Our Blog & Newsletter Archives From birth to end-of-life care

balanced caregiving

Balanced Caregiving ~ March Webinar

By Patty Brennan | March 23, 2022

With author Ellie Atherton. Don’t let your energy well go dry! Many of us know how wonderful it feels to help others, and that deep satisfaction is what encourages us to continue giving. But if you are giving without refueling your own energy stores, this may leave you exhausted and limit your ability to be fully…

work life balance

Third Party Reimbursement for Doulas, Help Wanted ~ March Newsletter

By Patty Brennan | March 1, 2022

The Art of Living I was speaking with my friend Harriette yesterday. At 82 years old, Harriette spoke enthusiastically about how much she is learning about LIVING every day! We’re never too old to practice the art of living our best life. Up to 77% of Americans experience burnout because of their work, and 66% report a…

How to Choose a Doula Training

By Patty Brennan | February 18, 2022

How to choose a doula training when there are so many options? Which is best? Just as no one doula can be the right fit for every family, no one doula training can be the best fit for every prospective doula. Before you get lost in the Sea of Choices and are tempted to give…

Your Doula Career ~ February Newsletter

By Patty Brennan | February 17, 2022

Have you considered engaging in doula work? We offer a pathway to a fulfilling new doula career. Our DOULA BUSINESS BUILDER discounted bundled training packages can be customized to fit your needs. All trainings are online. What are your choices? End-of-Life Doula Training  Birth Doula Training Postpartum Doula Training and/or Any combination of the above Choose…

SEO for doulas

SEO for Doulas ~ Webinar

By Patty Brennan | January 30, 2022

With Patty Brennan, author of The Doula Business Guide “Build it and they will come” (from the movie, Field of Dreams). Well, no, actually it doesn’t work that way. It’s not enough to create and launch your website. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a great accomplishment for a new business owner! Next, the task is to get your…

calling to become a doula

Your Calling to Become a Doula ~ January 2022 Newsletter

By Patty Brennan | January 2, 2022

Do you have a calling to become a doula? Do you feel comfortable in the sacred space of birthing and dying? Do you intuit just what the birthing mother, new family, or dying person and their loved ones need as they move through these tender, hard, and profound moments? Do you feel drawn to witness, to be…

Dementia at End of Life ~ Webinar

By Patty Brennan | November 18, 2021

With Lori Smith & Patty Brennan Lori shares practical tips for doulas and other caregivers in the art of support for a person with dementia at end of life. Topics include: The EOLD/caregiver’s role in identifying pain Communication challenges in expressing pain Observing and identifying signs of pain Creating a comfortable environment 4 main triggers…

market doula business

How to Market your Doula Business

By Patty Brennan | November 3, 2021

How to Promote your Doula Business An initial stumbling block to marketing my doula services involved a deep-seated distaste for selling. I began to feel more comfortable with the idea of selling myself and my services once I understood the importance of articulating the VALUE I bring to my clients. Consider the following questions: What…

doula contract

How to Create a Doula Contract

By Patty Brennan | October 5, 2021

October 2021 Newsletter from Lifespan Doulas How to Create a Doula Contract #1. Understand the purpose of your contract. It is essentially a tool for communication. Your contract (or “Letter of Agreement”) commits to writing the terms of the doula-client relationship, especially around services provided, fees, and terms of payment. You are seeking to create…

acupressure in labor

Acupressure in Labor

By Patty Brennan | October 4, 2021

How can acupressure in labor be beneficial? We will focus on two acupressure points in the body that, when stimulated, help to release the hormone oxytocin in order to start or augment uterine contractions. A common application is as a natural means of getting labor contractions started. Or to help erratic early labor contractions strengthen…

tips for death doulas

Tips for Death Doulas: How to Support the Dying ~ Webinar Recording

By Patty Brennan | September 17, 2021

Webinar with Ellie Atherton, author of Stepping Stones: Following a Pathway to End of Life Ellie Atherton, a long-time hospice nurse with the heart of a doula, shares tips for death doulas that include her techniques for honoring each person’s unique experience of dying. Ellie shares that she “got into trouble” early in her hospice…

Alzheimer's symptoms

Evolving a Doula Business ~ September Newsletter

By Patty Brennan | September 3, 2021

A framework for making the “daunting” doable Evolving a Doula Business Workshop. Live Zoom workshop taught by Patty Brennan. September 18. What is this Doula Business workshop about?  It is about YOU! Your strengths, your skills, your beliefs, your habits. It is about identifying areas for personal growth, skills to be acquired, where you feel “stuck,”…