How do we help doulas be successful?
In our training programs, we start with a deep understanding about the social nature of birth and our connection to our bodies. From the first hour we work to connect doulas to this core wisdom. Your body will always be with you and can always be a compass when making difficult decisions. The first way we help doulas be successful is that we train them in skills that they will always have at their fingertips and that they can always trust.
Second we teach the science of doulaing. We teach about the neurological caregiving systems of the brain that everyone has, and the simple ways to activate that to our advantage during labor and in everyday relationships. Third, our courses are paced for humans and human learning. Which should be fun, expanding, include assessments that enjoyable – and not matter whether you have a GED or advanced degree.
Our certification programs came about through all of the interviews that I did with doulas and what made them successful. Our program doesn’t contain the barriers that can exist in current systems that keep newly trained doulas from achieving certification. It is universally accessible. We’ve provided opportunities for personal growth, and added strategies to help people continue in those early months.
But the real gem of what we do happens after training. This is accessible to all doulas everywhere. We developed a Foundations Of Doula Practice coached course. It’s an evolution of other courses I have done for doulas, psychology classes I taught at Madison college, and includes the opportunity to talk about cultural differences in a peer environment. This is a Coached course, so every person taking it will get something different out of the exercises. Our goal is to highlight and work through the areas that most doulas have challenges and to do that in a small group atmosphere. Our DTD Foundations Coaches are experienced doulas who have been to hundreds of births.
Next year, we will offer open enrollment to expand our Coaching Team. Qualified doulas will have the opportunity to apply and become trained as Foundations Coaches in their own communities. We’re looking forward to spreading this concept and having more Foundations Coaches and more successful doulas of all kinds!
Our end goal at Doulaing The Doula is that we want to create opportunity. We want to create more opportunities for more doulas to be successful, opportunities for experienced doulas to become coaches; and for experienced doulas who are also educators to become doula trainers. I loved having this influential career and being able to cultivate birth communities. I want to pass along that opportunity, especially with the great concept and curriculum and certification program that we’ve got. This year the mentoring program for doula trainers is focusing on a grant we received from the state of Wisconsin to train to mentor doula trainers within our borders. However we will have open enrollment in 2024.
Any doula anywhere is also welcome to join our DTD Online Learning Community, which is moderated by our Postpartum Programs Coordinator, Jaime Healy-Plotkin. The community features a bundle of five continuing education courses, plus moderated discussions twice a month with Jaime. I will pop in every once in while! Once or twice a year I will add a course to the bundle. Memberships are annual and include access to all DTD courses on Thinkific. We want to be your education destination as a doula!
