Education | Inspiration | Support
ADVANCED ONLINE COURSE FOR DOULAS
The Inner Compass
The art of being present
For the doula who gives everything in the room and still drives home wondering if it was enough.
This course is about finding your steadiness again, so you can stay open to the families you support without losing yourself along the way.
25 videos
Across six sections
Almost 4 hours
Of teaching in total
6 handouts
To keep and come back to
£147
Certificate when you finish
What families remember is how you were
After more than twenty years at births, I can tell you this. Families rarely remember the words I chose. They remember whether I was steady when everything else wasn't.
Think of the moment labour stalls and a mother looks straight at you. You feel your own heart quicken. Part of you reaches for the perfect thing to say, or for something that will make it all better.
She feels your state long before she hears your words. When you're settled, she has something to lean on. When you're anxious or trying to fix things, she feels that too. So does everyone else in the room.
Most of us were never taught this part. We learnt positions, comfort measures and how labour unfolds. Nobody showed us how to stay with ourselves while someone else is frightened. That's what The Inner Compass is for.
You might recognise yourself here
It sounds as though you care a great deal about the families you support. Perhaps so much that a visit stays with you for days afterwards. You replay a conversation on the drive home and wonder whether you said too much, or not enough.
It seems like there's a pull in you to rescue people, even when what they're going through isn't yours to fix. There may also have been a moment when your instinct told you something and you talked yourself out of it.
None of this means you're doing it wrong. Usually it means you care and nobody has shown you how to care without carrying it all.
You might also be thinking you've done enough training already. Or that a few hours of video can't change how you feel at three in the morning in a labour ward. Those are fair thoughts. Take your time with the rest of this page and see whether it speaks to you.
What's inside the course
Each section looks at a part of doula work that rarely gets talked about in training. I've drawn on Buddhist practice, nervous system science, psychology and communication. Every idea comes back to what happens at a birth or a postnatal visit.
1
Tonglen and Maitri: compassion without burnout
What compassion looks like in doula work. You'll learn Tonglen, a breathing practice for being with someone's suffering, and Maitri, which is about kindness towards yourself in everyday doula life.
4 videos · Handout: Coming Back to Yourself
2
The vagus nerve and nervous system support
How the vagus nerve works and why it matters at a birth. We look at reading the room for signs of calm and distress, and at calming tools that work in practice.
4 videos · Handout: Seeing What's There
3
The Inner Witness: presence without projection
Learning to notice your own reactions as they happen. You'll recognise when something isn't about you and find ways to stay grounded when a situation gets tricky.
4 videos · Handout: What Belongs to Me
4
Nonviolent Communication for doulas
What NVC is and why it helps in birth work. We look at using it with clients, partners and professionals, and at reflecting back what you hear without blame.
4 videos · Handout: Speaking Without Pressure
5
Holding paradox: sitting with the in-between
Birth is rarely one thing or the other. This section is about staying with the grey areas and being an anchor for a family when there's no clear answer.
4 videos · Handout: Both Can Be True
6
Ego, boundaries and humility
Spotting the doula ego in yourself, setting boundaries that keep you connected to families, and staying centred in your role.
4 videos · Handout: Staying in My Place
How the course works
The videos are short enough to watch between clients. Every practice in them is something you can use in the moment, whether you're at a birth or sitting with a family in the early weeks. Nothing here asks you to perform or put on a different voice.
The changes tend to be small at first. You notice you're more settled before you knock on the door. Listening takes less effort. You leave visits feeling clearer and lighter, with less to carry home.
What would it be like to finish a long birth and still have something left for yourself?
FORMAT
Online, on the BirthBliss website or the mobile app
WHAT'S INCLUDED
25 videos, 6 handouts and a reading and watching list
VIDEO TIME
Just under 4 hours, with most videos under 15 minutes
WHEN YOU FINISH
A certificate of completion
PRICE
£147
Hello, I'm Kicki
I've been a doula since 2002 and I've trained more than 1,500 doulas since 2005. I learnt from people like Penny Simkin and Sheila Kitzinger. What stayed with me most was how much of good support comes down to presence.
Over the years I've come to believe that how a doula is matters more than anything she does. Families can feel the difference between someone performing calm and someone who has found it.
I also believe doulas are born rather than made. The Inner Compass won't turn you into someone new. It helps you remember what's already there and trust it.
If you trained with BirthBliss, you'll recognise presence and mindfulness from the BirthBliss Compass. This is where they finally get the room they deserve.
Questions doulas ask
I've already trained. Do I really need this?
Your training gave you knowledge and skills. This course is about the part training rarely covers: what happens inside you while you support someone else and how to look after it.
Who is it for?
Doulas who are already supporting families, at births, postnatally or both. It assumes you know the basics of doula work.
How much time will it take?
Most videos are under 15 minutes, so you can fit them around client work and go at your own pace.
How do I take the course?
Online, on the BirthBliss website or the mobile app.
Will I get a certificate?
Yes, when you finish. It's part of our CPD for doulas. If you belong to an organisation with its own CPD rules, it's worth checking how they record it.
What if now isn't the right time?
That's completely fine. Being a doula is a long career and the course will still be here. If you'd like to talk it through first, get in touch and I'll give you an honest answer.
You don't need to become someone different
The calm you offer families is already in you. This course helps you find it more easily and keep some of it for yourself.
Would you like to talk it through first? Get in touch