End of Life Doula Training

Merilynne and The Dying Year team have trained over 600 end-of-life doulas since 2016. In addition to having been a hospice nurse, Merilynne has over 40 years' experience caring for families in transition as a home birth midwife and companion care provider. Merilynne supervises our dynamic, personal, deeply moving, and comprehensive online zoom training which meets the National End-of-life Doula Alliance (NEDA) Core Competencies. Through class time and the prep work, you will be prepared to earn your Proficiency Badge through NEDA. A 96-page Study Guide accompanies the class. 

Your teachers are Olivia Hunter, Star Fallin, and Merilynne Rush.
You can read more about them on our "Meet the Team" page.
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Upcoming Trainings

Upcoming End-of-Life Doula Trainings
LIVE classes, online via zoom
$725 (scholarships and payment plans available)
Take it as a refresher (with any previous EOLD training) for $350

Wednesdays,  June 7th - July 19th 
4:00 - 7:30 pm EDT/1:00 - 4:30 pm PDT 
6 week curriculum - no class on July 5th 

Fall 2023 Course is Planned - check back soon for dates! 

Have questions?
Ready to register?

What you will learn

In each 3.5-hour class we discuss the physical, emotional, spiritual, cognitive and social/cultural needs of the dying individual and their family, caregiver(s) and community, as well as the doula's role and non-medical, hands-on comfort measures. The class is divided into the following five sections. The 90-page Study Guide provides preparatory reading, viewing and journaling for each class (minimum 5 hours/week).

Class 1: Initial Diagnosis
  • Centering and breathing
  • Self-awareness, bias, equity, and inclusion
  • The Doula Model of Care, Code of Ethics, Scope of Practice, and EOLD role
  • Self-care
  • Communication
  • Initial assessment
​Class 2: Advancing Illness
  • Dismantling implicit bias and institutional racism
  • Advance Care Planning (introduction)
  • Palliative care, including pediatric
  • Hospice care
  • Community resources and care settings, including for low-income clients
Class 3: End-stage Illness and Active Dying
  • Ceremony and ritual
  • Spiritual care
  • Companioning and presence
  • Cultural appropriation
  • Bedside vigil
  • Advocacy and safety
Class 4: Death and After Death Care
  • Immediate care of the body
  • Funeral plans, including home funeral
  • Disposition, including green burial
  • Grief and bereavement, including children's grief
  • Life review and legacy work
Class 5: Summary and Next Steps
  • EOL doula care when death has been sudden
  • Caring for LGBTQ older adults
  • Other special needs groups
  • Life purpose and skills inventory
  • Establishing your EOL doula practice
  • Continuing education and certification

Questions About The Dying Year End-of-Life Doula Training

Who will benefit from end-of-life doula training?
  • Anyone who wants to become a professional end-of-life doula
  • Hospice volunteers and staff
  • Family members and friends of the dying
  • Midwives and birth doulas
  • Nurses, doctors, and social workers
  • Clergy, chaplains, and celebrants
  • Healers and therapists
  • Home care and companion care providers
  • Life coaches
 
Who should not take this training?
This training is designed for those who are preparing to care for others. Therefore, it is not recommended for the recently bereaved or those who are currently very ill. If you have concerns, please ask.


You can watch this interview to see an alumnus of our training in action here! 
"Merilynne is knowledgeable, thorough, and the best around when it comes to end of life care, doula-ing, hospice, and palliative care. I have taken two courses with her and it has been an invaluable experience. Thank you, Merilynne!"
-Em Waugh, 2020
"The End of Life Doula Training is a true gift and it brought more to my life than I could have imagined.  It is a rich body of work which takes you into a deeper inquiry of both death and life.  The curriculum is comprehensive and so easy to engage with.  The warmth and expertise all the teachers brings creates a container for compassionate, embodied learning.  I highly recommend this course!"
-Jacqueline Rolandelli, 2021