Working with the Dying: Doula Tools and Techniques

Doulas have long helped women through labor. Now a new kind of doula is helping dying people and their loved ones at the end of life. This intensive training is for nurses, social workers, body therapists, birth doulas and anyone interested in understanding the end-of-life process or working more skillfully with people at the very end of life.

Henry Fersko-Weiss, who created the first End-of-Life Doula program modeled on the work done by labor doulas, will teach you how to use guided visualization, massage, ritual, touch, the gift of presence and end-of-life plans to support people physically, emotionally and spiritually.

We will cover what happens to the body and spirit as someone moves through the final transition in life, as well as what happens for family and loved ones after a death. The training will combine didactic material with PowerPoint presentations, videos, experiential exercises and practice sessions. Completing this training will help you to bring peace and transformation to dying people, and to bring great comfort and a sense of completion to caregivers.