Rooted
Rooted is the only doula training programme in the world that gives you all the practical knowledge and training you need to attend to and advocate for someone during birth, as well as the cultural grounding you need to truly support them as a doula, and the business training you need if you’re going to make a go of this professionally.
It’s designed not only to teach you, but to ground you so you can channel all that care, and nurturing, and passion into a sustainable, long-term change for all of us.
Why Rooted?
It’s the product of my decades of experience as a doula to parents of all sorts, from straightforward pregnancies right through to ‘high-risk’ multiples, as well as the experience and training of some of the Leading Lights in the world of birth. What’s more, it’s deeply rooted in the traditions that have seen people through to healthy, happy births for millennia.
When someone has a good birth, you heal seven generations backwards and forwards.
Creating the safety, space, and support for a good birth is, quite literally, world-changing. And there’s no other programme out there that teaches you how to do that in a culturally-grounded, heritage-rich way that makes birth safe for ALL –– not just the chosen few.
Practice Areas
Rooted takes place across 6 months, and consists of a mixed curriculum of independent study, face-to-face training, ongoing mentorship calls, and community support.
Each month of your time in Rooted, I’ll assign you a subject to go in-depth with. These include loss, birth activism, encouraging straightforward labour and working with partners, or anything else I can pull from my extensive repertoire of training. I choose the modules month to month based on the needs of the cohort, to ensure that everyone gets exactly what they need.
During this time, you’ll also be asked to concentrate on one chapter of the main books on the reading list, and you’ll have podcasts to listen to and articles to read, as well as an exercise that relates directly to the topic you’re studying that month.
You will do face-to-face training with me, during which we’ll go through the practical aspects of doula-ing, and look at the stories we tell ourselves, take them apart, and see how they impact our doula-ing.
These are incredibly powerful days, including LIVE weekly calls, in which you’re invited to show up truly as yourself, and make space for others to be themselves. It is, without exaggeration, world-changing.
You’ll also have a monthly mastermind session with one of our Leading Lights, each of whom has been chosen for their expertise and experience in the field.
They have all been chosen because they are Black or brown-bodied, or culturally safe, and have experience in caring for Black and brown-bodied parents.
The topics covered in the Leading Light Sessions are:
Module 1 - Nailing the Birth Doula Interview
Module 2 - Oils in the Birthing Year
Module 3 - Trauma
Module 4 - LGBTQ+ Competency
Module 5 - Advocacy
Module 6 - Business and Marketing
You will also be required to complete a post-course project within 9 months after finishing the independent learning modules in Rooted – BUT this is not your typical book-report type assignment! Your project will demonstrate how your doula training ties in with your culture, heritage and traditions, and can be anything you can think of. So far, we’ve had poems, videos, art, a PhD dissertation, and even a book draft!
You’ll have a list of assigned reading to complete throughout, and each month we have a reading and reflection week, so you can integrate what you’re learning.
You’ll also have ongoing support of the Abuela Doula community so you can talk, learn, and network with your peers. (Who will also become your greatest friends and allies as you start doing this work)!
On Completion You Will Have...
Your certificate as an official Abuela Doula! (Everybody loves a certificate)
Lifetime access to our closed Abuela Doula community. So you can continue building the friendships and support network you create during Rooted long after you’re finished. Access the all recordings and LIVE weekly calls.
The props that come with being trained by a pioneer in the field. (That’s me!) Plus, you’ve got me in your corner for the rest of your working life. Because a relationship doesn’t stop when the course ends.
LIVE weekly calls. After the learning module part of the course is over, you will continue to have the LIVE weekly calls, access to all records and all of my recorded workshops for birthkeepers.
Ongoing Mentorship. With your Rooted mentor (optional)
Ongoing Email Support. From the Abuela Doula team as you complete your post-course project.
The Bonuses
The world’s best goodie bag. Delivered to you in a beautiful teal-green Abuela Doulas tote bag, you’ll get a notebook for your notes throughout the course and the Rooted education guide.
A 2-hour tech workshop. With hyper-nerd with a heart of gold, Jonathan Stewart, who will help you take care of the techy side of running a doula practice.
Free access to my Loving Multiple Parents course. Which is all about caring for parents expecting twins (or more!)
Ultimately, it all comes down to this:
Are you the kind of person who’s called to nurture, care, and advocate for people as they go through one of the most important experiences of their lives?