Certification Overview Doula Certification & Cross Certification
What does it mean to be a certified doula?
Certification for doulas is optional as we are a self-regulating profession. There is no government-mandated regulatory or accreditation entity that oversees doula training and certification programs. Thus, there is no real meaning to a claim of "national" or "international" certification by a training organization. Most doulas are self-employed and can decide for themselves whether they choose to certify.
Certification in the doula world simply indicates that one has completed the requirements of a particular training program. Certification, at a minimum, guarantees that the person calling her/himself a "doula" has:
What is the difference between "certification" and "licensure"?
In the United States, licensure is a function of the individual states. Licensure involves government mandates, fees, and oversight, and is required for many professions such as hair stylists, daycare providers, home health care agencies, and more. Currently, there are no states where doula licensure is required.
Community access to doulas
I have been a leader in the doula community for many years and have witnessed up close the growth of the doula profession. In the push to professionalize our special brand of support services, doula training organizations have created an ever-increasing number of post-training certification hoops for newly trained doulas. These may include documentation and evaluation of hands-on experience with clients, writing essays, extensive reading requirements, ongoing continuing education requirements, periodic re-certification, and more. Last, but certainly not least, is the additional costs involved for the doula in achieving certification/re-certification and the ongoing revenue stream this creates for the training organizations.
What effect do these requirements have on the greater doula community? The addition of certification fees to the cost of training, along with mandated annual membership fees, continuing education fees, and re-certification fees create barriers for lower-income doulas, many of whom cannot afford to become certified after investing in training.
As newly trained doulas begin to provide services, many discover that certification is not necessary. The reality is a large percentage of professional doulas do not choose to become certified. Of those who do complete certification, an even larger percentage decline to re-certify when the time rolls around, as the ongoing value of the certification is uncertain.
Streamlined Certification
We believe that extensive certification requirements and fees are unnecessary to achieve the aim of preparing well-trained, high-quality doulas to serve families in their own communities. Therefore, we have included certification in the cost of training and have removed the barriers.
Certification Essentials
Credentials Earned
—Jessica Smith, Kenai, AK
Verify a Doula's Certification Status
See the lists below to verify the status of any doula claiming professional certification through Lifespan Doulas, LLC. If she/he is not listed, then it is likely they are not affiliated with us. However, mistakes can happen, so please reach out to patty@lifespandoulas.com with any questions you may have.
Grievance Process
Lifespan Doulas, LLC has a Grievance Process for anyone needing to report a violation of the Doula Scope of Practice by a Lifespan Doulas' certified doula. If you have a concern regarding ethical conduct of a doula, please email patty@lifespandoulas.com.