💀 Deathschool is back…. EVOLVED! 🌿
For years, Deathschool has been a transformative space for those seeking to engage deeply with end-of-life care, doulaship, and the mysteries of mortality. Now, after 5 years, 19 sessions, hundreds of graduates, thoughtful evolutions and big changes, Deathschool is back in its new evolution: Deathschool Evolved.
So what has evolved? 🌿
🌿Session 20 will bring you much of the same tried and true cornerstone death education you expect from this program, but with some meaningful changes. Instead of 12 classes over 6 weeks, we will have 17 classes over 8 weeks - more time for sharing, processing and case studies.
🌿It is no secret that we will miss Laurens talent and presence in this class. While everything else is improving, there is no way to go around the fact that her presence will be missed. However, her expertise will not be compromised, and Erin will be welcoming cutting edge industry leaders as guest teachers - stay tuned for those announcements!
🌿 Deathschool Evolved Certification: 33 Hours of Professional Training in Death Philosophy and Doulaship
🌿Affordability and Access! Because I am teaching this solo, I can drop the cost. 17 classes for $1695.00, all inclusive of final exam and certification. (Payment plans available. One scholarship will be offered in a few weeks)
Over our 17 Classes together we will study🌿
✨ The role and philosophy of death doulaship in stages.
✨ Legacy work and pre-planning, 11th hour vigil, and after death ceremonial care.
✨ Grief traditions, ancestral healing, and cultural anthropology.
✨ The industrialization of funeral care and alternatives like green burial practices.
✨ Creating rituals, meaningful funerals, and rites of passage that transcend templates
✨ Resources and running a death care business.
✨ Exploring afterlife beliefs across cultures and personal reflections.
✨ The ethics of MAiD, suicide, and complex cases in modern deathwork.
✨ Building a sustainable, impactful business as a death doula.
““Deathschool Evolved is an invitation to step into this uncharted territory—not only as a guide for others but as someone willing to explore the depths of your own humanity.””
Class Outline:
Module 1: Live Online Classes (Sessions 1–6)
Tuesdays at 11:00 AM MST and Thursdays at 6:00 PM MST
Session 1: Introduction & Orientation
Date: Tuesday, January 21, 2025 – 11:00 AM MST
- Introductions.
- Orientation and overview of the syllabus.
Session 2: Foundations of End-of-Life Care
Date: Thursday, January 23, 2025 – 6:00 PM MST
- Lecture: Death Doula 101.
- The stages of dying.
- The role of death doulas—history, scope, and essential skills.
- Legacy work.
- Discussion: The need for this work in our modern society.
Session 3: Individual Grief, Community Grief, Ancestral Grief
Date: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 – 11:00 AM MST
- Exploring our fear of death and the relationship between fear and grief.
- Frameworks for understanding grief in collective contexts.
- Epigenetics and inherited grief.
- Assignment: Research ancestral lineage and write the story of an ancestor who may not have been properly grieved.
Session 4: Funeral Homes: From Community to Industry
Date: Thursday, January 30, 2025 – 6:00 PM MST
- The history of funeral care in the U.S., including the rise of embalming.
- The industrialization of funeral care and its societal impacts.
- Lecture: The modern funeral industrial complex.
- Guest Lecture: Sheree Browne on funeral pre-planning.
- Pre-planning options, paperwork, cost, and regulations.
Session 5: Green Burial & The Alchemy of Dying
Date: Tuesday, February 4, 2025 – 11:00 AM MST
- Lecture: Evolution of eco-conscious burial practices.
- Water cremation and natural organic reduction systems.
- Guest Lecture: Emily from Be a Tree Cremation (water cremation).
- Case study: Death certificates and burial permits.
Session 6: Until the End
Date: Thursday, February 6, 2025 – 6:00 PM MST
- Workshop: Considering our own end-of-life arrangements.
- Discussion: Sharing end-of-life ideologies and preferences for burial and memorialization.
Module 2: Self-Paced Learning (Sessions 7–10)
Independent Study: February 10–March 7, 2025
Session 7: Grief Inventory & Personal Legacy
- Reflect on your family’s relationship with grief and its impact on your ability to express your own.
- Explore unexpressed grief and strategies to move it.
- Consider your personal legacy.
- Assignment: Write a reflective journal entry and create a symbolic expression of grief (e.g., art, movement, or ritual).
Session 8: Death Doula Research Session
- Research the landscape of death work in your area:
- Death doulas, hospice volunteer programs, and corporate funeral homes.
- Green burial legalities and providers.
- MAiD legal status and practitioners in your state.
- Explore notable death workers and reflect on the "death culture" of your region.
Session 9: Exploring Afterlife Themes Across Belief Systems
- Research afterlife beliefs in three religions or spiritual traditions.
- Compare and contrast their themes with your own beliefs about the afterlife.
- Reflect: How do these beliefs influence your perspective and practice as a death doula?
Session 10: Final Project Session
- Plan your final project: a 5–10 minute presentation to honor your dead loved ones or explore unresolved grief.
- Engage with grief across time—beyond the veil and in this world.
- Format Options: Story, dance, altar, video, or song.
Module 3: Live Online Classes (Sessions 11–17)
Tuesdays at 11:00 AM MST and Thursdays at 6:00 PM MST
Session 11: Memorialization and Ceremony Crafting
Date: Tuesday, March 11, 2025 – 11:00 AM MST
- Lecture: The philosophy and function of funeral services.
- Rituals, memorials, living funerals, and rites of passage.
- Crafting: Templates for creating meaningful and personalized funerals.
- Exploring altered states in ceremony.
Session 12: MAiD, Medical Ethics, and Suicide
Date: Thursday, March 13, 2025 – 6:00 PM MST
- Lecture: Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD).
- History: Variations of assisted suicide across cultures.
- Discussion: Ethical considerations for death doulas.
Session 13: Death Doula Case Studies
Date: Tuesday, March 18, 2025 – 11:00 AM MST
- Interactive practice: Apply what we’ve learned.
- Group work: Analyze real case studies.
- Problem-solving and ethical decision-making.
Session 14: Deathworker Business Workshop
Date: Thursday, March 20, 2025 – 6:00 PM MST
- Transition your passion project into a sustainable business.
- Networking and marketing basics for death doulas.
- Create and refine client contracts.
Session 15: BONUS CLASS
Date: Friday, March 21, 2025 – 11:00 AM MST
- A free-form class to share questions, insights, and meaningful conversations as a group.
Session 16: Student Final Projects (Part 1)
Date: Tuesday, March 25, 2025 – 11:00 AM MST
- Student presentations of final projects.
Session 17: Student Final Projects (Part 2) & Graduation
Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025 – 6:00 PM MST
- Final student presentations.
- Closing ceremony.