4 Keys for Better Death Doula Training

4 Keys to Quality Death Doula Training

1: Ask for 3 references. Ideally, 1 client reference, 1 student reference and 1 colleague reference. A death doula training other death doulas should be actively serving her community, have satisfied mentees who will speak about their training and be building cooperative relationships within their local communities.

2: How much support will you receive? Do you have access to your trainer/mentor when you have a hard question? This is tricky territory and you WILL be challenged. Make sure your training includes resources to support you as you build your own practice.

3: Is the person who wrote the curriculum training you? This is so important to me. In fact, I believe this is the one piece that will stop death doula training from becoming MLM. The person who is training you should be knowledgeable and experienced enough to impart their wisdom. This is an ancient craft we can hand to one another, not mass-produced, commercialized skills.

4: Even if you do not currently want to make your training into a private practice, you may one day. This is a huge investment, make sure it will serve you well no matter where it takes you. If your trainer is not serving clients for compensation, they are not able to truly understand some of the hardest parts of this work: how to speak about money in sacred spaces, how to set boundaries around business, how to reach potential clients, how to have a successful consultation call, how to handle a hostile hospice/funeral industry, advice on insurance/intake forms/documenting time, etc.

I think there are a few parts to quality death doula training: an experienced mentor practicing in a community similar to yours, a small group to learn alongside, private access to your mentor for support and a comprehensive curriculum.

Here’s the kicker: I don’t think you necessarily need “training” to be a death doula. But if you do, let’s consider whether our investment is in patriarchal capitalist profit-driven systems or in honoring the sacred lineage of death work that calls us to serve one another.