Full Tuition
Supports Accessible Training
$875
For those who are able to enroll at the full program rate and help keep the training accessible for others in our community.
Enroll at $875Now Enrolling - Internationally Recognized
Online Death DoulaCertification & Training
Earn your End-of-Life Doula certification online, at your own pace.
Enrollment Open - Online & Self-Paced
The calling is enough
to begin.
Become a Certified End-of-Life Doula. Fully online, self-paced, and open to anyone who feels called to this work - regardless of background or experience.
Accessible tuition availableHonour-based pricing begins at $262.50 USD
Online & self-pacedBegin where you are, on your own schedule
60-day guaranteeFeel supported in your decision
WHY THIS MATTERS
If this work has been calling you, this is a place to begin.
Many people arrive here after a personal loss, a meaningful caregiving experience, or a moment at the bedside that stayed with them. Others come because they have always been the person people turn to in tender, uncertain, or difficult times.
However you found your way here, that pull toward end-of-life work deserves to be met with care, respect, and real preparation. Death doula work is not only about what we know. It is about how we show up — with presence, maturity, steadiness, compassion, and practical support.
IEOLCA’s training offers a grounded path forward, helping you build the skills, tools, and confidence to support people and families with clarity, dignity, and care.
★★★★★
“An incredible resource for those seeking a thorough curriculum. The combination of videos and written materials provides an in-depth overview of compassion, listening, person-centered care, and self-care. It is a gift to the community.”Robert R. - IEOLCA Certified End-of-Life Doula
Why IEOLCA
What makes this training different
If you are exploring your options, we want you to know what truly sets this Certification Program apart. IEOLCA begins with who you are: your relationship with mortality, your values, your capacity for presence, and the calling that brought you here. Before you learn how to support others, you are gently invited to understand the ground you are standing on.
From there, the training gives you a complete, practical path forward — with structured learning, reflective assignments, ready-to-use resources, business guidance, and tuition intentionally designed to remain accessible for those who feel called to this work.Watch the Overview
See what makes this training so grounded and practical
This short video introduces the IEOLCA End-of-Life Doula Certification and gives prospective students a feel for the scope, tone, and purpose of the program.
Begin your End-of-Life Doula Training today
Join compassionate learners from 75+ countries. Self-paced, fully online, and available at a tuition that works for you.
💛 Tuition That Meets You Where You Are
We believe financial circumstances should never stand between someone and this calling. That is why we offer a self-selected, honour-based tuition model - no applications, no committees, no explanation required. Choose the option that is honest and right for you. Every tier includes the full program, lifetime access, and our 60-day satisfaction guarantee.
50% Tuition Support
$437.50
Half the full rate - a good fit if you are balancing this investment alongside other financial commitments right now.
Enroll at $437.5070% Tuition Support
$262.50
If this is the option that makes beginning possible for you, it is here and it is enough. No explanation needed.
Enroll at $262.50🔒 Secure checkout • Stripe • Lifetime access
Your enrollment is backed by a 60-day satisfaction guarantee
We want you to feel good about your decision. If the training does not feel like the right fit, a full refund is available within 60 days - no questions asked.
We believe deeply in the value of this education, and we want you to feel supported from the very first day you begin.
Program Curriculum
A comprehensive path to confident, compassionate practice
This course is an immersive learning experience designed to meet you where you are — and to help you grow into this work with knowledge, tools, and genuine inner readiness. The program unfolds across three phases, each one building on the last, so you can move at your own pace and let the learning unfold in its own time.
The Three Phases
How the training unfolds
The certification is organized into three learning phases. You begin with personal readiness and foundational understanding, move into practical doula skills, and then complete the training through reflection, integration, and final certification steps.
🌿 Foundations Training 8 modules
Scope, ethics, cultural humility, and personal readiness
This phase begins not with what a doula does, but with who you are and why you are called to this work. Before you can hold space for others, it helps to understand the ground you are standing on - your values, your relationship with mortality, and the lived experience you already carry into this calling.
Through reflective activities and guided exercises, you will clarify your scope, explore your own readiness, and develop the kind of steady, grounded presence that families most need from a doula.
By the time you complete Phase One, you will understand not just what a doula does - but how to show up with calm clarity when emotions are high, and how to honour each person's unique wishes with confidence.
01
Welcome & Orientation
Set expectations, understand the program flow, and begin with clarity and intention.
02
Self-Directed Learning
Practical strategies for staying motivated, organized, and consistent.
03
Exploring the Call
Clarify what draws you to this work, what values will guide your practice, and the unique strengths you bring.
04
History of Deathcare
Understand cultural shifts in how we care for the dying, and the re-emergence of community-based, person-centred support.
05
The Doula Role
Define scope, boundaries, and what non-medical support means in practice.
06
Self-Awareness
Build emotional regulation, reflective practice, and steadiness under stress.
07
Cultural Humility
Learn how to provide inclusive, dignified support across beliefs, traditions, and identities.
08
Exploring Mortality
Engage your own relationship with death, meaning, and legacy.
📎 Included resources - Foundations
- Training Schedule & weekly study planner
- Milestone Tracking Sheet
- Daily Reflection & Integration Journal
- Personal Mission Statement & Values Identification worksheet
- Facilitating Culturally Sensitive Conversations guide
- Adapting Rituals to Different Environments
- Practical Strategies for Adapting Ritual
- Post-Experience Reflection template
- Community Resource & Cultural Support Network builder
- Cultural & Spiritual Leader Directory template
- Reflective Writing & Legacy Exploration workbook
🧭 Core Skills Training 15 modules
Planning, communication, presence, and the dying process
This is the heart of the training. Fifteen modules covering the full range of what end-of-life doulas do alongside families - life review, dying plans, vigil preparation, guided imagery, legacy work, compassionate communication, and navigating the emotional and physical realities of the dying process.
Every module is built around real-world application, not just concepts. You will learn how to use each skill through practical tools, scenario-based reflection, and ready-to-use scripts and templates you can adapt for your first clients. Students frequently describe this as the point where the training shifted from learning about doula work to feeling ready to do it.
By the time you complete Phase Two, you will have the skills, the tools, and the relational confidence to walk alongside families through one of the most profound experiences of their lives.
01
Life Review
Support storytelling, dignity, and deep reflection as clients revisit the moments and relationships that shaped their lives.
02
The Dying Plan
Help clients document their values, goals, and preferences in clear, usable language.
03
The Dying Process I
Common physical changes and comfort-focused non-medical support - so you can reassure families and help them understand what is happening.
04
The Dying Process II
Emotional, spiritual, and relational experiences near end of life - and how to hold space for them with steadiness and care.
05
Grounded Presence
Stay regulated and genuinely supportive in emotionally intense or uncertain moments - one of the most essential skills a doula develops.
06
The Vigil Plan
Co-create a values-aligned plan for the final days - covering environment, rhythm, presence, and the bedside wishes that matter most.
07
Rituals & Ceremonies
Offer gentle, personalized rituals that honour each person's traditions without imposing belief - drawing on what brings meaning to them.
08
Guided Imagery
Use calming language and visualization to support comfort - with scripts you can adapt and use with clients right away.
09
Legacy & Meaning
Support legacy projects and memory-making with dignity - letters, recordings, playlists, and other ways of preserving what matters most.
10
Compassionate Communication
Navigate sensitive conversations, family dynamics, and difficult moments with care, clarity, and appropriate scope.
11
Understanding Grief
Normalise grief responses and offer steady companionship - before, during, and after the death.
12
Circles of Care
Map support networks and coordinate practical care needs - so no one is trying to hold everything alone.
13
Doula Challenges
Work through real-world ethical dilemmas and difficult situations - so you can respond thoughtfully when things do not go to plan.
14
Professional Ethics
Strengthen boundaries, avoid overreach, and build sustainable practices that protect both you and the families you serve.
15
Best Practices
Integrate heart-centred, scope-aware guidelines that build trust, clarity, and lasting confidence in your work.
📎 Included resources - Core Skills
- Reflective Listening Prompts for Life Review
- Life Review Template + completed example
- Dying Plan Worksheet + completed example
- Examples for Each Key Element of a Dying Plan
- Vigil & Post-Death Contact Form
- Post-Death Logistics Checklist
- Vigil Planning Checklist + Form Template + Sample
- Ideas for Rituals and Ceremonies
- Ritual Planning Form + completed example
- Guided Imagery Script Template + Sample Scripts
- Client Consultation Form for Guided Imagery
- Legacy Planning Worksheet
- Family & Memorialization Legacy Planning Worksheet
- Legacy Love Letter Template + tips
- Common Doula Challenges - Scenario Practice + Responses
✨ Reflective Practice & Integration 5 modules
Bringing it all together into grounded, sustainable practice
This is where everything becomes cohesive. Phase Three invites you to step back, reflect on the journey, and synthesize what you have learned into a clear, grounded sense of who you are as a doula - and how you want to show up in the world.
This phase also bridges the training with real-world practice. Through guided planning tools, you will clarify the community you feel called to serve, map out the first steps of a sustainable practice, and receive the complete Business Tools & Resources companion - so you finish the program ready to begin, not still searching for the practical pieces.
Students describe Phase Three as the part of the training that brought a quiet confidence: a felt sense of readiness, direction, and purpose that is genuinely their own.
01
Applying Skills
Translate training into confident, grounded action - bringing presence, planning, and communication into real-world use.
02
Integrating Learning
Synthesize your learning and lived experience into a grounded doula identity and a clear sense of how you want to practice.
03
Aligning with Community
Connect your purpose with real needs and realistic ways to serve the community you feel called to support.
04
Business Essentials
Professionalism, ethics, and sustainable practice foundations - with the complete Business Tools & Resources companion included.
05
Final Reflections
Complete your certification requirements, confirm scope and ethics, and step forward with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
📎 Included resources - Integration & Practice
- Business Planning & Doula Services Worksheet
- Professional Networking Checklist
- Marketing Worksheets & Message Templates
- Comprehensive Pricing Guide
- Managing First-Time Client Inquiries & Consultations
- Sample Service Agreement & Client Boundaries
- Invoicing Templates for Client Services
- Recommended Reading & Resources
🎁 Bonus Included
Business Tools & Resources - included free
Many people complete their doula training feeling ready for the care work - and then face a new set of questions: how do I talk about what I do, what do I charge, how do I welcome my first client? The IEOLCA Resource Companion includes a complete Business Tools & Resources guide so that when you finish the program, those answers are already in your hands.
Client Intake & Agreements
A sample service agreement, client intake form, consultation questions, and a scope-of-practice acknowledgment - ready to adapt and use with your first clients.
Pricing & Business Planning
A comprehensive pricing guide, sample service packages, sliding scale language, invoicing templates, and a Business Planning Worksheet to help you define your services and set sustainable rates.
Networking & Outreach
A professional networking checklist, introductory email templates for hospices and funeral homes, and messaging guides for talking about your work in person and online.
First Client Consultations
Guided questions for first-time client calls, a client-fit assessment, and practical guidance on handling inquiries with clarity, compassion, and appropriate scope.
Recommended Reading & Resources
A curated library spanning grief, communication, legacy, advance care planning, culturally inclusive care, and more - Canadian, American, and international sources.
Invoicing Templates
Professional invoice templates for hourly, package, and sliding scale services - so billing feels as grounded and transparent as the care you provide.
Upon Completion
What you receive when you complete your training
Every IEOLCA program comes with meaningful recognition of your learning — and credentials you can put to work right away.
Certificate of Completion
Receive an IEOLCA Certificate of Completion recognizing your training in end-of-life doula support. Yours to display, frame, and share with confidence.
Digital Badge
Receive a shareable IEOLCA digital badge for your email signature, website, LinkedIn profile, and social media.
AL
Amy-Lynne M.
IEOLCA Certified
End-of-Life Doula
Featured Directory Listing
Graduates receive a complimentary listing in the IEOLCA Doula Directory, helping families find trained, compassionate support near them.
Student Reviews
What Our Students Are Saying
These reflections speak to the depth, clarity, grounded compassion, and confidence students experience in the training.
Ready to begin the training?
Choose the tuition option that is honest and right for you, or keep exploring the curriculum below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers about the training, pacing, access, and scope
Everything here is designed to help prospective students quickly understand what the certification includes and who it is meant to serve.
Is this course self-paced and fully online?+
Yes. Start anytime and move through the 27 modules at your own pace. You have lifetime access to all videos and downloads.
How long does it take to finish?+
Most learners complete the approximately 40 hours of training over a few weeks, though many choose a slower pace alongside work or caregiving. There is no deadline.
Do I need prior clinical experience?+
No. This training is designed for a non-medical role and welcomes caregivers, volunteers, helping professionals, and those new to end-of-life support.
What does the certification mean?+
This is a non-medical support role. In many jurisdictions there is no statutory licence or government registration for end-of-life doulas. IEOLCA awards certification when learners meet established standards through module completion and final assignments.
What is included with enrollment?+
You receive 27 on-demand modules, the 164-page Guidebook, the 143-page Resource Companion, downloadable templates and forms, and a Certificate of Completion upon meeting program standards.
How much does the training cost?+
Full tuition is $875 USD. We also offer a self-selected, honour-based tuition support at 50% ($437.50) and 70% ($262.50) off. No application required. Every tier includes the full program, lifetime access, and our 60-day guarantee.
How does the honour-based tuition model work?+
We trust you to choose the tuition tier that is honest and right for your circumstances. There are no income thresholds, no forms to fill out, and no one to ask permission from. If a reduced rate is what makes beginning possible for you, that option is there. It is part of our commitment to keeping this work accessible to everyone who feels called to it.
Is there a money-back guarantee?+
Yes. Every enrollment is backed by a 60-day satisfaction guarantee. If the training is not the right fit for any reason, a full refund is available within 60 days of purchase. No questions asked.
How do I pay?+
Secure online checkout is available by major credit or debit card through Stripe.
Will this qualify me to work with hospices, hospitals, or community groups?+
Many organizations value end-of-life doula training, but requirements vary by location and agency. Your IEOLCA certificate verifies education for a non-medical role.
All it takes is a willingness to answer the call
No prior experience required. No prerequisites. If you feel called to walk alongside others at end of life, that calling is enough to begin.
Your enrollment is backed by a 60-day satisfaction guarantee
If the training is not the right fit, a full refund is available within 60 days. No questions asked.
Choose your tuition
We want this training to be accessible to anyone who feels the call. Every tier includes the full program, lifetime access, and our 60-day guarantee.
Full Tuition
$875
For those who are able to enroll at the full program rate and help keep the training accessible for others in our community.
Enroll at $87550% Tuition Support
$437.50
A good fit if you are balancing this investment alongside other financial commitments right now.
Enroll at $437.5070% Tuition Support
$262.50
If this is the option that makes beginning possible for you, it is here and it is enough. No explanation needed.
Enroll at $262.50🔒 Secure checkout • Stripe • Lifetime access
Questions before enrolling? Reach us at office@ieolca.org - we are glad to help you find the right path forward.
