Death Doula & Pet Death Doula Certification | IEOLCA

Online death doula training · Learn at your own pace

For Those Called to Compassionate End-of-Life Care

Find the learning that speaks to your calling, from online end-of-life doula training and certification to pet death doula training. Learn at your own pace, with personal guidance to help your desire to care grow into confidence.

Begin with a free quiz. See what draws you to this work.

A caregiver sitting beside an older woman resting in bed, with soft daylight through the window.
Global Community
Students worldwide, with learners in over 30 countries
5-Star Student Reviews
Valued for thoughtful learning, personal feedback, and ongoing support.
Practitioner-Led
Experienced educators, personal feedback, and ongoing mentorship
60-Day Guarantee
Time to explore the learning and decide if it feels right for you.
Welcome to IEOLCA

Compassionate education for the many ways we care.

You may feel drawn to end-of-life doula work and still wonder whether you’d know what to say or how to help. You do not need every answer—or a plan for a practice—to begin exploring.

Our online death doula training combines practical, non-medical support skills with reflection, personal feedback, and ongoing mentorship. Whether you’re considering end-of-life doula certification, building on a helping profession, or caring for family and community, there is room for your starting point here.

End-of-life doula supporting an older adult through conversation and reflection
Presence. Reflection. Connection. The heart of end-of-life doula care
Learning with IEOLCA

Find the training that fits your path.

You may be preparing to become a doula, building on the care you already offer, or supporting someone you love. Explore online certification programs and practical courses that meet you where you are.

Honor-Based Tuition Options

Choose from available tuition levels, with no application required.

Online & Self-Paced

Learn where and when it works for you.

Lifetime Access

Revisit lessons and resources anytime.

60-Day Money-Back Guarantee

A full refund within 60 days if the program is not the right fit.

Companionship and support for an older adult resting at homeOur foundational certification
Comprehensive Certification

End-of-Life Doula Certification

Tuition from $262.50 USD

Our End-of-Life Doula (EOLD) certification program offers online death doula training and certification, with practical skills in bedside presence, meaningful conversations, advance care planning, legacy, grief, and family care.

  • Personal feedback and ongoing mentorship
  • 28 modules, with learning at your own pace
  • Certificate, digital badge, and complimentary directory listing
  • Lifetime access to learning and graduate resources
Explore End-of-Life Doula Certification →
Gentle companionship for an aging dog and the person who loves them
Supporting animals and their people

Pet Death Doula Certification

Tuition from $174.50 USD

Turn your connection with animals into thoughtful support through declining health, end-of-life choices, remembrance, and pet loss.

Explore Pet Death Doula Certification →
A quiet moment of learning and reflection
More ways to deepen your care

Keep growing in the care you offer.

Find language for the changes dementia brings, deepen your understanding of medical aid in dying support, explore the rituals that give meaning to a goodbye, or build a doula practice with thoughtful boundaries and practical tools. Our specialized programs offer room to follow the questions and possibilities that matter to you.

Explore Our Programs →
Why IEOLCA

Practical learning. Personal support.

Clarity, confidence, and useful ways to care—with support as you find your path.

Thoughtfully built learning

A clear curriculum grounded in end-of-life care, with practical learning and reflection woven together.

Personal attention

Your IEOLCA educator personally reviews required assignments, with feedback that supports your learning.

Tools for real care

Program-specific guidebooks, conversation prompts, worksheets, and templates help you put learning into practice.

Care that honors each person

The Platinum Rule, clear scope, and ethical boundaries guide how we teach compassionate support.

Room for your life

Learn at your own pace, return with lifetime access, and choose from available honor-based tuition options.

Support beyond certification

Graduates receive lifetime Graduate Hub access, digital assets, continued resources, and a complimentary directory listing.

About IEOLCA

Education rooted in dignity, presence, and practical care.

IEOLCA was created to make comprehensive end-of-life education accessible to people called to this work. Our approach is grounded in the Platinum Rule: supporting each person as they wish to be supported, with respect for their values, culture, relationships, and definition of meaningful care.

Co-founders Amy-Lynne Mahon and Perry Metheral bring experience in end-of-life care, hospice, spiritual care, grief and bereavement support, and postgraduate medical education. Together, they created IEOLCA to unite compassionate presence, clear scope, reflective learning, and practical preparation.

Meet IEOLCA's Co-founders →
IEOLCA co-founders Amy-Lynne Mahon and Perry Metheral
Amy-Lynne Mahon & Perry Metheral IEOLCA Co-founders
Finding clarity

Questions as you explore your next step.

You may be looking for a new direction, a more confident way to support others, or learning that fits alongside the life you already have. Start with the questions that matter to you.

Finding your path

You can begin with curiosity, lived experience, or a wish to offer more.

I feel drawn to this work, but I’m not sure where I fit. Can I start here?
Yes. You may be exploring after a personal loss, recognizing a thread of caregiving in your life, or looking for a meaningful new direction. You do not need to have a business plan or a settled professional identity to begin learning. Our free quizzes can help you reflect on what draws you to supporting people or animals, and the program pages explain what each path includes.
Do I need a healthcare background or previous doula training?
No healthcare background is required for our foundational End-of-Life Doula and Pet Death Doula programs. Students bring many kinds of experience, including family caregiving, hospice volunteering, animal care, spiritual care, and an interest in supporting others. Our teaching focuses on non-medical support, clear boundaries, and knowing when to refer to another professional.
Can I learn for personal growth, family care, or volunteering?
Yes. Some students want to develop a doula practice; others want to feel more prepared in their family, community, volunteer role, or existing profession. You are welcome to learn for the reasons that matter to you. The program pages explain any assessment requirements for those pursuing a certificate or certification.

Choosing your learning

Find the program that connects with the care you want to offer.

How do I choose between the End-of-Life Doula and Pet Death Doula programs?
The End-of-Life Doula program focuses on supporting people and families through dying, death, grief, and remembrance. The Pet Death Doula program focuses on animals and the people who love them, including anticipatory grief, quality-of-life conversations, end-of-life choices, rituals, and pet loss. Some learners choose both. Neither role replaces medical or veterinary care.
I already work in a helping profession. Can this build on what I do?
Yes. You may be looking for more confidence in difficult conversations, practical grief-support resources, or a clearer approach to being present. Our foundational and focused programs offer different ways to deepen that learning. Choose according to your interests and current role, and continue to follow the scope and requirements of your own profession.
What if I have already completed end-of-life doula training elsewhere?
Our Bridge Pathway may be an option for learners with qualifying prior end-of-life doula education who want to pursue IEOLCA certification. Eligibility and assessment requirements apply. The Bridge Pathway page explains what is involved so you can determine whether it fits your previous learning.

Learning with IEOLCA

Understand the pace, the support, and the practical side of learning.

How does self-paced learning work, and how long will I have access?
Programs are online and self-paced, with lifetime access. You can work around employment, caregiving, and other commitments, pause when you need to, and return to the material. Completion time varies by program and learner; the individual program pages describe their structure and requirements.
Will I receive personal feedback and practical resources?
Amy-Lynne personally reviews required student assignments. Resources vary by program and can include guidebooks, conversation prompts, worksheets, and templates to help you connect learning with care. Each program page describes its materials, assessments, and support so you can see what is included before enrolling.
Will the training help me understand what to say and how to help?
The programs explore practical ways to listen, invite conversations, support families, honor wishes, and respond to grief within a non-medical role. Reflection helps you consider your own experiences and assumptions alongside the skills you are learning. The aim is to help you approach care with greater clarity and confidence while recognizing when someone needs medical, veterinary, mental-health, or other professional support.

Tuition & what comes next

Clear information about access, completion, and continued connection.

How does honor-based tuition work?
For programs with tuition options, you self-select an available tuition level according to your circumstances. No application or proof of income is required. Every level within the same program provides the same learning materials, access, and support. Available levels and prices are shown on the individual program pages.
What is the difference between a certificate and certification?
Our End-of-Life Doula and Pet Death Doula certification programs have their own completion and assessment requirements, including the relevant Code of Ethics and Scope of Practice. Focused programs may award a certificate of completion rather than a doula certification. Each program page identifies the award and its requirements. An IEOLCA credential does not grant a medical license or permission to work outside your scope.
What support is available after certification?
Certification graduates receive lifetime access to the IEOLCA Graduate Hub, continued resources and professional tools, their certificate and digital assets, and a complimentary IEOLCA Doula Directory listing. These provide ways to stay connected and continue developing as you bring your learning into your own community.
What if I enroll and discover the program is not the right fit?
IEOLCA programs include a 60-day money-back guarantee. If you have questions about a program or need help deciding where to begin, you can also contact us before enrolling.

Have a question about your own path? Write to us at office@ieolca.org →

Student Stories

In their own words.

A thoughtful next step

Make room for what’s calling you.

Explore the learning that speaks to the care you want to offer. Whether you’re finding your direction or ready to begin, there’s room to take your next step here.

Explore Our Programs →Try a Free Quiz →
Self-paced learning · Lifetime access · 60-day money-back guarantee
A sunlit garden path leading to a welcoming bench among flowers and greenery