Why Mentorship Matters

Most people imagine that once they complete training, they will feel ready because they know they are good at being there for people, and all they need are the ‘nuts and bolts.’

But that is rarely how this particular work unfolds. The real questions appear as you are processing the knowledge, integrating your history and your vision with what you are learning. And especially when you begin to take your first steps out there.

There are a million questions people have as they begin shaping their own service…the real boundaries of what their role actually looks like and where it begins, where and when it ends and how to handle all the interactions in between.

And once you are ready to step out… there are all the ‘firsts.’ The first time you promote yourself, or plan and do your first community education session or take your first consultation call, your first visit and so on.

And then a family member asks something you weren’t expecting or you encounter a situation that doesn’t fit neatly into a lesson.

This is where mentorship is invaluable, because these kinds of things can paralyze a person who is new to this. So many students have reported that moments like these kept them frozen and stuck trying to talk themselves out of their fear unsuccessfully.

Mentorship works because when you are pulling together the pieces of something this serious, it helps to have someone with years of experience (with many different situations) who can help you think through what you’re seeing, understand the patterns beneath the situation, and help you develop the judgment that only comes through experience and guidance.

Information can teach skills but mentorship cuts down significantly in the time it takes to develop the discernment you need to practice with actual confidence (instead of trying to pretend you are confident).

What Makes This Mentorship Different

Many mentoring programs focus on accountability, motivation, and business growth. Those things have their place, but end-of-life work requires something much deeper.

For more than 26 years, Deanna has worked within end of life scenarios at the bedside, within hospice for years as a board certified Hospice RN (CHPN) and 21 years in private practice, family consultation, professional education, and service development.

She also provides corporate consultations and develops end-of-life doula programs within hospices, teaches End-of-Life Doula Training within graduate Master’s Level Chaplaincy Programs and has accomplished many ‘firsts’ herself. Currently, CareDoula® is one of the leading educators in Latin America during their current explosive growth.

As your mentor, she knows the terrain of ‘pioneer,’ of building something where there currently is nothing. She knows what it takes to move when you are afraid and do what has not been done before. She is a leader’s doula and guide.

Her unusual experience within hospice and the oncology floor (at the same time) provided her with a unique perspective on the sufferings of people at the end of life prior to hospice entry. This is something that every doula MUST have a deep understanding of.

Deanna has helped people develop creative solutions for their regions based on their skillset and the barriers to care for their particular area since she began in 2005. This is terrain she knows well. And she very generously shares with the people who work with her.

You do NOT need to recreate the wheel or guess your way through any longer.