So you wanna be a death worker?
Fantastic! Welcome.
We’re delighted you’re beginning your process. The world needs more death workers and it is our goal for the diversity of death doula professionals to equal that of the communities we serve. We believe strongly that community care is the best (and perhaps only) way for all individuals to receive ethical care that best reflects their values, cultural practices, and to ultimately achieve their best possible death.
Our recommendations are based on our knowledge of the training, trainers, and experiences reported to us by other doulas. Please note that, at this time, no member of PDDC has completed these specific trainings below. Due to firsthand experiences, we are not able to fully and freely recommend the training program that we completed. Our endorsement is not in any way a guarantee that your experience will be fitting and/or positive, and thus, we strongly recommend you do your research.
This is extremely personal and intimate work that pulls on the breadth and depth of the sum of each doula’s life experiences. We cannot possibly know yours as well as you do!
-
Death education with A Sacred Passing is explicitly anti-racist and gender-inclusive. They prioritize learning with resources & relationships grounded in storytelling, history, and present-day realities. They offer online and in-person options, abortion doula training, and a course in shrouding and after-death care.
Apprenticeship course taught by Death Midwife Narinder Bazen which is divided into nine sections (“keys”) and completed over nine months. Each section has a monthly group class, an average of six assignments, and up to two 1:1 phone calls with the instructor.
The Going With Grace training course aims to develop each individual’s unique offering and prepare them to make it come alive in the world. Using cultural, philosophical, and personal perspectives, students explore conscious dying as a vehicle for a conscious living while critically examining their own narratives on death and dying.
National End of Life Doula Alliance
NEDA seeks to inspire positive, creative change in American death practices by creating high standards, ethical and practical guidelines, and rich networking opportunities for all EOLDs, resulting in meaningful experiences for the dying, their caregivers, and the agencies involved. They have a great trainer directory: https://www.nedalliance.org/trainer-directory.html
UVM End-of-Life Doula Professional Certificate
This academic certificate explores end-of-life care and learn how to support clients with individualized, compassionate care. UVM’s online, 8-week end of life doula training gives you access to a network of industry professionals and chances to learn from their own experiences, beliefs, hopes, and fears about death and dying.
-
Salt Trails Philly
Narinder Bazen
Denver EOL Doula
Kalisto Nanen
Naila Francis
Lenee Voss
Inviting Abundance
Death Positive DC
Kristina Lopez (@ritualwerk on TikTok)
Desiree Celeste (also on TikTok)
Kamala Radha (also on TikTok)
Naomi, a.k.a. The Glorious Hum
The Death Empath (also a quality TikTok follow)
Dead Funny, Dead Serious
Cait Maddan (check out her TikTok, too)
Columbus Community DeathCareThis is a non-exhaustive list. Death workers give away so much knowledge. Follow, read, learn, follow the people who make smart, interesting comments. Follow your path.
-
PDDC does not currently offer trainings, mentorships, or apprenticeships. At this time we are not able to meet or email with every individual who messages us – there are many of you (a great thing!) and it is not the focus of our practice.
That said, as white practitioners, we feel it is most just to offer our time free of charge to people of the global majority who think we can be helpful to them in their journey. All others, we are happy to schedule hour-long Zoom sessions on a sliding scale at $50 / $60 / $70 per collective member present. You can check out our availability here: https://calendly.com/phillydeathdoulas
