End-of-Life Doula Certification
A comprehensive, self-paced program (~40 hours) that prepares you to offer non-medical end-of-life support with clarity, confidence, and compassion.
Self-paced • Online • Global access
Your compassion is calling. IEOLCA is your starting place for confident, values-centered service.
IEOLCA is a home for people drawn to accompany others through dying, loss, and profound transition.
Whether you come from care, spiritual, veterinary backgrounds—or simply know in your bones that no one should face end-of-life alone—there’s a path here for you.
Whether you come from care, spiritual, veterinary backgrounds—or simply know in your bones that no one should face end-of-life alone—there’s a path here for you.
Self-paced, globally accessible learning with heart: end-of-life doula training for people and families, pet death doula support for companion-animal loss, and practical tools to build your values-aligned practice.
Choose your own starting point—IEOLCA’s guided lessons, downloadable resources, and reflective prompts help your clarity and confidence grow at every step.
Explore IEOLCA Programs
Four complementary learning paths to help you companion the dying, support families and pets, and grow a grounded, sustainable practice.
Pet Death Doula Training
Specialized training in companion-animal end-of-life support, helping families navigate decisions, comfort, memorials, and grief around the loss of a beloved pet.
Self-paced • Online • Companion-animal focus
Business Essentials for Doulas
A practical, heart-centered toolkit for structuring your services, creating boundaries and agreements, and sharing your work with the communities who need you.
Self-paced • Online • Practice-building support
Why End-of-Life Doulas and Compassionate Companions Matter
In every community—from hospitals and hospices to homes—there’s a rising call for care that honors the full human (and animal) experience. More families want end-of-life doulas, death doulas, compassionate companions, grief and pet loss doulas who bring presence, clarity, and heart when it’s needed most.
These roles complement (not replace) your medical team. As a non-medical end-of-life doula, you offer a steady presence; guide essential conversations about values and goals; help families prepare for vigil, after-death, and grief experiences; and make space for meaning, comfort, and dignity.
IEOLCA’s certification, pet death doula, and business training programs are built for this need—helping you develop practical skills, clear boundaries, and cultural humility, so you can serve people, families, and animals with compassion and confidence wherever you are in the world.
Non-medical end-of-life companions bring calm, clarity, and human connection to medical, home, community, and animal care settings.
About the International End-of-Life Care Association (IEOLCA)
IEOLCA is a global education organization dedicated to training, mentoring, and equipping end-of-life doulas, death doulas, companion animal doulas, and grief companions around the world. Our mission is to expand access to truly person-centered, non-medical end-of-life support for people and pets—wherever it’s needed.
Our curriculum is crafted by experienced educators, hospice volunteers, and care professionals with decades of hands-on experience in end-of-life care, grief work, spiritual support, and doula mentorship. Their wisdom, skill, and real-world insight shape every step of your learner journey, ensuring that what you learn is both deeply grounded and immediately useful.
At IEOLCA, you’ll find self-paced, evidence-informed online learning plus reflective practice and real-world tools. Every program is rooted in the Platinum Rule—treat others as they wish to be treated—and aligned to respected end-of-life doula training competencies. You’ll learn to listen deeply, honour unique wishes, and serve with confidence and humility.
International End-of-Life Care Association graduates are recognized for their calm presence, ethical clarity, and commitment to truly compassionate, non-medical support for individuals, families, and pets. Become part of a vibrant, growing community making end-of-life care gentler—one person (and animal) at a time.
What Our Graduates Are Saying
Students from caregiving, hospice, nursing, spiritual care, veterinary care, and helping professions choose IEOLCA for its deeply personal, heart-centered approach. Graduates share that they feel prepared, confident, and grounded in their ability to provide compassionate, non-medical end-of-life support. Many describe the training as a transformational experience-one that changes how they view life, death, and their own capacity for compassion.
Common Questions About IEOLCA Programs
A quick overview of how our online training works, who it’s for, and how the pieces fit together.
Are your programs self-paced?
Yes. All IEOLCA programs are fully online and self-paced. You can begin anytime, move through the material at a rhythm that works for you, and revisit lessons and resources as often as you like.
Do I need a medical or counseling background?
No clinical background is required. Our learners include caregivers, hospice volunteers, chaplains, social workers, nurses, veterinarians, therapists, and people simply feeling called to this work. Training is designed for a non-medical doula role and does not prepare you to provide licensed medical or mental health care.
Do I need to live in a specific country to join?
No. IEOLCA programs are available globally. Our learners are based in many countries and care systems. Because regulation and recognition of doula work varies by region, we encourage you to explore any local guidelines or requirements alongside your training.
Does IEOLCA certification make me a licensed professional?
Completion of an IEOLCA program provides you with a certificate of completion and a documented curriculum aligned with widely recognized non-medical end-of-life doula competencies. It is not a government-issued license or clinical credential, and it does not replace any requirements set by employers, volunteer programs, or regulatory bodies in your area.
In what order should I take the courses?
Many learners start with the End-of-Life Doula Certification and then add Pet Death Doula Training or Business Essentials as they grow. However, each program is standalone and self-paced. You are welcome to begin with the course that best matches your current needs and calling.
How do the courses support my personal growth as well as my skills?
Alongside practical tools and frameworks, you’ll find reflection prompts, values-based exercises, and invitations to explore your own relationship with death, loss, and service. Many learners share that IEOLCA programs have been both professionally useful and personally meaningful.
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Find the Program That Meets You Where You Are
Whether you’re exploring a new calling, expanding the ways you support others, or shaping a practice that reflects your values, there is a place for you here. Take your time, read through each program, and choose the path that feels right for this season of your life.