End-of-Life Doula Certification
A comprehensive, self-paced program (~40 hours) that prepares you to offer non-medical end-of-life support with clarity, confidence, and compassion.
Self-paced • Online • Global access
Compassionate End-of-Life Education for People, Pets, and Communities
Your compassion is calling. We’ll help you turn it into confident, grounded service.
IEOLCA is a home for people who feel called to accompany others through dying, loss, and major transitions. Some arrive as family caregivers or hospice volunteers, others from nursing, spiritual care, veterinary work, or helping professions - and many simply know in their bones that no one should have to face the end of life alone.
Our online, self-paced programs support that call in different ways: end-of-life doula training for people and families, specialized programs in companion-animal loss, and practical guidance for building sustainable, values-aligned doula practices.
Rather than rushing you through information, IEOLCA offers a guided learning experience with video lessons, guidebooks, reflection prompts, and real-world tools. You choose where to begin; we walk alongside you as your understanding and confidence grow.
IEOLCA learners bringing presence and care to people, families, and companion animals at the end of life.
Explore IEOLCA Programs
Four complementary learning paths to help you companion the dying, support families and pets, and grow a grounded, sustainable practice.
Pet Death Doula Training
Specialized training in companion-animal end-of-life support, helping families navigate decisions, comfort, memorials, and grief around the loss of a beloved pet.
Self-paced • Online • Companion-animal focus
Business Essentials for Doulas
A practical, heart-centered toolkit for structuring your services, creating boundaries and agreements, and sharing your work with the communities who need you.
Self-paced • Online • Practice-building support
Why End-of-Life Doulas and Compassionate Companions Are Needed
Across hospitals, hospices, homes, and communities, more people are asking for care that goes beyond medical treatment alone. Families are seeking death doulas, end-of-life doulas, grief companions, pet loss doulas, and other non-medical support people who can sit beside them, translate information into plain language, and help them navigate one of life’s most tender chapters.
These roles complement-not replace-clinical care. End-of-life companions create a calm, steady presence; support conversations about values, wishes, and goals of care; help families prepare for vigil, after-death logistics, and grief.
IEOLCA’s programs are designed to meet this growing need for non-medical end-of-life support. Whether your calling is to work with people, with companion animals, or by building a sustainable doula practice, our online training helps you develop clarity of role, ethical boundaries, and practical skills you can bring into real-world settings.
Non-medical end-of-life companions bring calm, clarity, and human connection to medical, home, community, and companion-animal settings.
About the International End-of-Life Care Association (IEOLCA)
The International End-of-Life Care Association (IEOLCA) is a global education organization dedicated to training, mentoring, and equipping doulas and compassionate companions to serve people at the end of life - along with those who love them. Our programs combine self-paced learning, reflective practice, and evidence-informed resources so learners in many countries and care systems can offer meaningful, person-directed support.
Our work is grounded in the Platinum Rule - treat others as they wish to be treated. We teach doulas and companions to listen first, to center the person’s values, and to recognize that each situation is unique. Our curriculum is aligned with widely recognized end-of-life doula competencies, blending practical tools with personal reflection so you can grow in both skill and self-awareness.
IEOLCA’s leadership and facilitators steward the curriculum, learner experience, and ongoing growth of our programs.
What You’ll Find at IEOLCA
- Self-paced, fully online learning: Study from home, on your schedule, with lifetime access to core materials.
- Real-world tools: Guidebooks, resource companions, templates, and planning forms you can adapt to your own practice.
- Reflective, heart-centered approach: Exercises and prompts that support emotional readiness, resilience, and inner growth.
- Clear role and scope: Training that emphasizes non-medical, ethical, person-directed support - and how it fits alongside clinical care.
What Our Graduates Are Saying
Students from caregiving, hospice, nursing, spiritual care, veterinary care, and helping professions choose IEOLCA for its deeply personal, heart-centered approach. Graduates share that they feel prepared, confident, and grounded in their ability to provide compassionate, non-medical end-of-life support. Many describe the training as a transformational experience-one that changes how they view life, death, and their own capacity for compassion.
Common Questions About IEOLCA Programs
A quick overview of how our online training works, who it’s for, and how the pieces fit together.
Are your programs self-paced?
Yes. All IEOLCA programs are fully online and self-paced. You can begin anytime, move through the material at a rhythm that works for you, and revisit lessons and resources as often as you like.
Do I need a medical or counseling background?
No clinical background is required. Our learners include caregivers, hospice volunteers, chaplains, social workers, nurses, veterinarians, therapists, and people simply feeling called to this work. Training is designed for a non-medical doula role and does not prepare you to provide licensed medical or mental health care.
Do I need to live in a specific country to join?
No. IEOLCA programs are available globally. Our learners are based in many countries and care systems. Because regulation and recognition of doula work varies by region, we encourage you to explore any local guidelines or requirements alongside your training.
Does IEOLCA certification make me a licensed professional?
Completion of an IEOLCA program provides you with a certificate of completion and a documented curriculum aligned with widely recognized non-medical end-of-life doula competencies. It is not a government-issued license or clinical credential, and it does not replace any requirements set by employers, volunteer programs, or regulatory bodies in your area.
In what order should I take the courses?
Many learners start with the End-of-Life Doula Certification and then add Pet Death Doula Training or Business Essentials as they grow. However, each program is standalone and self-paced. You are welcome to begin with the course that best matches your current needs and calling.
How do the courses support my personal growth as well as my skills?
Alongside practical tools and frameworks, you’ll find reflection prompts, values-based exercises, and invitations to explore your own relationship with death, loss, and service. Many learners share that IEOLCA programs have been both professionally useful and personally meaningful.
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Find the Program That Meets You Where You Are
Whether you’re exploring a new calling, expanding the ways you support others, or shaping a practice that reflects your values, there is a place for you here. Take your time, read through each program, and choose the path that feels right for this season of your life.