Certified CareDoula®

…the skills, boundaries
and roadmap required
for a lifelong vocation.

Home Of Artful Presence…
  • Accompany the dying with skill and confidence
  • Navigate the pre-hospice time
  • Create a sustainable practice
  • Be guided by one of the early pioneers in the field

You already know how to be there for people you know.
Now it’s time to turn that into real work with people you don’t.

Most end-of-life doula training teaches pieces of the work, but families don’t experience it in pieces.

They experience it all at once: medical uncertainty, emotional overwhelm, family dynamics, and practical decisions—often in the months before hospice even begins.

That’s where most families and practicing doulas feel lost.

CareDoula® was built to train you for this reality.

Not by giving you more information, but by helping you understand how to hold all of it at once and respond without overstepping or getting lost yourself.

Over time, Deanna found that this work comes down to three essential areas. And when you can work across all three, you’re no longer guessing.

This is what we call the …

CareDoula® Signature Three.

#1

To Accompany

What you need to prepare, know, say and do as you are present with the dying and their loved ones.

  • Understand the process of dying and how to bring non-medical comfort
  • Navigate end-of-life systems, choices, and family dynamics
  • Develop communication and listening skills that create steadiness
  • Caring for yourself while you care for others
  • What matters most in the final weeks, days, and hours
#2

Pre-Hospice Mastery

Be thoroughly prepared and skilled to navigate the terrain for personal autonomy, dignity and care.

  • Support anticipatory grief, dying, death, and early bereavement
  • Create meaningful rituals and personalized approaches
  • Pre-hospice advocacy and palliative care awareness
  • Navigating family dynamics and complex situations
  • Understanding physical changes and comfort measures
#3

Professional Service

Know how to navigate a family
from when you meet them until your time with them is over.

  • Providing steady, ongoing support from first contact onward
  • Build a practice that reflects your values and capacity
  • Creating your offer: pricing, packages, and structure
  • Contracts, agreements, and protections
  • Positioning your work in a sensitive, professional way

[See Curriculum Here →]

What makes this training different

This in-depth training is grounded in real world application. Over the course of your study, you will become clear about the structure and steadiness required for this work along with tried and true skills Deanna has accumulated over 26 years and current trends.

You will receive specialized Pre-Hospice & Advanced Illness training to be thoroughly knowledgeable on helping a family transition into hospice.

You will learn the Art and Practice of Accompanying the Dying focused from the perspective of your own private practice from someone who’s been in private practice for over 21 years. She has also trained 1000s of trailblazers around the world since 2010 to build their visions and change the face of dying.

You will have step by step guidance through the CareDoula® PRO Framework to create your vision of service and be in your community, knowing how to promote who you are and deliver your services.

We teach you exactly what to do to serve the dying,
become known and used by the people in your community.

And there is so much more to this than just learning skills.

You must learn the rationale for why you are doing what you are doing so YOU feel safe and THEY trust you.

And, there are protocols in healthcare and between agencies you must know so you build strong rapport in your community.

And another very important non-negotiable is you must learn how to care for you in this work as you care for others so you don’t burn out.

Free trainings and fragmented bits of chat conversations from a variety of rabbit hole dives can’t help with this.

Certified CareDoula® is where it all does comes together.

I give you everything I got. Cheers to your success!

As you study you will:

  • Feel relief as you begin to see how this work can actually fit into your life—and that it’s possible to sustain a service unique to you that will not burn you out.
  • Feel steadier because you have trusted guidance and you will feel the doubts you’ve been carrying start to leave you and you realize you no longer need to second guess yourself.
  • Become more confident, not in a hopeful ‘act as if’ way, but real confidence because you have structure to rely on and are no longer overthinking.
  • Understand the role as it actually is (not just conceptually) as the gaps that no one talks about begin to close.
  • Recognize your place in this work, holding a grounded, human, non-clinical presence without bypassing what’s hard.
  • Feel part of a professional home where you can also receive support with your own family and you are no longer walking this path alone.
Orientation: The End-of-Life Doula Role

Review our vision of the End-of-Life Doula role and our approach to training. By the end of this short 20 minute presentation, you will know if end-of-life doula service is for you AND you will know if you’d like to train with Certified CareDoula®.

Next Steps:

  • Review Certified CareDoula®.
    It includes:
    ➡️One private LIVE 1:1 Guidance Session with Deanna to set you up for success.
    ➡️Ask Deanna your personal questions throughout your study (as they come up) via our ‘Ask
    Deanna’     email platform.
    ➡️Comprehensive End-of-Life Doula training including Certification
    ➡️Invitations to additional exclusive trainings and special guests and expert sessions.
    ➡️Access to our Community Discussion group, (with alumni and current students).
    Ask questions as you learn with Deanna and experienced members of our Community.
    ➡️Investment: $1497. Payment plan available. Pay-in-full savings available – $1197. 
    Enroll Here. When you enroll, Deanna will reach out to you within 24 hours.
    ➡️7-Day Refund Period (Full refund minus $100 administrative fee and keep our
    Family Journey program as our gift.
    ➡️You may apply tuition towards private mentorship if you decide to deepen your study later.
  • WHAT COMES NEXT WHEN YOU ENROLL FOR CERTIFIED CAREDOULA®:
  • Orientation. Once you complete purchase, you receive a diagnostic survey and within 3 days of receiving your survey, Deanna will reach out to you for a private 30 minute orientation session to set you up for success. You’ll get clear on where you are, your goals, and best thing to focus on for your personal situation.

    “Deanna took the time to walk me through everything herself. I knew I made the right decision.” ~ Patty M.
  • Step by Step Guidance. Throughout your study, follow the timeline that is developed for you to keep you in momentum. The program is created to be completed in 16 weeks; however, you can finish when its convenient for you. Just follow the steps in completing the tasks in the timeline and you control your pacing. Finish in 2 months or 10; it is entirely up to you. The course is created to fit in with your life and we know that life happens sometimes and derails the best of plans. We support you to keep focused. Requirements for completion: 4 Assessments, Essay and Evaluation.
  • Where This Program Focuses: In addition to comprehensive end-of-life doula training and certification, we include a strong personal (historical/emotional/spiritual) journey component and Pre-Hospice Advocacy specialization. This is worked into the training material.

    “If I had only had this training before my wife died 2 years ago, it would have been so much different for my daughter and I.” ~Stephen J.
  • Exploring and Laying Out Your Vision. You’ll create a clear, sustainable way to offer your work, using our CareDoula PRO Framework. The Framework will help you build something tat fits your life and supports you over time (if this is what you want to do). Not everyone wants to build a professional service, but everyone should have a structure to how they are serving (anyone anywhere). This includes how to move through real situations, make decisions without a script, and build something you can actually maintain.

    “All of this was swarming in my head with no where to land that I could trust. She gave me a direct pathway to creating exactly what I wanted. ~Rose R.
  • Access to Years of Mentoring Sessions (replays) and other tools inside our End-of-Life Resource HUB. This is pure gold. Deanna is known for her extensive and unique style of teaching. Listen to doulas in the hotseat as they consulted with Deanna (personal and professional questions) about accompanying the dying, completing their study, developing their practice and actually serving clients. We have proprietary business tools as well as templates etc for your business.
Enroll in Certified CareDoula® Here

Deanna will personally reach out to you within 24 hours of enrollment.

Satisfaction Guarantee: Please review the material within your first 7 days. If you feel Certified CareDoula® is not the right fit for you,
simply email us within 7 days of purchase and we will refund your investment, less $100 administrative fee and keep our
Family Journey Program as our gift.

Why CareDoula® Works

Most people think they need more information or a faster path.
They don’t. They need guidance as they take real steps.

This is not theoretical work.

It involves witnessing grief, navigating uncertainty, and being
present in situations that don’t have clear answers.

You shouldn’t be trying to figure it out alone and through
fragmented bits of learning gathered in free trainings.

You are supported through our Step by Step Timeline to keep you on
track, our discussion group and ‘Ask Deanna.’ Although there is no direct coaching
with this program, if you have any practical questions as you complete the
program, you can always email the CareDoula® Team and we’ll help you.
We respond to training questions within 3 business days, often much sooner.

Hear From Our Graduates

  • “I was really struggling to find my place/niche as a Doula. Deanna helped me to get clear on my gifts not only as a Death Doula but as a human being. She helped me to see that the person I am has to fit into the business I create. I had been fighting this idea…”
    Rachel Grigor
    Minnesota
  • Deanna Cochran has been a leader, mentor, and a friend to me for many years now. I recently retained Deanna to provide some professional guidance for me regarding my thoughts on moving forward toward developing my own business. I have a broad background, but lack the many varied seemingly qualifying letters such as RN, PhD, LLC, etc. I trust Deanna and was immediately heartened when she said, “Sarah, no more qualification is needed. Your credentials and experience are enough!” Within our hour together, she helped me to narrow down and focus on the viable business paths I have to pick from, but which I was unable to see and arrive at on my own. I highly recommend anyone who is in need of professional guidance to retain Deanna. My money and time was wisely invested in Deanna and I will continue to work with her as I further develop my business and services.
    Sarah Leach
    Texas

Certified CareDoula®

What You Will Receive:

Comprehensive End-Of-Life Doula Education
Private Guidance Session with Deanna to Initiate You On The Path
Private Discussion Group to Ask Questions, Receive Support
‘Ask Deanna’ platform to ask direct questions to Deanna (3 day response, posted in group)
HUB of Invaluable Resources (Lifetime Access)
Certification from the 1st End-of-Life Doula Certificate Program in the US

Investment

$1497

(pay in full special savings of $1197)
payment plan available.

Enrollment is limited.
If you are able to enroll below, we are open to receive new students.
If there is a waiting list, please give us your name and we’ll reach
out when we have our next opening.

Let’s Go!

Enroll in Certified CareDoula® Here

Deanna will reach out to you personally within 24 hours of enrollment.

Satisfaction Guarantee: Please review the material within your first 7 days. If you feel Certified CareDoula® is
not the right fit for you, simply email us within 7 days of purchase and we will refund your investment,
less $100 administrative fee and keep the Family Journey Program as our gift.

Prefer Private Mentorship?

Some people know they want deep support and guidance.

They know they want direct access to someone who has decades of experience in innovative efforts advocating for people at the end of life. They value personalized guidance, private mentoring, and support as they develop their service and move through real-world situations.

If that sounds like you, private mentorship may be a better fit.

Private Mentorship Includes:

Everything inside Certified CareDoula® Independent Study, including 1 year of:

  • Direct access to Deanna
  • Private mentoring and guidance
  • Individualized service development
  • Access to exclusive professional collective and private student groups
  • Support as you work through real situations
  • A customized pathway through the material

Investment begins at $6,500 USD.

Apply For Private Mentorship

A Word About Waiting

At a certain point, more thinking doesn’t create clarity, it keeps you stuck in the racket of ‘confusion.’

People often tell me later that their ‘need to wait’ really had to do with fear. It looked like:

“I need to figure out xyz first…”
“I have to wait until things settle down…”
“Once I take care of [fill in a name] I’ll be able to focus on myself…”

It’s not that waiting is wrong or the reasons are wrong. It’s just if it’s about fear, not really about the reasons, waiting will only keep you from doing something you really want to do.

We are so used to putting others before ourselves.

And FOR SURE, this world is insane right now, more than ever. And it’s not likely to change soon. We all need to decide how to move forward anyway with what is important to us.

And chances are you are no spring chicken and you know that stepping into something as meaningful as this almost always comes with resistance.

You don’t need to have everything figured out.
You just need to decide if you’re going to move forward. I’ll make sure you get what you need.

At a certain point, you
stop thinking about it
and step in. No matter what.

Enroll in Certified CareDoula® Here

Deanna will reach out to you personally within 24 hours of enrollment.

Satisfaction Guarantee: Please review the material within your first 7 days. If you feel Certified CareDoula® is
not the right fit for you, simply email us within 7 days of purchase and we will refund your investment,
less $100 administrative fee and keep the Family Journey Program as our gift.

Frequently Asked Questions

The actual course curriculum portion is created for completion within 16 weeks. The program is self-paced, so you can fit it into your schedule. Some complete the curriculum in 2-3 months, but most people enjoy it so much they end up taking their time and finish in 4-6 months, sometimes a year or more. Let Deanna know what you need.

Most people report they spend about 2 – 4 hours per week (depending on their goals) in their study (which includes, assignments, reading suggested books, and business planning).

There is no rush to complete this program during an arbitrary length of time. Take it step by step. The most important thing is you are well trained and know what you are doing.

You will not get lost with us. Not only do you have Deanna guiding you in weekly sessions, we created a step by step timeline for you so you know exactly what to do at all times.

No, prior experience in the medical field is NOT necessary. This is a non-medical role. Hospice is the medical healthcare provider. We simply are additional support for the family (we also help hospices too). We provide the tools and training you need to succeed in this non-medical role.

There are so many ways this role can support a person and family. And each person will develop their path based on their own unique skillset. People that have medical backgrounds are equipped to help in ways that people with non-medical backgrounds may not be able to do, that’s true. We need everyone, with every kind of background. There are people out there that will only be able to hear YOUR voice. We each have our own way of being, our own circles of community. That’s why it doesn’t matter who you are. You will affect and be able to help the circles you are in.

The most important thing is we all share a heart for service to the dying, their families and circle of support. We are all from every background you can imagine, our skillsets are varied and so are our interests. No two doulas will offer the same service in the same way. Here, at Certified CareDoula® our differences are celebrated.

Hospice is the medical team, the leader in medical care at the end of life.

The end-of-life doula role is a non-medial role. Please understand that the skills to accompany people well, after medical considerations are handled, are all NON-MEDICAL. This is what even healthcare professionals want to learn more about as well!

You will always have our CareDoula® Peer Space for 24/7 access for connection, support and to contribute inside our community with other CareDoulas. We have an annual alumni gathering–our Anam Cara Gathering every summer (online), and we have local gatherings throughout the year, as Deanna travels. We love to connect!

You may want to stay in the work inside our End-of-Life Practitioners Collective.

She also provides several low cost workshops for the CareDoula® community, as well as bonus special classes just for certification students/alumni (at no additional charge). We also have special guest experts that visit us as well.

And you may work with her privately.

Satisfaction Guarantee: Please review the material within your first 7 days. If you feel Certified CareDoula® is not the right fit for you, simply email us within 7 days of purchase and we will refund your investment, less $100 for the Family Journey Program, which is yours to keep as our gift.