Beyond the Basics:
Death Doula Expansion Cohort
Beyond the Basics is a 6-week mentorship-based virtual cohort for death doulas ready to step into real-world practice with support.
The next cohort begins September 14, 2026.
If you’ve been wondering what comes next, this is that next step.
You’ve completed your training.
You understand the role.
And still, there’s a gap between knowing and doing.
Many programs don’t fully prepare you for:
navigating hospice in real time
educating families in after-death care
guiding home funerals
holding complex grief
or building a sustainable practice
This space exists to bridge that gap.
This space is for you if:
You’ve completed foundational death doula training
You’re ready to move from theory into ethical, sustainable practice
You want mentorship and hands-on skill building, not just information
You value depth, reflection, and integrity in this work
What Students Are Saying
"Beyond the Basics was one of the most meaningful and transformative investments I have made in my work as a death doula. The curriculum went far beyond foundational certification, exploring the practical, ethical, spiritual, holistic, and business realities of building a practice with integrity.
Jade and Heather created an experience that left me with greater agency, knowledge, awareness, and practical confidence. Farewell Fellowship represents the gold standard in advanced death doula education and mentorship."
—Jennifer Hahnke, Yours Alone
"If you're a new death doula, or a more seasoned doula craving heart-centered education and community, Beyond the Basics is absolutely your next best step.
The quality of embodied education Jade brought to this program is beyond compare, and Heather provided structure that never felt rigid or stifling. Together, they created a space where I felt deeply held and seen.
I walked away with a deeper education, more confidence in my skills, and the feeling that I had found my kindred. I would not hesitate to recommend this program."
—Niki DeGaetano, Numbered Days
"I loved the Beyond the Basics training and the cohort. We all brought unique perspectives, niches, skill sets, and interests, and together it created the perfect environment for learning.
There was so much respect and genuine warmth that it felt like a safe place to explore, with a shared commitment to caring for people at the end of life.
The retreat was so important, especially for those of us who had never apprenticed in person. Five stars from me!"
—Carol Shutley
Upon completion of this cohort, you will be:
Confident in explaining hospice enrollment and operations to families that you support as a doula,
A guide for families through their after-death care options with clarity
Properly educated in how to support families through home funerals and body care with steadiness
An advocate for families that you serve as they navigate the funeral industry
Practiced in utilizing rituals to best support clients through death and grief
A death doula practitioner with an ethical and sustainable business foundation
This stage of death work cannot be learned through information alone.
Instead of studying in isolation, you’ll move through this work in virtual community, with mentorship, real-time guidance, and space to integrate what you’re learning as you go.
A Rhythm Designed for Integration
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Along with our virtual teachings, you will receive comprehensive resource pages for additional depth and exploration, as well as case studies, templates for client onboarding, exercises to deepen and expand your craft, and referrals lists we develop as a community.
There is more information offering in this training than can be explored in our time together. You have access to the materials to keep learning at your own pace.
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During our 90-minute virtual sessions with Jade + Heather, we'll move beyond the traditional curriculum of death doula education and into the spaces clients most need support: hospice systems navigation, after-death care guidance, and grief support. Through curriculum and exercises, we’ll strengthen your confidence and deepen your doula craft.
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Later in the week, you'll join a guided virtual session to review the week's resources, ask questions, and deepen your understanding of the curriculum in conversation with your teachers and cohort.
Each session also includes an exploration of one aspect of professional practice alongside a complementary spiritual practice, offering both practical guidance and reflective support for your growth as a death doula.
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You’re invited to step out of the virtual space and into the work itself.
This one-day, in-person retreat is where the learning becomes embodied; where you practice the skills, not just understand them.
Together, we’ll move through hands-on experiences in reflective listening, care team facilitation, after-death care planning, body care and shrouding, and ritual creation.
You’ll have the opportunity to practice in real time, receive guidance, and feel what it’s like to hold this work in your body, in relationship, and in space with others.
This retreat is optional, but for many, it becomes the moment where everything begins to integrate and feel real.
Curriculum Overview
Week 1 — Introduction + Community Foundation
Week 2 — Hospice: Circling the System
Week 3 — After-Death Care: Resting Rites
Week 4 — Home Funeral Guidance: Resting Rites
Week 5 — Grief Support: Where Grief Gathers
Week 6 — Business Integration
What’s Included:
2 private 1:1 mentorship sessions (virtual)
Weekly integration & practice calls (virtual)
In-person Skill Building Retreat
Certification of Advanced Practice
Advanced curriculum + guided practices
Weekly live teaching (virtual)
A Glimpse Into Advanced Death Doula Training in Practice
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![Community altar created by an advanced death doula training cohort at an in-person retreat, honoring shared experiences, intentions, and the journey of learning end-of-life care and death doula skills.]()
An altar created by our cohort to honor the journey into deeper death care practice
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![Hands-on learning woven into our in-person retreat experience.]()
Students practicing tools for holistic death doula work.
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![Advanced death doula training cohort participating in an outdoor sound bath practice in Franklin, Tennessee, as part of experiential learning in end-of-life care, grief support, and holistic doula practices.]()
Exploring practices that support presence, grounding, and care
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![Advanced death doula training cohort members listening to a peer present her death doula business plan during an in-person retreat focused on sustainable practice development, community learning, and end-of-life care.]()
Turning ideas into action through supportive cohort learning
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![Advanced death doula training students practicing burial shrouding techniques during an in-person retreat, learning hands-on after-death care practices and compassionate end-of-life support.]()
Building confidence through experiential death care training
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![Advanced death doula training cohort seated together in community, listening to a member share personal experiences with death and grief, creating belonging through shared reflection and end-of-life care education.]()
A community rooted in belonging, compassion, and the stories that shape our death doula work
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![Virtual advanced death doula training session with a diverse cohort of students joining a live Zoom teaching conversation, sharing perspectives and building community through end-of-life care education.]()
A diverse community of learners coming together to deepen their death doula practice
FAQs
How much does the cohort cost?
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The investment for the 6-week cohort is $1,650
This includes all live teaching sessions, full access to the curriculum, 2 private 1:1 mentorship sessions, community integration, and the in-person retreat.
Are there any discounts available?
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Yes. We offer two partial scholarships for every cohort. If finances are a barrier to your participation, we encourage you to reach out. We'd be happy to discuss whether a scholarship may be available and explore options with you.
Each week, you'll participate in two 90-minute live teaching sessions each week. These interactive sessions are designed to deepen your learning through curriculum, discussion, case studies, resource review, questions and answers, guided practice, and integration.
Your mentorship is woven intentionally into the program with two individual sessions: one with Heather at the beginning of the cohort to support your goals and learning plan, and one with Jade at the end of the program to reflect on your growth, integration, and next steps.
How much time should I expect to commit each week?
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What if I can’t attend a live session?
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All live sessions will be recorded and made available to you.
While attending live is encouraged, you’ll still be able to engage with the material if you need to miss a session.
The retreat is optional, but strongly encouraged.
This is an intentionally small cohort, with only 6 spaces available.
You’re invited to apply using the link below. Applications are reviewed personally, and you’ll hear back within a few days with the next steps.
If it feels like the right next step, you’re welcome here.