always centered on empowering families and fostering healing environments. Long before joining Infant Massage WINC, she developed a reputation for excellence in the fields of pastoral care, spiritual support, and early-childhood nurturing. As a cancer survivor who rebuilt her life from a place of resilience and gratitude, Chaplain Sundria brings a grounded authenticity to her work—one that resonates deeply with the families and professionals she trains.

Beginning in 2007, Chaplain Sundria became a dedicated practitioner and teacher of nurturing touch for infants, offering specialized NICU education to parents and caregivers. Over the years, she honed her expertise in healthy touch, attachment, and communication, mentoring families through some of life's most tender and vulnerable moments. Her passion for infant massage grew alongside her work as a multi-faith healthcare chaplain, where she supported families in Labor & Delivery, Pediatrics, Postpartum, and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Her dual vocation—rooted in both science and spirit—equips her to understand the emotional, cultural, and physiological dimensions of parent–infant bonding.

Chaplain Sundria’s leadership extends across multiple arenas of caregiving. As a Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) resident at UC Davis Health, she provided spiritual care across diverse populations and integrated nurturing touch protocols into her ministry. She is currently completing a Doctor of Ministry degree focused on healthy touch in pastoral care—research that parallels and strengthens WINC’s global commitment to conscious parenting, epigenetics-informed environments, compassionate communication, and family-centered healing.

A gifted presenter, writer, and mentor, Chaplain Sundria trains Certified Infant Massage Instructors (CIMI®s) and Instructor Trainers (CIITs) with clarity, empathy, and cultural humility. Her teaching blends WINC’s signature grassroots routines with evidence-based science, trauma-informed practice, and deep respect for family systems. She is known for creating learning spaces that empower professionals while honoring the sacred connection between infant and parent.

Chaplain Sundria’s expanding contributions to WINC are inspired by the groundbreaking research of Dr. Tiffany Field of the Touch Research Institute and by the epigenetics work of Dr. Bruce Lipton, whose findings affirm the transformative power of nurturing environments. Guided by these foundations, Chaplain Sundria is committed to elevating global awareness of infant massage as a pathway to healthier families, stronger bonds, and lifelong well-being.

Her personal life motto reflects her calling and character:

“Touch is communication, connection, and communion—where healing begins and belonging grows.”