Holistic Doula Certificate

Program Overview

The Holistic Doula Certificate is a 13.5 week, 270-hour program that prepares students to work as Prenatal, Birth and Postpartum Doulas. It is the most comprehensive Doula program offered in North America.

The education and training provided within the Holistic Doula Certificate Program is based on complementary and integrative approaches, bridging Western Medicine with holistic therapies. The program provides strong education and practical foundation in many therapeutic approaches, thereby creating competent and confident Doulas when working with labouring mothers and building their practices. No single therapeutic approach or discipline taught is meant to be comprehensive and to lead to students becoming practitioners in that particular area. Instead, each component adds to the Doula’s competency and thus value to the labouring mother and her family. By gaining extensive education in a variety of disciplines, program graduates will be poised to change the current standards of what it means to be a Doula in North America. All students are eligible to partake in the Doula Mentorship once they have completed all classroom requirements of the certificate program.

Curriculum

Below are the courses that comprise the Holistic Doula Certificate Program, the most comprehensive Prenatal, Birth and Postpartum Doula training program in North America. Successful completion of all components is necessary for graduation with a Holistic Doula Certificate.

Study Options

The Holistic Doula Certificate Program is offered on a full-time basis over 13.5 weeks (20 hours per week of study). The program begins every September and January.

Class Schedule:
Classes are scheduled on Thursday and Friday evenings from 3:30pm to 6:30pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 9:00am to 5:00pm.

Graduation Requirements

Students who successfully complete 90% of all required coursework and credits and do not miss more than 50% of any one component, are eligible for graduation and will be awarded a certificate upon completion of the required Doula Practicum. Students who fail to successfully complete 90% of all required coursework and credits but have successfully completed at least 80% are eligible to retake components of the program in order to reach the 90% threshold and thus pass the program, provided that they do so within one calendar year. Students who have failed to complete 50% of any individual component and have completed at least 80% of the program are eligible retake the component and thus pass the program, provided they successfully complete the component in its entirety within one calendar year. Students who choose to retake components must make arrangements with the Program Director and will be subject to tuition fees for the components. Students who do not successfully complete at least 80% of all required coursework and credits in their first program attempt are not eligible to retake components or graduate.

Post-Graduation

Graduates of the Holistic Doula Certificate Program may work as Prenatal, Birth and Postpartum Doulas and may use knowledge and experience gained to establish a private inclusive doula services business or join or create an integrative health clinic or birthing centre.

Pacific Rim College certified Holistic Doulas (program alumni) have met the highest education standards available for doula training in North America.

Attending the Holistic Doula Program at PRC has been by far the most fulfilling educational decision I have ever made. The teachers of this program are incredibly inspiring and passionate about the information they share with the students; each and every one an expert in their field. Never have I been so inspired, and I can’t explain with words how wonderful this program is and how much it has to offer. Whether you are an experienced doula or someone simply who has an interest in birth and pregnancy, this program has something great in store for you!

– Alesha Werner

All students are eligible to partake in the Doula Mentorship once they have completed all classroom requirements of the certificate program.

Admissions

Only 18 students will be admitted into each Holistic Doula Certificate program at Pacific Rim College. Entering students must have a high school diploma or satisfactory post-secondary education. In addition, all non-native English speaking applicants must demonstrate a mastery of written and spoken English. Any foreign applicant may be required to submit an official score report from an English proficiency exam such as TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Test System).

Pacific Rim College is determined to produce only the highest quality health practitioners. As a result, we reserve the right to admit and to retain only students who demonstrate the potential to achieve at the upper-most level. Applicants will be evaluated based on merits such as high academic achievement, emotional maturity, humanitarian activities, morality, community involvement, health-related experience, and the presentation of a sound desire and interest in childbirth support.

To apply for the Holistic Doula Certificate Program, please click on the link below. It is advisable to apply no less than 6 weeks prior to the start date of the semester. Applications will still be accepted beyond this point, and will be evaluated, but enrolment space may not be available until the next semester. A $50 application fee is due when submitting the application. Please note, this fee will be waived for current PRC students and PRC Alumni. Once a student has been accepted into this program, space in the program will not be reserved until the required registration fee (see Tuition and Fees below) has been paid. This deposit is due within 2 weeks of being accepted, or prior to the start of the program if accepted within 2 weeks of the program start date.

Transfer Students

Practicing Doulas who want to increase their skills and education are welcome to apply for this program and may be exempt from and/or eligible to receive transfer credits for certain program components. Please contact the Office of Admissions for more information.

International Students

International students are welcome to attend Pacific Rim College and are encouraged to apply. Canadian law requires foreign students to have a valid study permit to study in Canada. Pacific Rim College provides international students with the necessary documentation to receive a valid study permit. In some cases students can apply for and obtain a permit upon entering Canada.

New changes to the International Student Program, effective June 1, 2014, allow full-time international students enrolled at designated institutions in certain programs to work part-time off campus and full-time during scheduled school breaks without a work permit. According to regulations, international students are 1) eligible to work off campus without a work permit; 2) allowed to work off campus for up to 20 hours per week during a regular academic session and full-time during regularly scheduled breaks; and 3) able to work off campus immediately rather than waiting 6 months. Please visit the Government of Canada website for more information.

Academic Calendar

Class Schedule

Please click below for the course schedule for the Holistic Doula Certificate.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees for the Holistic Doula Certificate Program total $3950 and are broken down as follows:

Canadian Students
– A $250 non-refundable registration fee and a signed student contract is required for acceptance into this program.
– A $3700 tuition payment is due on August 22 for the Fall 2016 program and December 26 for the Winter 2017 program.

International Students
– A $500 non-refundable registration fee and a signed student contract is required for acceptance into this program.
– A $3450 tuition payment is due on August 22 for the Fall 2016 program and December 26 for the Winter 2017 program.

Financial Aid

This program is approved for Canada Student Loans. British Columbia residents can apply for student loans online through StudentAid BC. Students can also pick up a paper application from PRC or any other academic institution registered with Canada Student Loans. For non-British Columbia residents, please visit hrsdc.gc.ca for information about Canada Student Loans.

For a list of all financial aid programs available to PRC students, please visit our Financial Aid page.

FAQs

What is a Doula?

A Doula is a person who assists women before, during and after labour by providing emotional and physical support and information to both the labouring mother and her family. Emotional support may include encouragement, providing recommendations and assisting in decision-making. Physical support may include massage, nutritional guidance and postural recommendations.

Do I need to be registered/licensed to practice as a Doula?

In North America Doulas are not governed by any professional practitioner body. Numerous organizations provide certifications for Doulas, but none of these certifications are necessary for someone to serve as a Doula.

What is the current standard Doula Training in North America?

The industry standard in Doula Training usually consists of single or multiple seminars of a few days in length followed by some birthing experience. Common standards are a minimum 16-hour training for Birthing Doulas and a minimum 27-hour training for Postpartum Doulas, plus the reading of a handful of books and the completion of live birthing experience. It is really quite easy to become a Doula.

Why complete Pacific Rim College’s Holistic Doula Certificate Program?

The Holistic Doula Certificate Program breaks the industry standards and provides extensive hands-on, on-site training by leaders in their respective fields. This 270-hour Prenatal, Birth and Postpartum Doula program integrates philosophies of multiple medical modalities from various cultures to give students the most comprehensive Doula education in North America. Program leaders believe there is a deficiency in current industry training standards and thus have created this program to address these deficiencies. Pacific Rim College certified Holistic Doulas are equipped and poised to be highly sought after and respected Doulas.

Today I graduate from the most amazing program I have ever done! I have spent the last four months expanding my knowledge, digging deep into the history of women and birth, sharing tears, love and wisdom with 14 of the most amazing sisters and 8 of the most incredible instructors I have had the pleasure to know. I am so incredibly grateful for this opportunity and I can’t wait to share it will all the women, men and babies I meet in the coming years! If you have ever wanted to working with pregnancy and birth or want more training in it, I hardly have words for how this program will support and transform you and those you work with!

– Marika Hall

What is the Doula Practicum, and how do I fulfill the requirements?

Upon successful completion of the academic portion of the Holistic Doula Certificate, students must complete DLA120 Doula Practicum (Preceptorship) that requires each student to attend two births (under the supervision of a qualified Doula). Students have 12 months to complete this assignment starting from the day of completion of all classroom studies of the Holistic Doula Certificate. All required projects and papers in relation to this are also due within this 12-month period. Students who are unable to complete the Doula Practicum within the prescribed amount of time might be eligible for one or two 6-month extensions. During the Doula Practicum, students may partake in the Doula Mentorship.

Why was this program created?

This Holistic Doula Certificate was created to provide Doulas with exemplary knowledge and skills. Providing students with a strong education and practical foundation will translate into confident and competent Doulas when working with clients and building practices. No single component or discipline taught within the Holistic Doula Certificate is meant to be comprehensive or to lead to students becoming practitioners in that particular area. Instead, each component adds to the Doula’s competency and thus value to the labouring mother and her family. Program graduates will have a great breadth of foundational knowledge and skills to provide clients with better care and to refer them to additional resources and/or the appropriate health care provider.

What support is available to students?

All students are eligible to partake in the Doula Mentorship once they have completed all classroom requirements of the certificate program. In this complimentary program they meet regularly with Doula mentors and have phone support access. Examples of support provided throughout this program include looking at case studies of challenging births, Doula business support, and processing birth stories. The Doula Mentorship will help students establish a supportive Doula network as they embark on their new careers.