Foundations of Death Care
End of Life Doula Certificate Course
Summer 2026

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  • Online Course Material:
    June 7 - August 2
    access anytime on your schedule

  • Meetings:
    Meet for learning and community online on Zoom, held once a week for 8 weeks

  • Cohort Meets: 
    Sundays from 4:00-6:00 pm Mountain Time

8 Week Session. Online material opens June 7.
Live Zoom Sessions Sundays 4:00-6:00 pm MST
June 14, 21, 28; July 5, 12, 19, 26; August 2

Course overview
This 8 week course will provide resources, supportive community, and training for understanding the foundations of death care for serving as an End-of-Life Doula.

Online learning with weekly Zoom sessions on Sundays 4:00-6:00 MST. Course opens June 7, 2026 and ends August 2. Limited to 15 students.
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Certification Included
Create your own learning agreement and make the course work for you! You can choose to finish with an Iliff End-of-Life Doula Certificate that will prepare you to serve in your community.


Explore our unique approach to building skills and connections for end of life care

 
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Grounded in Justice and Intercultural Competency

Our approach, informed by Iliff School of Theology's longstanding commitment to justice, means that intercultural competencies are at the center of our approach. We honor the unique and diverse experiences of our participants and clients.

Practice Foundational Training for Real Self-Care

Maintaining a grounded, non-anxious presence is critical in end-of-life work. We emphasize the importance of grounding and centering practices as crucial for a sustainable end-of-life doula practice.

Focus on Interpersonal Communication

End-of-life care includes not just the dying, but their communities of care and all those who love them. We focus on healthy communication patterns as well as understanding non-verbal cues, as well as family systems dynamics.

Connect with a Diverse Community

This course will connect you with leading scholars, practitioners, spiritual leaders, and thinkers from various backgrounds and perspectives in end of life care. Join us to change the narrative around end of life care.

How does the
course work?

Learn from 8 units addressing the most important topics in end-of-life doula care.
Participants learn and study online on their own, then meet on Zoom for 8 weeks Sundays 4:00-6:00 pm MST.
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Total Course Investment

$1600
for 8-week course

Payment Plans Available

8 Content Units

1. The Practice of Death Care
2. Justice & Ethics
3. Legal and Medical
4. Legacy & Quality of Life
5. Spiritual & Religious
6. Practical & Thanatology
7. Communication & Community
8. Taking the Leap

Rich Learning Material

Instructor-Created Videos

Weekly Discussion Forums

Varied Assignment Modes

Weekly Journals

Videos, Podcasts, Articles

Customized Goals

Learners may pursue a personalized learning context that makes sense for them:

a Certificate of Completion,

or commit to the more professional pathway of
Death Doula Certification

What do you learn?

An end-of-life doula (EOLD) is a non-medical, non-denominational holistic companion who guides and supports a dying person, recognizes their individual needs and ensures they feel loved, valued, and affirmed. They do this by:

Creating Sacred Spaces

Creating and holding sacred and/or compassionate space whether in a hospital, hospice, or home

Honoring Spiritual Beliefs

Honoring the person’s religion/spirituality or atheism/agnosticism

Understanding Family Dynamics

Supporting the person’s family and communities

Communicating With Teams

Working in collaboration with other providers

Anticipating Unique Needs

Sharing information and resources to ease transitions

Meet your teacher,
Jennifer Leonard

Jennifer has been working in the integrative health field for 20 years. Her training began in medical school and shifted into Traditional Chinese Medicine and Mind Body Medicine. Her work has included community clinics, hospital settings, private practice and higher education.

A background in small business and program development has allowed her to mentor other professionals who are starting their own business. Jennifer has brought her skills into end of life care with her clients and volunteer work with Denver Hospice and the Crestone End of Life Project. In recent years, she has served as a licensed psilocybin facilitator under Colorado’s Natural Medicine Program.

Jennifer has a strong connection to nature and spends her free time hiking in the Sangre De Cristo mountains, gardening, and enjoying time outdoors. She is deeply inspired by the dark skies of the San Luis Valley where she lives and builds time into her life for regular star gazing.
Patrick Jones - Course author
kind words by students

What Students Are Saying

The Foundations of Death Care class at Iliff is exceptional.  Not only have I learned new and interesting skills and concepts that will support my job as a hospice Chaplain, but I have also met the most wonderful, new community of people who have informed me in so many ways. 

Whether you are new to the concept of death and dying and just want to learn more or are already a veteran professional in the field, you will not be disappointed in what you take away from this incredible, new innovative course.

Annie groves, mdiv
hospice chaplain
This is an amazing, embodied, educational experience through the processes of living, loving and dying. Beth is an invitational facilitator who is attuned to the specific needs and hopes of her colleagues.

It is a heartfelt journey as a group together exploring the multiple layers of dying and loss with individuals, systems, and organizations.
Highly highly recommend!

Rev Dr. Dee Cooper
Lead Presbyter
I’m here to share that this course has been truly transformative. This course improved our awareness of the power of justice, compassion, and community. With this awareness, we can enter the current conventional space of death care and empower people, especially the vulnerable.

I highly recommend that you dive in and experience the power of this course. Your worldview, how you view death, death care, and life, will blossom and enrich your way of being. 

Jiyoon Lee
Meditation Center Director
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Still have questions?
Let's talk! 

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