Living Well Dying Well

The Living Well Dying Well Foundation and Diploma programmes are designed to give end-of-life doulas the confidence, knowledge and interpersonal skills needed to support people who are dying, as well as their families and wider support networks. The training takes a strongly person-centred approach, combining practical learning with emotional awareness, reflective practice and communication skills.

The Foundation Training introduces doulas to the core realities of death, dying and bereavement. Trainees explore subjects including grief, emotional and spiritual responses to death, physical changes at end of life, cultural and faith practices, supportive therapies, funeral processes and the practical realities families face during dying and after death. The course also focuses heavily on empathy, self-awareness and compassionate presence, helping doulas feel more confident supporting others through difficult conversations and experiences.

The Diploma Training builds on this foundation and develops more advanced doula practice. It covers areas such as interpersonal relationships, ethics, safeguarding, reflective practice, spirituality, palliative care, symptom awareness, complementary therapies, advocacy, family dynamics and professional boundaries. The diploma also explores how doulas can provide calm, consistent companionship while maintaining resilience and responsible practice in emotionally demanding situations.

A doula trained through Living Well Dying Well comes recommended because the organisation is widely recognised as one of the UK’s leading providers of end-of-life doula education. Their courses are externally quality assured by the Crossfields Institute and are described as the UK’s only certificated end-of-life doula training programme. Graduates are also eligible to join End of Life Doula UK, providing ongoing mentoring, peer support and professional development within an established community of practice.