Doula Educational Topics &
Industry News

Summer Summit 2024

Summer Summit 2024

At International Doula Life Movement, our top priority is making sure all of our students have access to in depth, comprehensive training for working with end of life patients. We are proud to say that even our basic course is constantly being enhanced with new information, staying as current as…
Dealing With Sudden Death

Dealing With Sudden Death

As doulas, when most of us imagine a case we might work on, I think we generally envision a situation where someone is nearing death but still communicative. We plan on being able to ask them about their wishes and talk with the family about what is going to happen,…
Extensive Advance Directive Training is a Win-Win-Win

Extensive Advance Directive Training is a Win-Win-Win

As an end of life/death educator, I have learned first hand that our role starts “in the now” when it comes to advance care planning. Through my 25 years of death doulaship, I have seen that the doula skill set provides a perfect match to help others with end of…
Doulas and Grief Work

Doulas and Grief Work

Those of us who work in end of life care need to be considerate of the fact that while death is certainly the end for the person who dies, for the people who grieve it is only the beginning. But working in death care does not always mean being an…
Honor The Cultural Background Of The People We Serve

Honor The Cultural Background Of The People We Serve

When it comes to delivering end of life care, it is important to be aware of and to honor the cultural background of the people we serve. Two of our Tree of Life speakers this November are particularly focused on end of life and grief care from their own cultural…
Pediatrics and End of Life

Pediatrics and End of Life

For this week’s blog, we are excited to spotlight two more of the experts scheduled to speak at IDLM’s upcoming Tree of Life Conference.  Toula Saratsis is an end of life doula who specializes in pediatric care. From her bio: Toula is a Certified End-of-Life Doula who specializes in perinatal…
Not Dead Yet

Not Dead Yet

Don’t let yourself start making the mistake of thinking of terminal patients only in terms of their illness. Instead, keep looking at the mother/father/grandparent/brother/sister/beloved friend who is still there with you, living and breathing, ready to talk about the things they care about, everything they have done in their life,…
IDLM Dementia Team

IDLM Dementia Team

As the upcoming Treeof Life Conference gets closer, we would like to spotlight the wonderful experts who will be in attendance. This week, to begin, we will focus on two women who will both be sharing their extensive knowledge regarding dementia care.
Alice Lafferty Spotlight

Alice Lafferty Spotlight

1. What first brought you to end of life work? When I was in 4th grade, I remember matter-of-factly telling my mother that if I died during the school year to be sure my funeral was during PE so everyone in my class could attend.  I am sure that was…
IDLM partners with Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice to train EOL Doulas

IDLM partners with Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice to train EOL Doulas

Hospice and doulas can benefit one another in so many ways. It is important to remember we are all in this together, to adopt a mindset of teamwork, with an awareness of our clients’ needs and the different strengths we all bring toward filling those needs, as doulas, hospice workers,…
Barbara Karnes

Barbara Karnes

A pioneer of the hospice movement, Ms Karnes has won multiple awards as an End of Life Educator and the author of a number of educational booklets on death and dying which are invaluable for anyone who has lost or is in the process of losing a loved one, and…
The Jaws Effect

The Jaws Effect

Within the doula and death positive community we spend a lot of time talking about how to open conversations about death, and how important it is to do that. In this week’s blog we’re going to discuss why it is so important to make the effort and have these conversations…