Death Doula Certification (8 hours)

Designed to cater to both care professionals and private individuals, this compact 8-hour course was crafted to provide essential training in delivering crucial and dignified care and support to individuals in the final stage of life.

Perhaps the single most precious gift, it is an extraordinary privilege to accompany a person during the surrender stage of crossing over. Accordingly, we created a curriculum that pays tribute to this subject and equips aspiring death doulas with the knowledge, skills, and sensitivity needed to provide compassionate support to individuals and families navigating the profound transition of death and dying.

Through a blend of theoretical learning, practical skills development, and hands-on experience, participants will explore a diverse range of topics, including the ethics and professionalism of doula work, effective communication strategies, and the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of the dying process.

Explore the complexities of grief and bereavement support, learn how to facilitate meaningful discussions on advance care planning, and gain practical skills for end-of-life care, such as comfort measures and symptom management techniques.

Cultivate cultural sensitivity and awareness, understand diverse cultural perspectives on death and dying, and how to provide culturally sensitive care to individuals from all backgrounds.

With a strong emphasis on self-care and professional development, participants will emerge from this course not only equipped to provide compassionate care to those nearing the end of life but also empowered to navigate the practical and emotional challenges of death doula work with resilience and grace.

Join us on this profound journey of learning, growth, and service for the truly sacred path of the death doula.

Course Topics

• Role and responsibilities of a death doulas and doula practices
• Ethical guidelines & boundaries
• Cultural competency and diversity in end-of-life care, including pediatric, adolescent and younger patients
• Effective communication with clients, families, and healthcare professionals
• Active listening, empathy, and compassionate presence
• Understanding the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of dying
• Recognizing signs and stages of approaching death
• Providing emotional support to clients and their loved ones while understanding grief reactions and coping mechanisms
• Collaboration in facilitations of discussions on end-of-life wishes and goals, and completing advance directives and other legal documents
• Comfort measures and symptom management techniques
• Hands-on care techniques, and knowledge of positioning and bathing assistance
• Honoring and integrating spiritual and religious beliefs into end-of-life care with respect to unique cultural perspectives on death and dying.
• Facilitating meaningful rituals and ceremonies
• Understanding legal frameworks related to end-of-life care and navigating healthcare systems and resources
• Preventing burnout and compassion fatigue by practicing self-care and resilience-building techniques
• Supporting family members in their roles as caregivers and decision-makers and facilitating communication and conflict resolution within families
• Collaborating with healthcare professionals, hospice teams, and other support services
• Referring clients to appropriate resources and services as needed
• Understanding the role of death doulas in various settings, such as hospitals, hospices, and home care
• Adapting doula practices to different cultural and organizational contexts
• Case studies and role-playing exercises to simulate real-world scenarios
• Continuing education opportunities for death doulas
• Building a supportive network of peers and mentors in the field
• Establishing and marketing a death doula practice
• Managing administrative tasks and client relationships

Course Objectives

At the completion of the course, participants will know and be able to:

• Apply in-depth knowledge of the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of dying, including recognizing signs and stages of approaching death, and understanding grief reactions and coping mechanisms in their practice.
• Effectively communicate and provide compassionate support through active listening, presence, and empathy with individuals and their loved ones
• Demonstrate cultural sensitivity and awareness for individuals from diverse backgrounds and under any circumstances
• Practice comfort measures and symptom management techniques, as well as hands-on care techniques
• Utilize resilience building techniques to prevent burnout and compassion fatigue
• Establishing a professional death doula practice & collaborate with organizations and other care professionals.

This Death Doula Certification Course ensures that doulas are well-prepared to provide valuable compassionate and culturally sensitive support to individuals and families facing the end of life.

No Prerequisites

NOTE: This Course combines well with other special Care Track modalities:

• Oncology & Critical Care Massage

  Empowers therapists to provide safe, effective massage to patients of any age in multiple critical care settings. Participants learn to understand medical conditions, apply bodywork techniques, and communicate effectively with both patients, their families, and medical teams.

• Geriatric (Elderly) Massage

  Offers comprehensive training in comprehending and addressing the specific needs of the aging client and use hands-on techniques with a compassionate approach. Students part-take in a field trip for real life experience and will be prepared to practice in various settings.

• Hospice (Palliative) Care Massage

  This deeply rewarding modality is designed for therapists to benefit hospice patients, including pediatric and younger adults, their families, and medical teams. Covering pain management, emotional support, appropriate touch & massage, and effective communication, students learn to contribute invaluable skills to impact clients and those who accompany them at the end of their journey.