DOULA CERTIFICATION Professionalize your services with Lifespan Doulas.
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, end-of-life and postpartum doulas are unlicensed and unregulated service providers in all states, while birth doulas are licensed in Oregon and Minnesota only. Legislative efforts to regulate birth doulas are underway in a growing number of states. The motive driving these regulatory efforts is to qualify doulas for Medicaid reimbursement so that lower income families can benefit from doula support.
It is best to keep in mind that the status of licensing and third-party reimbursement for doulas is likely to change over time. There is no one-stop clearinghouse that is tracking these efforts in the individual states. See our article, "The Changing Landscape for Doulas and Medicaid" in our June 2022 Newsletter for a bit more information.
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 do not choose to re-certify when the time rolls around, as the ongoing value of the certification is uncertain.
Certification Essentials
Credentials Earned
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 barriers.
Certification Requirements
For Birth Doulas
Complete the self-paced study modules.
Read four books.
+ Two More Steps
For Postpartum Doulas
Complete the self-paced study modules.
Read five books.
+ Two More Steps
For End-of-Life Doulas
Complete the self-paced study modules.
Your Choice
Read four books.
+ Two More Steps
Cross Certification
Did you train with another organization or with Patty Brennan in the past? Cross Certification offers the opportunity to earn your doula certification through Lifespan Doulas.
Cross Certification is for folks who completed professional doula training:
- With another trainer or organization, OR
- With Patty Brennan prior to May 2021 (Birth/Postpartum Doulas) OR
- With Lifespan Doulas prior to March 2020 (EOL Doulas)
Earn your professional certification for life, plus a one-year listing in our Doula Directory, for a one-time fee of $100.