Advanced End of Life Doula Program
Take your death doula practice to the next level with the International Doula Life Movement’s Advanced End-of-Life Doula Program. Designed for those looking to deepen their expertise and enhance their skills, this comprehensive course will equip you with advanced tools, knowledge, and techniques to better serve clients and their families during the end-of-life journey. IDLM partners with Opus Peace to bring this transformative learning experience.
Keep reading to learn more about the topics covered in the program.
$130 / 5 monthly
The format of the program is hybrid, combining self-paced modules with live interactive sessions. All online class meetings will be recorded and uploaded to your student dashboard within 48 hours for easy access. Each week, you’ll complete modules that offer specialized content, followed by live sessions where we explore case studies, hold discussions, and answer your questions. This program is designed to refine your skills and help you better support those navigating end-of-life care.
Join us to gain practical, real-world experience and deepen your understanding of advanced death doula practices, preparing you to make an even greater impact in your community.
Overview
Opus Peace and the International Doula Life Movement (IDLM) have partnered to deliver The Advanced End-of-Life Doula Program. Opus Peace is a unique 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to identifying and addressing “Soul Injury™” — a wound that disconnects individuals from their authentic selves. This concept has grown into a national movement, raising awareness about Soul Injury™ and how to heal its underlying causes.
The name “Opus” derives from Latin, meaning “complex work” or “masterpiece.” Achieving personal peace requires courageous introspection to navigate inner defenses that obstruct self-compassion and grace. By overcoming these barriers, individuals can attain the “masterpeace” of transitioning from living solely to living soulfully.
Our program in partnership with OpusPeace offers a wide range of specialized learning modules tailored for end of life doulas, veterans, caregivers, and individuals navigating aging, chronic illness, and trauma. Each module is designed to provide actionable insights, compassionate tools, and a deep understanding of critical topics.
Medical Terminology for End-of-Life Doulas included in this training program.
While end-of-life doulas are non-medical professionals, understanding medical terminology can be incredibly beneficial. Over last 12 weeks of program, doulas will gain the knowledge needed to comprehend medical terms often encountered during doctor visits or interactions with healthcare teams. This skill empowers doulas to interpret medical conversations, understand clinical notes, and help clients better navigate their medical circumstances.
Students will need to purchase Medical Terminology Made Easy: The Essential Learning Tool for Healthcare Students to Decode and Dominate Medical Jargon | 1500+ Key Terms | 3 Extra contents
Topics Covered:
Veteran Basics: What You Need to Know
- Welcome, Workbook, and Instructions
- Introduction to Veteran Basics: Foundational knowledge tailored for understanding veterans’ unique needs.
- Anchor Your Heart: Grounding techniques for emotional resilience.
- Self-Compassion: Finding peace within.
- Key Topics Covered:
- The 3 Trajectories
- Military Culture
- PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)
- Guilt and Forgiveness
- Bonus Content: Vietnam Veterans, Present Moment Living, Russell Ford – Prisoner of War, Real Men Cry (Slideshow)
Veterans Beyond the Basics: What You May Not Know
- Welcome, Workbook, and Instructions
- In-Depth Exploration:
- Wounds of Suffering
- The Traumatized Brain
- PTSD Treatment Options
- Acknowledging Service to Our Country
- Veteran Helplessness
- Bonus Content: Move! Soulfully Move Your Body, Vietnam Veterans
- Hope and Healing: Practical steps for recovery and support.
Veteran Caregivers: Unsung Heroes
- Celebrate the pivotal role of caregivers.
- Topics Include:
- Understanding Wounds of Suffering
- Managing PTSD
- Navigating Assumptions
- Bonus Content: Move! Soulfully Move Your Body, Vietnam Veterans
- Hope and Healing: Resources for caregiver well-being.
Aging and Chronic Illness Modules
- Redeeming the Destiny We Were Born to Fulfill
- Addressing ageism, self-perception, and resistance to aging.
- Tools: Loss Inventory, Forgiveness Practices, Bonus Slideshow (“I Am a Gift”)
- Meaningful and Purposeful Aging
- Finding purpose through reflection, creativity, and community.
- Features: “Freddy the Leaf,” 7 Steps of Living and Dying Healed
- Age and Agelessness: A Deeper Dive
- Topics: Role Models, Exit Strategies, Connecting to Agelessness through the arts and nature.
Sexual Trauma Modules
- Addressing Sexual Trauma
- Exploring topics like male sexual trauma and PTSD.
- Tools for hope and healing, including Self-Compassioning practices.
- Childhood Sexual Trauma
- Navigating loss of childhood, grooming, and silence.
- Practical self-help tools for integration and healing.
Advanced Communication Skills:
- Core Communication Skills
- Active listening techniques
- Strategies for building trust and rapport
- Navigating Difficult Conversations
- Approaches for discussing death, dying, and grief
- Techniques for handling sensitive topics with empathy
- Family Dynamics
- Understanding the role of family in end-of-life discussions
- Tools for managing conflict and fostering collaboration
- Compassionate Presence
- Staying grounded and supportive during emotional conversations
Medical Terminology for Doulas:
- Enhance understanding of medical jargon to aid in note-taking and communication.
While end-of-life doulas are non-medical professionals, understanding medical terminology can be incredibly beneficial. Over 12 weeks of dedicated training, doulas will gain the knowledge needed to comprehend medical terms often encountered during doctor visits or interactions with healthcare teams. This skill empowers doulas to interpret medical conversations, understand clinical notes, and help clients better navigate their medical circumstances.
Students will need to purchase Medical Terminology Made Easy: The Essential Learning Tool for Healthcare Students to Decode and Dominate Medical Jargon | 1500+ Key Terms | 3 Extra contents
Empower yourself with these transformative learning experiences. Each module is designed to provide the tools and understanding needed to make a lasting impact in your personal and professional life. Explore the courses and join a community committed to healing, growth, and compassionate care.
Dr. Qwynn Galloway-Salazar
At the intersection of story, service, and social change, Dr. Qwynn Galloway-Salazar (Doc Q) is redefining how nations honor and support Veterans and their loved ones through the end of life.
Founder and CEO of In Their Honor, Dr. Galloway-Salazar leads a consulting organization that integrates storytelling, applied theatre, and community engagement to transform how societies care for Veterans and their families through aging, loss, bereavement, and survivorship. Her work bridges public health, the arts, and compassionate community design to advance culturally responsive and trauma-informed care models.
An Army Veteran, spouse to a Combat Veteran, end-of-life doula educator, and George W. Bush Institute Veteran Leadership Scholar (Class of 2025), Dr. Galloway-Salazar has devoted more than two decades to building ecosystems of care that center dignity, inclusion, and relational belonging among military-connected communities.
As Senior Vice President of Engagement and Transformation at PsychArmor, she oversees national initiatives that strengthen military cultural competency across healthcare, education, and community systems. She is the creative architect behind the Caring for Veterans Through the End-of-Life course collection—three landmark trainings designed for Compassionate Communities, Caregivers and Loved Ones, and Healthcare Providers.
Dr. Galloway-Salazar’s creative scholarship lives within the field of applied theatre, where she develops original monologues, talk-back performances, and community dialogues as tools for social inquiry and collective healing. Her recent works include Grief Dialogues: Memorial Day (2025) and Can I Trust You: Support for Veterans at End of Life, performed at End Well (2024).
Recognized nationally as one of USA Today’s 2024 Women of the Year and as the Inaugural Georgia Woman Veteran of the Year (2022), Dr. Galloway-Salazar contributes her expertise across multiple national platforms. She serves on the End-of-Life Doula Council with the National Alliance for Care at Home, is a founding member of the U.S. Compassionate Communities Think Tank, and sits on the Advisory Board of the Veteran Studies Association. In addition, she mentors doctoral researchers exploring topics related to military-connected populations, death education, and community care models.
A sought-after speaker, educator, and creative strategist, Dr. Galloway-Salazar advances the belief that our deepest collective responsibility is to witness one another, ensuring that every life is seen, remembered, and held with care. Whether convening national partners, advising emerging leaders, or bringing untold stories to the stage, she creates spaces where lives and legacies are honored.
Deborah L. Grassman
website: www.OpusPeace.org or www.soulinjury.org
Few people have been with 10,000 dying veterans; one VA hospice nurse has. What Deborah Grassman has witnessed is providing lessons for the rest of the world. The lessons are about a process for attaining personal peace, and ironically, these lessons have come from people who were trained for war. She discovered a phenomenon that has become identified as “Soul Injury.” As a result, she founded a non-profit organization called Opus Peace to bring the Soul Injury message to others. A Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Deborah is the author of two books, Peace at Last and The Hero Within. She is a contributing author for four textbooks, has 25 published articles, and there are five documentary films featuring her work, as well as providing a TED talk on Soul Injury. Deborah is the Director of the Opus Peace Institute where leaders are trained to provide programs that respond to Soul Injuries.”
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