Welcome! Hopefully you will find here what you came for--to see more about what our Certified CareDoula program may be able to offer you. We are delighted you are interested enough in the way we approach this sacred service to be here with us on this page. |
Now, before I tell you more about CERTIFIED CAREDOULA, please read first about certification ...
Update on National Certification Requirements
At this time, there is no International, National, or State Organization that requires end-of-life doulas (guides, midwives, or coaches) to obtain a Board Certification for professional practice. Creation of this standardization would require a strict process that would take many people's hard work, within many disciplines and would take years to form. It would involve components created by a multi-disciplinary team of end-of-life professionals who know extensively about end-of-life doula service. This will take years to manifest if it ever will. We do not anticipate the creation of a board anytime soon as birth doulas have been a strong presence over the past 20 years and do not have a board at this time. We do not believe it would add excellence in training or service. This is up to the individual program and the person serving to ensure this happens.
The CEOLD Designation. Certified End-of-Life Doula
When you see the title 'Certified End of Life Doula,' it is referring to a person who has taken a company's program and was awarded a Certificate of Completion that they met the requirements of that company's process for this role designation. Understand that when you receive your Certificate of Completion from any organization, stating you are a CEOLD, you have simply met the standards of that organization only.
CEOLD is a title that has come into our common language in the end-of-life doula industry--yes, 'end-of-life doulas' are becoming a new industry, like it or not. Some of us like this evolution and some of us do not. At CareDoula School of Accompanying the Dying, we have chosen to adopt this designation as well since it is in the common language. We want to be a part of unifying the movement, and helping people understand who we are, what we do and how we help. It is our opinion that this will serve the most people at the end of life.
When you complete our Certified CareDoula Process and agree to our CareDoula® Standards (shown below), you have earned the right to state you are a Certified CareDoula and may use the designation Certified End-of-Life Doula (CEOLD) awarded from our CareDoula School of Accompanying the Dying.
CEOLD is a title that has come into our common language in the end-of-life doula industry--yes, 'end-of-life doulas' are becoming a new industry, like it or not. Some of us like this evolution and some of us do not. At CareDoula School of Accompanying the Dying, we have chosen to adopt this designation as well since it is in the common language. We want to be a part of unifying the movement, and helping people understand who we are, what we do and how we help. It is our opinion that this will serve the most people at the end of life.
When you complete our Certified CareDoula Process and agree to our CareDoula® Standards (shown below), you have earned the right to state you are a Certified CareDoula and may use the designation Certified End-of-Life Doula (CEOLD) awarded from our CareDoula School of Accompanying the Dying.
Welcome
OK, now that we have the issue of certification out of the way, I welcome you to take your time and get to know us and see if our program is where you would like to call home as you delve into what it takes to accompany the dying on a deeper level. |
CareDoula School of
Accompanying the Dying
Learning Objectives
Below are our learning objectives for our CareDoula Certificate Program
___________________________________________
Establishing Rapport & Peace
Mastering the art of building trust and confidence in your service.
Exploring Types & Settings of EOLD Work
Awareness: serving your client expertly and correctly.
Providing Emotional & Spiritual Support
Awareness: the essence of our service: compassionate presence.
Spiritual Care of Self & Others
Mastering the journey into the great unknown with confidence.
Providing Practical Support
Mastering top End-of-Life Doula guidance skills!
EOL Doula Tools
Legacy, aroma therapy, vigil, planning, and more.
The Dying Body
Awareness: accompanying during the last days of life.
At the Bedside
Mastering physical and supportive care for person and family.
Special Topics in End of Life
Palliative sedation, home funerals, medical issues, green burials, and more.
Professional Issues
Creating a structure to support yourself, ethics, standards of practice, promotions
And you are in community (very carefully cultivated) with other like-minded beings, with Deanna and our CareDoula Team so you will never be alone again trying to figure all of this out. We will save you hundreds of man hours chasing rabbits down endless tunnels on the internet and we will save you thousands of dollars in incomplete and/or inappropriate trainings.
Deanna spent years ahead of the curve doing some things right and making many mistakes. She can give you the clarity to jumpstart your journey and save you so much time, energy and money by guiding you to avoid the pitfalls that are totally worthless to go through again. Yes, you will make your own horrendous mistakes, but they will be glorious as they are adding to your collective wisdom instead of just repeating the same ones over and over.
We, at CareDoula School, are here to get you where you want to go.
You are not alone anymore, talking to people who don't understand you or this service or who are new to the craft themselves. You have us now to mentor you as you create your practice and implement what you envision through our CareDoula Team, live interactive Q&A coaching sessions, course teachings, global community and so much more.
Below are our learning objectives for our CareDoula Certificate Program
___________________________________________
Establishing Rapport & Peace
Mastering the art of building trust and confidence in your service.
Exploring Types & Settings of EOLD Work
Awareness: serving your client expertly and correctly.
Providing Emotional & Spiritual Support
Awareness: the essence of our service: compassionate presence.
Spiritual Care of Self & Others
Mastering the journey into the great unknown with confidence.
Providing Practical Support
Mastering top End-of-Life Doula guidance skills!
EOL Doula Tools
Legacy, aroma therapy, vigil, planning, and more.
The Dying Body
Awareness: accompanying during the last days of life.
At the Bedside
Mastering physical and supportive care for person and family.
Special Topics in End of Life
Palliative sedation, home funerals, medical issues, green burials, and more.
Professional Issues
Creating a structure to support yourself, ethics, standards of practice, promotions
And you are in community (very carefully cultivated) with other like-minded beings, with Deanna and our CareDoula Team so you will never be alone again trying to figure all of this out. We will save you hundreds of man hours chasing rabbits down endless tunnels on the internet and we will save you thousands of dollars in incomplete and/or inappropriate trainings.
Deanna spent years ahead of the curve doing some things right and making many mistakes. She can give you the clarity to jumpstart your journey and save you so much time, energy and money by guiding you to avoid the pitfalls that are totally worthless to go through again. Yes, you will make your own horrendous mistakes, but they will be glorious as they are adding to your collective wisdom instead of just repeating the same ones over and over.
We, at CareDoula School, are here to get you where you want to go.
You are not alone anymore, talking to people who don't understand you or this service or who are new to the craft themselves. You have us now to mentor you as you create your practice and implement what you envision through our CareDoula Team, live interactive Q&A coaching sessions, course teachings, global community and so much more.
When You are Complete with the training
A transformation will have taken place and you will realize you are not the same person you were when you began. One shift in perspective changes everything. Here are just a few things that most people say they want and get with us:
- real confidence
- artful presence and doula ways of being
- skills that you can trust
- personal journey with your own history and healing
- understanding of how to allow your own wisdom in
- tools of the service
- personal boundaries
- the building of the structure of your practice
- professional development
- pricing, packaging and promotions of your service
- how to serve your own family and care for you too
- end-of-life doula certification
- a fully comprehensive end-of-life training you cannot get anywhere unless you have worked years in hospice and have had a professional end-of-life practice yourself for many years
You might want to take some time and look at these now and make sure we believe in the same things. |
CareDoula School's Process of End-of-Life Doula Certification
Step 1. You KNOW that you are ready to dive in and you love our approach.
Step 2. You enroll and receive a big welcome from us and we will get you oriented and comfortable with our School.
Step 3. You will have a look around and get to know us and if you are pleased you will stay, if not, you may cancel within 7 days.
Step 4. We guide you every step of the way to do exactly what you want. We have systems, pathways, support, live Q&A coaching and other calls, alumni and student gatherings and so much more to get you the clarity you need and to help you implement your vision.
Step 5. You will have your practice developed, your promotion strategy developed (if you want to serve professionally) and your initial pricing and packaging system. Somewhere between Step 4 and 5, you will complete the requirements to become a Certified CareDoula if you choose.
Step 6. You have us to continue to come back to for support for your own personal issues, family issues, professional issues, to celebrate what you are doing and tweak what is not, whether or not you complete certification.
Somewhere along this process you realize you are living your dream, doing what you know you are meant to do. You realize you have been transformed from confusion and uncertainty to a person with a plan, a path, a tribe, mentors and the tools that will continue to nurture you, inspire you and help you continue to grow.
Step 2. You enroll and receive a big welcome from us and we will get you oriented and comfortable with our School.
Step 3. You will have a look around and get to know us and if you are pleased you will stay, if not, you may cancel within 7 days.
Step 4. We guide you every step of the way to do exactly what you want. We have systems, pathways, support, live Q&A coaching and other calls, alumni and student gatherings and so much more to get you the clarity you need and to help you implement your vision.
Step 5. You will have your practice developed, your promotion strategy developed (if you want to serve professionally) and your initial pricing and packaging system. Somewhere between Step 4 and 5, you will complete the requirements to become a Certified CareDoula if you choose.
Step 6. You have us to continue to come back to for support for your own personal issues, family issues, professional issues, to celebrate what you are doing and tweak what is not, whether or not you complete certification.
Somewhere along this process you realize you are living your dream, doing what you know you are meant to do. You realize you have been transformed from confusion and uncertainty to a person with a plan, a path, a tribe, mentors and the tools that will continue to nurture you, inspire you and help you continue to grow.
Our Philosophy
We believe anyone can do this service. You do not have to have special Certificates and education to be of tremendous value at the bedside. You must have discernment, some practical knowledge, groundedness and not be afraid of death and dying.
The most valuable aspect of our program is the actual training and mentoring you receive, NOT the Certification. Certification is a marketing tool and a "proof" for some that a person is equipped. If the program is excellent (as ours is) then that is true. So yes, we understand the reasons why certification is important to so many, so we provide the highest standards in this regard. However, we believe your good heart, loving attention and impeccable self care will enable you to be a loving, compassionate and discerning presence. If you desire to serve professionally, we absolutely agree that intense training to equip you to support to the best of your ability is essential.
We value the confidence you have placed in us. We will do everything within our power to ensure your needs are met. If we are not able to meet them, we will help you find additional resources.
We are grateful for our connection and love to nourish it. We ask that you fully participate in that same energy of support for others as you seek and gain mastery for yourself.
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You may train with or without Certification. Most of the value is in your experience with us and in the training. We acknowledge your hard work with the designation of Certified CareDoula--a designation you can trust to provide the highest in excellence.
Certified CareDoula Professional Certification
Our unique and thorough approach to accompanying others at the end of life is widely recognized in the industry. Our Certified CareDoula training acknowledges your commitment to learning and incorporating the highest standards in providing holistic, knowledgeable, compassionate, and loving end of life care support.
At CareDoula School of Accompanying the Dying, we promote a special understanding of the ways of accompanying others at the end of life and for our emphasis on self-care of the doula. We teach you about palliative care from the beginning of an illness and know how to help others regardless of where they are living or where they are in their disease process. There are many unique features of our training which are recognized in our CareDoula Certification program.
At CareDoula School of Accompanying the Dying, we promote a special understanding of the ways of accompanying others at the end of life and for our emphasis on self-care of the doula. We teach you about palliative care from the beginning of an illness and know how to help others regardless of where they are living or where they are in their disease process. There are many unique features of our training which are recognized in our CareDoula Certification program.
A Note From Deanna:
I believe anyone can do this service.
You do not have to have special Certificates and higher level education to be of tremendous value at the bedside. All it really takes is a desire to be there, awareness to keep quiet mostly, trust in your own 'inner voice,' and knowledge of some practical end of life information.
You do not have to have special Certificates and higher level education to be of tremendous value at the bedside. All it really takes is a desire to be there, awareness to keep quiet mostly, trust in your own 'inner voice,' and knowledge of some practical end of life information.
Over the many years of training pioneers around the world, I have heard so many varying opinions from families and the doulas themselves:
I could go on and on.
After many years of training end-of-life doulas, I believe that the person who has the passion to serve others during dying and death is 'called' by a higher purpose. It is a vocation. They are not answering to any human calling. The person who offers training is not bestowing upon anyone the magic bullet that will prove you are a great doula. The trainer is merely sharing the art, skill and information with another.
What I am doing as a mentor and trainer is handing down all I know from my years of experience as an end of life practitioner and as a business woman and as a community educator.
The training you receive from me is that of handing down the wisdom, experience, education, training, and mentoring I have received for nearly 2 decades as a person who serves the dying and their families. I have done it as a hospice RN, certified for most of that time as a Certified Hospice and Palliative RN (CHPN). Since 2005, I have been a private end-of-life doula myself.
So because of where we have ended up in this movement, and from listening to the concern of most people I train surrounding the topic of certification and credentialing, I made a decision years ago to offer professional certification to those who value it and want it. Our Certified CareDoula Professional Certification is a process that will prepare you to serve people in your community in a professional capacity.
The value is in working with me and sharing with other end-of-life seekers, learning the material, taking the personal journey that is required of you in the program and being willing to have an open mind. The acknowledgement of completing studies with us is icing on the cake. Doing the work it takes to receive our CareDoula Certification is a powerful testimony to your commitment and respect for the role as you take it to a professional level. I am willing to go there with you. I believe more people will be served and benefited with this option.
Regardless of your beliefs about certification and credentialing, this is a new movement and there will be much discussion about it. We support anything that will get more doulas out in the community as they are needed more than ever. You can't have everything. Think about how will more people be served well. We will learn together as we grow together.
InJoy,
Deanna
- "I don't believe this role should have credentials"
- "How will we know the consumer is safe?"
- "Medicine squeezes the 'heart' out of every role, they will do the same with this one if we bring this role into medical mainstream."
- "How do you credential heart?"
- "We must certify and credential people who will be with others in their most vulnerable times."
- "Who are you to do this service? do you have special credentials?" (usually from licensed healthcare workers.)
- "I don't want any one here who is not certified."
- "I don't care where they went to school or what certification they have. My question is can they help us? Do they love what they do?"
- "Advanced degrees and certifications do not protect people."
- "Who am I to do this? I'm not a nurse/chaplain/social worker/etc..."
I could go on and on.
After many years of training end-of-life doulas, I believe that the person who has the passion to serve others during dying and death is 'called' by a higher purpose. It is a vocation. They are not answering to any human calling. The person who offers training is not bestowing upon anyone the magic bullet that will prove you are a great doula. The trainer is merely sharing the art, skill and information with another.
What I am doing as a mentor and trainer is handing down all I know from my years of experience as an end of life practitioner and as a business woman and as a community educator.
The training you receive from me is that of handing down the wisdom, experience, education, training, and mentoring I have received for nearly 2 decades as a person who serves the dying and their families. I have done it as a hospice RN, certified for most of that time as a Certified Hospice and Palliative RN (CHPN). Since 2005, I have been a private end-of-life doula myself.
So because of where we have ended up in this movement, and from listening to the concern of most people I train surrounding the topic of certification and credentialing, I made a decision years ago to offer professional certification to those who value it and want it. Our Certified CareDoula Professional Certification is a process that will prepare you to serve people in your community in a professional capacity.
The value is in working with me and sharing with other end-of-life seekers, learning the material, taking the personal journey that is required of you in the program and being willing to have an open mind. The acknowledgement of completing studies with us is icing on the cake. Doing the work it takes to receive our CareDoula Certification is a powerful testimony to your commitment and respect for the role as you take it to a professional level. I am willing to go there with you. I believe more people will be served and benefited with this option.
Regardless of your beliefs about certification and credentialing, this is a new movement and there will be much discussion about it. We support anything that will get more doulas out in the community as they are needed more than ever. You can't have everything. Think about how will more people be served well. We will learn together as we grow together.
InJoy,
Deanna
I just have a few questions and I'm ready.