END-OF-LIFE DOULA TRAINING
COST: $895
DISCOUNTS: 5% for Tier 2 and 3 Members, 15% for Student or Military
- SCHOLARSHIPS: Available
- ONLINE PREWORK: estimated 10-12 hours
- ONLINE CLASSROOM HOURS: 23-24 hours live
- ONLINE POSTWORK: estimated 3-5 hours of independent exercise & discussion forum
- FORMATS OFFERED: multiple options, see below
- PREREQUISITE: None, open to all
- REQUIREMENTS: Internet access, computer or tablet with audio & video capabilities.
- CONTACT HOURS FOR NURSES: Optional; 40 hours at the cost of $90
You can also attend one of free our DISCOVERY CALLS to learn more about becoming a doula and our training.
Our end-of-life doula training course teaches the foundations of doula work and support for the dying. You will practice techniques, role play situations, and explore scenarios that end-of-life doulas may encounter. Within our shared learning space, you will come to understand the principles and spirit of service that underpins INELDA’s approach guided by experienced educators who are dedicated to serving the dying. This training is the first step in becoming an INELDA Certified End-of-Life Doula.
INELDA educators are also practitioners who are deeply committed to providing accessible, equitable, and compassionate deathcare. The experience and energy that they bring to each training allows learners to have unique insights into the practice and how to show up for the dying and their loved ones.
But there is a deep historical and spiritual tradition of doing death differently—of supporting and guiding the dying and their caregivers in a way that allows for inner engagement with the richness of their lives, and often, a more peaceful death. This path of service goes back thousands of years and has been revitalized in the modern end-of-life doula movement.
TOPICS COVERED
- The end-of-life doula model of care
- Deep active listening
- Common issues in facing death
- Meaning and legacy work
- Vigil planning
- Guided imagery
- Signs and symptoms of dying
- Rituals and ceremonies
- Reprocessing the dying journey
- Early grief work
- Self-care for doulas
- Next steps to serving as an end-of-life doula
OVERVIEW
- Prework—video segments and exercises that take an estimated 10-12 hours
- Group Sessions via Zoom or in-person
- Postwork—an estimated 2-3 hours of independent exercise & discussion forum
- Small group and pairs exercises—to experience and practice doula skills
- A Workbook and Practice Guide
CLASS FORMATS
- 3 day, IN PERSON
- 3 day, ONLINE INTENSIVE
- 3 week, 6 or 7 sessions – ONLINE
end-of-life doula training calendar
Our upcoming End-of-Life Doula Trainings are listed below. We open new trainings the middle of each month. In 2024 we will offer at least two trainings a month. If you want to search for other events, use the “Search Events” bar below or click on any of the filters shown.
november
december
january
february
EDUCATORS
Our growing team of educators draws from decades of work as end-of-life doulas. Their insights and stories from the bedside capture the essence of doula work and inspire attendees to walk with them on the same path. They also have extensive backgrounds in trauma-informed care, nursing, social work, spiritual care, grief, the healing arts, adult education, and hospice administration. Every one of them has also completed or is engaged in, our doula certification process.
END-OF-LIFE DOULA TRAINING FAQs
There are no prerequisites to taking the course. However, the first part of the course involves watching four hours of video instruction and doing a series of activities. It will take you ten to twelve hours to complete all of the prework. You will receive access to the prework one week before the first day of training.
Access to the prework videos and activities, a mailed physical workbook, as well as a PDF version of the workbook.
We currently offer several different formats for the course. Some concentrate the learning into fewer fuller days, while others have more but shorter sessions. Each format lasts for 25 hours of PowerPoint presentations, stories from the bedside, and experiential exercises. In addition, there will be varying hours of optional, but highly recommended Review and Reprocessing sessions for the offerings with shorter sessions. Check out our training calendar here for specific dates and times.
INELDA’s end-of-life doula training provides 40 Nursing Contact Hours for a charge of $90; you can purchase them at the time you register for the course. If you have already registered for the training course and now would like to pay for the Nursing Contact Hours you can do that by clicking here.
The training course is intended to give you a thorough grounding in the knowledge and skills you will need to effectively support and guide a dying person and their loved ones through the dying process. You will learn the INELDA foundational model, how to be a deep active listener, use guided imagery and ritual, and much more. You will participate in intensive exercises to practice the techniques that will prepare you to provide person-centered care. For more details, see the description of the training course here.
No, prior clinical training is not necessary to become an EOL doula. If you are a compassionate person who can truly listen to another human being without judgment, and you feel a calling to this work, then you can learn to be an end-of-life doula.
That depends as this is a relatively new field. So, earning enough of an income to support a family if there is no other source of income may be challenging. We recommend that you gain experience working at the bedside before starting your own private practice. We also recommend that you have another form of income to support you during the early days of your practice. You will need to think out of the box about your work to build community awareness about your services and to increase your earnings. Nonetheless, many of our trainees have started their own doula business or joined an existing collaborative or collective.
This course touches on some intense experiences and requires an emotional openness and vulnerability when you engage in the exercises. If you feel emotionally fragile now, this probably isn’t the best time to take the course. But only you can judge whether or not you can regulate your emotions enough to explore what it means to die and how we move through the process of dying. If you have any doubts you can do this, then wait until your inner life is more settled to take the course, or reach out to us at [email protected] to discuss your situation.
We offer a 15% discount for military and veterans. To receive this discount, please send a copy of your military, veteran status government issued ID to [email protected]
This discount will apply to the full cost of the course, and cannot be combined with any membership discount.
We offer a 15% discount for students. To receive this discount, please provide a copy of your current enrollment and student ID. Documents can be sent to [email protected]
This discount will apply to the full cost of the course, and cannot be combined with any membership discount.