Farewell’s Thresholds Path

A hybrid death doula training that carries you from study into the heart of practice.
Move through six rich modules, guided mentorship, and embodied learning, and then cross the threshold into real-world deathcare through in-person shadowing at the bedside. Learn in the company of an experienced death doula, where skill, presence, and compassion meet the sacred work of accompanying the dying.

Along the Thresholds Path

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    6 in-depth, recorded modules (50+ hours of teaching and resources) covering the core skills and perspectives of modern and ancestral death care

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    Curated readings, videos, and guided reflections chosen to deepen your understanding and broaden your perspective

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    6 live, one-on-one mentorship sessions (75 minutes each via Zoom) to integrate learning and build real-world confidence

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    Learn through in-person hospice shadow shifts, paired with embodied practices for grounding, presence, and ritual

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    Monthly community offerings from virtual cohort circles to in-person workshops and gatherings, this path centers community

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    Certified Death Doula designation upon completion, with eligibility to apply for the Farewell Deathwalker Apprenticeship

What You’ll Gain From Thresholds Path:

By the end of the Thresholds Path, you will be able to:

  • Confidently companion someone through the dying process, guided by coursework, one-on-one mentorship, and in-person hospice shadow shifts for each unit of study.

  • Facilitate meaningful end-of-life planning conversations with individuals and families.

  • Hold space for grief in all its forms — from quiet sorrow to sudden and traumatic loss.

  • Integrate ritual, cultural awareness, spiritual literacy, and embodied practices for grounding and presence into your end-of-life care.

  • Understand the physiology, mystery, and cultural context of dying, and apply that knowledge in both bedside and community settings.

  • Engage in monthly community circles, cohort connections, and in-person workshop offerings that deepen your skills and relationships.

  • Serve as part of the Alive Hospice Volunteer Death Doula Program, bringing your skills into direct service for patients and families.

  • Earn your Certified Death Doula designation through Farewell Education, be prepared to pass the NEDA Proficiency Assessment, and be eligible to apply for the Deathwalker Apprenticeship.

The 6 Core Modules of the Farewell Curriculum

Module 1 - This Mortal Terrain: Discerning Your Call

In This Mortal Terrain, we explore the realities of dying in North America today, where death is well-supported, where it is not, and how a death doula (or Deathwalker) can bridge the gaps.

Through guided questions, self-study resources, and reflection, you’ll deepen your own relationship with death as a spiritual practice while building a clear-eyed understanding of modern end-of-life care

Module 2 - Sacred Ground: Honoring Your Grief

Grief is not a problem to solve but a sacred ground we walk. In Sacred Ground, you’ll explore grief as both a personal and communal experience, learning how to support yourself and others through its many forms: anticipatory grief, acute loss, and the slow burn of change.

We’ll study grief literacy, ritual, and embodied practices that allow us to meet sorrow with steadiness. Through questions, meditations and self-study resources, you’ll strengthen your capacity to hold grief without rushing it, fixating on it, or turning away.

Module 3 - Whispers Between Worlds: Energy Work for Death Doulas

Death is never only physical; it is cultural, spiritual, and, for many, mystical. In Whispers Between Worlds, we explore global and ancestral traditions surrounding death, and how these beliefs shape the end-of-life experience. You’ll learn how to honor diverse spiritual perspectives, create and hold ritual space, and companion the dying in ways that leave room for mystery.

This course invites you to listen deeply to the unseen dimensions of deathwork, and to integrate these understandings into your practice as a death doula.

Module 4 - Mapping the Farewell: Advance Care Planning

Every farewell is unique, but it begins with a map. In Mapping the Farewell, we explore how to guide individuals and families through end-of-life planning with clarity, compassion, and consent. You’ll learn to facilitate advance care conversations, document healthcare wishes, and design meaningful vigils. We’ll explore life review practices and legacy projects that help people integrate their stories and leave tangible gifts for loved ones.

Through case studies, exercises, and resources, you’ll see how these tools come to life in real-world settings, preparing you to walk alongside others as they chart their final journey.

Module 5 - Vessel & Veil: The Physical & Spiritual Dying Process

The body at the threshold is both fragile and sacred, carrying us through the final stages of life. In Veil & Vessel, we study the biological phenomena of dying: changes in breathing, the death rattle, skin mottling, terminal agitation.

Alongside this, we explore the spiritual experiences often reported near death, from visions of loved ones to the sense of crossing a threshold between worlds. You’ll learn how to respond with both clinical skill and reverence, tending to comfort, dignity, and the unseen. This course blends physiology, ritual, and the mystical, preparing you to companion the body as it becomes a vessel for both life and farewell.

Module 6 - This Grief Has Teeth: Supporting Complicated Loss

This module meets grief where it is fiercest. We work with sudden and traumatic death (catastrophe, violence, suicide, accident) and the distinct layers of pregnancy and pediatric loss. We also explore choices at life’s end, including VSEDand MAiD, and how to support families through the complex emotions these paths can evoke.

You’ll practice trauma-informed, dignity-centered care; learn clear communication and crisis coordination; and examine the death doula’s ethical responsibilities to equitable care, with attention to marginalized communities disproportionately impacted by premature death, medical bias, and systemic harm.

Who This Path Is For

The Thresholds Path is for anyone who wants to become a Certified Death Doula and is called to meet death with skill, compassion, and presence — especially residents of Middle Tennessee seeking local connections and in-person community alongside their training. You may be:

  • An aspiring death doula ready to begin your professional journey

  • A hospice volunteer seeking deeper, mentored training with in-person hospice shadow shifts

  • A funeral professional expanding your scope of care

  • A grief counselor, therapist, or clergy member integrating end-of-life skills into your work

  • A family caregiver preparing to support a loved one through the dying process

  • A community deathcare advocate weaving death literacy into your projects or outreach

  • Anyone curious about cultivating a deeper, more intentional relationship with Death for themselves

Why Farewell Education?

Farewell Education blends practical skill-building with deep, reflective learning. These courses honor the mystery of death while equipping you with tools to meet modern end-of-life needs. You’ll learn through questions, case studies, and resources drawn from real bedside experience, in a format that is personal, flexible, and rooted in community care.

✺ Frequently asked questions ✺

  • Thresholds is an immersive, place-based path to Certified Death Doula designation designed specifically for those who want in-person connection and community in addition to rich online learning. Unlike self-paced or fully virtual options, Thresholds pairs each unit of study with an in-person hospice shadow shift through the Alive Hospice Volunteer Death Doula Program, along with monthly community circles, cohort connections, and in-person workshop offerings in Middle Tennessee. You’ll still receive the depth of coursework and mentorship Farewell Education is known for, but with the added experience of serving directly at the bedside and building a local network of fellow practitioners.

  • Yes. Upon completing all modules, mentorship sessions, and quizzes, you’ll receive your Certified Death Doula designation through Farewell Education. You’ll also be fully prepared to pass the National End-of-Life Doula Alliance (NEDA) Proficiency Assessment and join the NEDA movement.

  • Thresholds is designed to be completed in five to seven months. Each of the six curriculum units includes an in-person hospice shadow shift at its midpoint and a summary check-in mentorship session upon completion. This pacing allows you to integrate bedside experience with your studies, build confidence through consistent mentorship, and stay connected to your cohort and community gatherings along the way.

  • Thresholds is ideal for those who want to become a Certified Death Doula while training in direct, in-person service and local community connection. It’s especially well-suited for Middle Tennessee residents who wish to pair their studies with hospice shadow shifts through the Alive Hospice Volunteer Death Doula Program, monthly community circles, and in-person workshops. Whether you’re an aspiring death doula, a hospice volunteer seeking deeper training, a care professional expanding your scope, or someone called to serve at the end of life, Thresholds offers the mentorship, hands-on experience, and cohort support to help you step fully into this work.

  • In Thresholds, you’re never walking this path alone. You’ll have one-on-one mentorship with a seasoned Deathwalker, in-person hospice shadow shifts to integrate your learning at the bedside, and summary check-in sessions at the close of each unit. You’ll also be part of a Middle Tennessee-based cohort, with opportunities to connect in monthly community circles, in-person workshops, and ongoing peer support. This blend of guided study, real-world practice, and local connection ensures you’re supported both in your skills and in your spirit.

  • No previous experience is required to join Thresholds. The path is designed to guide you from your first steps in deathcare through to confident, skilled service. Whether you’re brand new to this work or already volunteering in hospice, the program’s mentorship, in-person hospice shadow shifts, monthly community circles, and cohort connections will meet you where you are and support your growth into a Certified Death Doula.

    Jade does recommend being fully on-boarded with Alive Hospice before beginning this path.

  • Jade’s intentionality in the information/resources presented were vital to helping guide my EOLD path. Death education is so needed right now and Jade’s offering is invaluable!

    Rebecca Mullins

  • I was nervous about starting something self-paced, but the Kindling Path met me exactly where I was. The questions, the resources, the case studies — they all worked together to help me see deathwork as both a calling and a skillset. By the time I finished, I felt steady and prepared.

    Julie Warren

  • Jade is warm, upbeat, sincere and helpful. She is so well-informed about the dying process and ways to support the caregivers of the dying that I would feel comfortable having her work with my own parents.

    Jennifer Mallins

  • I loved being able to learn at my own pace while still feeling connected through the community calls. Each module was so rich that I often went back to revisit them. This isn’t just a course, it’s a companion for anyone serious about learning this work.

    A. Evans