Trauma-Informed Care for Doulas (October Newsletter)

Trauma-Informed Care for Doulas

In September, we hosted Tamara MacIntyre for an excellent webinar on Trauma-Informed Care that is relevant for ALL doulas. Doulas are often in a position to prevent trauma, or triggering of old traumas. At the very least, we hope to recognize the signs of a trauma response in our clients so that we can provide appropriate support. Tamara suggests that a good open-ended question for clients is: What is your response to pain? Tamara recommended the following books:

• Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others, by van Dernoot Lipsky
• The Pocket Guide to Polyvagal Theory: The Transformative Power of Feeling Safe, by Stephen Porges
• The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, by Bessel van der Kolk

I will add three more resources, specifically relevant for birth and postpartum doulas:

Survivor Moms: Women’s Stories of Birthing, Mothering and Healing after Sexual Abuse, by Mickey Sperlich [The author also developed a psychoeducational program titled Survivor Moms’ Companion.]

When Survivors Give Birth: Understanding and Healing the Effects of Early Childhood Abuse on Childbearing Women, by Penny Simkin and Phyllis Klaus

When Survivors Give Birth: Understanding and Healing the Effects of Early Childhood Abuse on Childbearing Women, by Penny Simkin and Phyllis Klaus

If you need to research a topic …

Google Scholar is a search engine that provides a simple way to broadly search scholarly literature across many disciplines and sources including articles, theses, books, abstracts, and court opinions, from academic publishers, professional societies, online repositories, universities, and other websites. Keep in mind, however, that Google is known to suppress search results on controversial topics, especially results that run counter to preferred narratives, so be sure and follow up your search with alternate search engines as well. 

Are you thinking of adding another certification?

Lifespan Doulas certification trainings are structured as modules to make it easy to add a second or third doula specialty. Once you have invested in one certification pathway (for $797) with us, you can add the individual courses you need to complete requirements in another area for a fraction of the cost. For example, if you have completed our birth doula training program, you can add the required postpartum trainings for an additional $400 (rather than paying the $797 full fee for the postpartum doula training). As usual, payment plans are available. Check out the chart summarizing the training requirements for each certification.

Especially for End-of-Life Doulas Especially for End-of-Life Doulas 

Recommended Course:Palliative Massage for People at the End of Life with Cindy Spence and Susan Gee, January 24 & 25, 2025. Cindy presented a webinar for us a couple of years ago and it was excellent. Watch Comfort Massage at End of Life to get a feel for Cindy and her teaching.

I just started reading The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life’s Final Moments, by Hadley Vlahos. Is there a world beyond this one? This hospice nurse says yes.  

Using Existing Resources to Create a Successful End-of-Life Doula Program. Article includes a discussion of the Doula Model of Care and quotes yours truly.

Do Animals Know They Will Die? Interesting article in The Atlantic.

A Graceful Goodbye: End-of-life doulas bring comfort to the dying.

Did you know? (EOLDs take note!)

The Alzheimer’s Association offers financial support in the form of Respite Care Assistance. Families can receive up to $1000 as a one-time reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses toward adult day care programs, in-home care, overnight respite support, etc. (Save your receipts!)  Do you know a family who could benefit from this if they only knew it existed? Many other supports are also available including:

• Care consultations with MSW
• Support groups with daycare available
• Professional caregiver education options

Find your local chapter.

Birth & Postpartum Doulas Resources & Events

Did you know Detroit has an out-of-hospital birth center staffed by midwives? Celebrate with the midwives and the community at the Birth Detroit Birth Center ribbon cutting celebration on Sunday, October 13, 1-4pm. Enjoy dancing, tours of the birth center, food, and fun for the whole family! 8575 Heritage Place, Detroit.

Check out this collection of breastfeeding videos for moms and new families. How often should my baby eat? What is a good latch? Is my baby getting enough to eat? And more! Share freely with your clients.

Incidence and factors influencing delayed onset of lactation. This systematic review and meta-analysis of the research concludes that the incidence of delayed onset of lactation (DOL) is high. They recommend that clinicians pay attention to patients at high risk of DOL and formulate targeted prevention strategies to reduce occurrence.

Mark Your Calendar! November Member Webinar

HOSPICE INCLUSION & ONGOING CARE FOR COMPANION ANIMALS
With Judy Ramsey
November 20 (Wednesday, 8–9pm EDT)
As an end-of-life doula, you will encounter situations where there are beloved animal companions who are frequently the sole companion of the dying person. Even if family members have been actively involved, they may be unaware of any arrangements for ongoing care of the animal(s), and medical personnel may not understand the animal’s role in their person’s care. Judy will present information from the animal’s viewpoint, as well as provide resources which you can share with your clients to assure the well-being of their beloved animals.

Judy Liu Ramsey is an ordained animal chaplain, a shamanic practitioner and teacher, a professional animal communicator and interspecies counselor with over 40 years of experience in counseling, teaching, and mentorship. About 80% of her practice is working with people and their beloved animal
companions during the dying and death process. She offers grief support and hospice communication to families in need. Heart to Heart Animal Communication & Shamanic Practice. 

Become a Member of Lifespan Doulas today ($75 annual) and never miss our continuing education webinars. You will also gain access to recordings of all archived webinars (see list of topics at link above).