Redefining Birth
Doula Training

As an aspiring or professional doula, you may know that there are several organizations who can help you on your pathway to certification. While each pathway is unique, we believe that Doulaing The Doula’s training and certification offers the most well-rounded, culturally-attuned, evidence-based program available, taught with modern techniques that encourage whole-brain learning for better retention and skill building. Find out why below:

Amy Training Aspiring Doula With Birthing Ball
Dr. Amy Gilliland Headshot

Course and Certification Work Developed by Doula Expert Dr. Amy Gilliland

Dr. Amy Gilliland is a published researcher, thought leader, and visionary in the doula profession with years of academic and real-world, hands-on experience. Dr. Gilliland has developed our course work and a certification program to not only better support birthing parents during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum, but to help doulas build better relationships with medical staff and other family supports to ensure healthier, safer outcomes. Our training and certification acknowledge systemic racism and seeks to better equip doulas to provide the very best support to birthing parents in marginalized communities and beyond.

More Engaging Coursework Through
Whole Brain Learning

Our coursework is designed using modern teaching methods that involve and engage the learner. As a participating doula, you will not be expected to just sit and take notes. Instead, you’ll be moving around the room, doing small group activities, and having fun! People learn best in social environments, when they feel a sense of purpose and can show mastery over the new skills they’ve learned. Our workshops also take place over three days! Studies of behavioral change from Stanford University show that it takes three days to create lasting change, cement new skills, and transform attitudes. Doulaing can be a profession, a lifestyle, and an approach to life that incorporates acceptance and compassion. That one extra day is what cements learning and brings about those 99% confidence levels.

Focusing on Current Issues DTD Icon
We Focus On Current Issues

We discuss obstetrical trends and social justice issues in a safe and respectful way for all attendees. You’ll leave knowing more about what to expect in wide range of environments, and how to use your energy to transform birth for all kinds of laboring families.

Doula's Respect Cultural Differences DTD
We Respect Community and Cultural Choices

At Doulaing The Doula, all birthing parents and babies are respected and so are the wide range of choices they make. Because people can have such differing viewpoints, it’s important to learn how to communicate and support effectively. We learn how to do that together in a safe way and figure out our own personal limits.

Evidence-Based Skills DTD Hand With Graduation Hat Icon
We Develop Evidence-Based Skills

As a participant, you will learn what works and why, from someone who reads new scientific literature on a monthly basis! We also provide digital supplemental reading with over 50 support articles and materials and a print training manual of over 215 pages of insights, skills, and educational materials!

DTD Broaden Perspectives Holding Hands Icon
We Seek Intentional Diversity to Broaden Perspectives

During our Training, Foundations of Doula Practice, and Book Club Programs, you’ll meet people who are different from you, who also want to learn doula skills! Doulas are needed in every community and only by working together can we help to spread the word that people’s emotional needs in labor are important.

Amy Gilliland has mentored our DTD trainers in her own style – a balance of experience, hard-earned wisdom and book learning that informs our curriculum.

DTD Doula Success Hands on Heart Icon
We Set Our Doulas Up for Success

Over 99% of DTD training participants feel confident and prepared to begin doulaing by the completion of their coursework. The doula skills you develop are intentionally adaptable to many settings, birth experiences, and outcomes to ensure tailored and comprehensive support for the families you serve. We are also dedicated to providing individualized experiences at your training! Our team will work hard to get to know YOU through our pretest, email communications, and phone calls. Each training is different because of the people who attend.

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We Seek to Impact Your Life in Meaningful Ways

In January 2016, a nursing student named Liz Turner didn’t want to leave when the workshop was over. She said it felt like “the last day at camp”. She was quiet for a moment and then said, “Yeah, Vagina Camp!” This was especially notable since we had a cisgendered male in the training. “Vagina camp” is an immersion into female gendered birth culture for people with all kinds of bodies and gender identities, which is another way of defining our childbirth class and doula training series. And yes, everyone does get a button at the closing ceremony – just like camp!

Certification Course Bundles

Training & certification is easier than ever with our Basic and Premier Success packages.

Birth Doula: Certification Package

  • DTD Childbirth Course
  • Birth Doula Training
  • DTD Postpartum Course
  • DTD Infant Feeding Course
  • Certification Program Included
  • DTD Directory Listing
  • 1 Private Coaching Session

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Birth Doula: Essential Success Package

  • DTD Childbirth Course
  • Birth Doula Training
  • DTD Postpartum Course
  • DTD Infant Feeding Course
  • Certification Program Included
  • DTD Directory Listing
  • Book Club Group Meetings
  • Foundations of Doula Practice Course

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Birth Doula: Premier Success Package

  • DTD Childbirth Course
  • Birth Doula Training
  • DTD Postpartum Course
  • DTD Infant Feeding Course
  • Certification Program Included
  • DTD Directory Listing
  • Book Club Group Meetings
  • Foundations of Doula Practice Course
  • 1 Year Membership to Our Online Learning Community
  • 2 Private Coaching Sessions w/your Trainer

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Postpartum Doula: Essential Success Package

  • DTD Childbirth Course
  • DTD Postpartum Course
  • Postpartum Doula Training
  • DTD Infant Feeding Course
  • Newborn Communication Skills Course
  • Certification Program Included
  • Book Club Group Meetings
  • Foundations of Doula Practice Course
  • DTD Directory Listing
  • Postpartum Group Webpage & Social Media Promotion for 1 Year

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Postpartum Doula: Premier Success Package

  • DTD Childbirth Course
  • DTD Postpartum Course
  • Postpartum Doula Training
  • DTD Infant Feeding Course
  • Newborn Communication Skills Course
  • Certification Program Included
  • Book Club Group Meetings
  • Foundations of Doula Practice Course
  • DTD Directory Listing
  • Postpartum Group Webpage & Social Media Promotion for 1 Year
  • 1 Year Membership to Our Online Learning Community
  • 2 Private Coaching Sessions w/your Trainer

View Bundle