Doula UK Approved Courses

We specialise in facilitating trainings which offer a balanced blend of traditional wisdom and modern-day practices, using ancient storytelling techniques to share our knowledge. We also offer Trauma Informed Doula Education (TIDE). 

Conscious Birthing provide Doula UK Approved Birthkeeper/Doula preparation courses for birth and postnatal doulas with various course locations across the UK and online.

We specialise in facilitating trainings which offer a balanced blend of traditional wisdom and modern-day practices, using ancient storytelling techniques to share our knowledge. We also offer Trauma Informed Doula Education (TIDE). 

Our courses invite you to begin to reflect on your own arrival Earthside and unpack any  pregnancy, birth and postpartum stories you might have within a safe space, gently held by tutors and co-supported by each individual within the group. This creates an opportunity to both practice the art of support during birth debriefing, an essential doula skill, to begin to lovingly unpack your own story, and to receive the gift of being deeply heard

 Our courses are facilitated by holistic doulas, each with over 30 years experience, with in-person and online options available as set out below.

▪ Five day-in person courses with residential options in the Avalon Birth House in Glastonbury, in Brighton and Ibiza, as well as other locations dotted around the U.K. Groups can contact us directly for courses in your location.

▪ Six week ‘Brilliant Basics’ online training, which includes Birth, Postnatal and TIDE learning.

▪ 13 week ‘Deep Dive’ online doula training, which includes Birth, Postnatal and TIDE learning.

▪ Six week online Full Immersion Postnatal doula training.

All of our courses offer:

▪ Fun, informative and multi-media, within a rich, relaxed learning environment.

▪ Small, confidential groups, creating a mutually supportive and in-depth approach.

 ▪ Highlighting the traditional role of birthkeeper/doula and reflecting on this grassroots path within a modern day context.

▪ Exploring the value of presence in a fast moving world, and developing tools for conscious, active and reflective listening.

▪ A truly holistic approach, including all medical and alternative models: waterbirth, homebirth, birth centre, hospital, assisted, freebirth and early parenting choices all covered, alongside the protocols and expectations within the institution of maternal care, with the focus on informed choice.

▪ Exploring human rights within the childbearing year: looking at ways in which to incorporate our human rights into a birth intentions sheet , to inform your families of these when making their informed choices and discussing ways in which to communicate human rights to midwives and consultants.

▪ Including a session on ‘Tools for Self-Reliance’: a fun, physical and informative journey, learning the practice of some ancient skills from around the world, to facilitate the empowerment of women during this sacred can rite of passage.

▪ Integrated and in-depth inclusion of how to support and empower fathers/partners-to-be and to work alongside all potential companions during labour and birth, as well as considerations for supporting single parents.

▪Guidance on working alongside healthcare professionals with grace whilst retaining clear boundaries as an advocate for your family-to-be. Using Non-violent communication techniques for advocacy. 

▪Looking at loss: a discussion on the many ways in which families may potentially experience loss, such as loss of expectation, loss of earnings, loss of identity as well as  through miscarriage or stillbirth, with the emphasis on how we can best support and signpost.

▪Postnatal focus: learn about breastfeeding, explore the essential need for postpartum care and discuss the notion of a postnatal plan.

▪ Experience a pop-up residential community of Birthworkers-to-be: a unique opportunity to spend time together in an informal setting, allowing for deeper reflection on the role, sharing questions, ideas and skills, alongside your Tutors. An invitation to delve more deeply into this lay tradition, whilst retreating from your everyday life.

▪ Advice and guidance for setting up and ethically marketing your Doula practice, including a step-by-step talk and handout through our own Student Guidance Programme, the Doula UK recognition process and on choosing a Mentor. 

▪ Useful home research, networking and reflective reference pack, with guidance for signposting.

▪ An invitation to join the Conscious Birthing Network and directory and receive ongoing, personal support from one of our Tutors or Mentors.

▪Certificate of attendance upon completion.

▪ Home study post course work pack, with plenty of space to digest and in your own time and with full Tutor support. We invite your coursework to be completed in whatever way works for you, through chatting the questions through on a WhatsApp voice note, making an art piece, or in writing..it’s your choice!

▪ Access to an extensive lending library (when courses held in Glastonbury).

▪ Options for further training. 

Please contact us directly for more information, to hop on a discovery call and to enquire about payment plans.

Join our comprehensive doula 6-month training program designed to create trauma-informed doulas capable of providing culturally safe care.

"Doing Kicki's course was probably the best money I have ever spent. The course covered everything I could have wished for, was well structured, set in a beautiful informal setting, and I enjoyed the intimate atmosphere with a small group of women. Kicki is an amazing doula and teacher, and the course reflects how inspiring she is; she brings out the best in people. I not only feel well prepared to start my path as a doula, but I feel uplifted as a mother and as a woman."
Eloise Rickman

Let’s face it, finding the right doula course can feel overwhelming. With so many options out there, how do you know which one will actually prepare you for the real work of being a doula?

At The BirthBliss Academy, we strip away the noise and take you back to the heart of what this role is really about. This isn’t a course for people who want to be spoonfed information or tick boxes. It’s for women who are ready to show up fully; to dig deep, step into their power, and become a steady, grounded support for others.

Whether you feel called to support women during pregnancy, birth, the postnatal period, or those long, quiet night-time hours, this course is here to help you uncover the kind of doula you are meant to be.

Why Choose The BirthBliss Doula Academy?

Rooted in tradition, built for today
This course connects the ancient lineage of women supporting women with the practical realities of today’s maternity landscape. Doulas are not new, we’ve always been here, quietly holding space through the most powerful transition in life. This training helps you tap into that timeless energy while building the skills and confidence to work as a modern, professional doula.

Being a doula, not just doing the job
This is not a course where you memorise a script or copy someone else’s way. Here, you’ll explore what it means to be a doula, to be present, to hold space without judgement, and to navigate complex dynamics with grace. It’s about learning to listen deeply, trust your instincts, and support others without attachment to outcomes.

Comprehensive Support: Antenatal, Birth, Postnatal & Night-time
Whether you want to specialise or offer the full spectrum of care, we’ve got you covered:

• Antenatal Support – Helping clients explore their options, prepare for birth, and feel emotionally and practically ready.
• Birth Doula Support – Understanding physiology, building trust, supporting choices, and offering unwavering presence through labour and birth.
• Postnatal Support – Nurturing recovery, newborn care, feeding, sleep, and emotional wellbeing in the early days.
• Night-time Support – Offering practical help and reassurance overnight so families can rest and adjust to life with a new baby.

Flexible Learning, Real-Life Impact
Choose the format that suits you best:

• A life-changing 4-day in-person course with hands-on practice and deep connection
• A fully online, self-paced version for flexibility without compromise
• Optional live Doula Days via Zoom to ask questions, meet others, and deepen your learning

This Course is Just the Beginning
At BirthBliss, you’re never just a number. Once you complete the course, you’ll be welcomed into a supportive and vibrant doula community with:

• A private online group just for BirthBliss doulas
• Monthly “Doula the Doula” Zoom sessions
• Regular CPD workshops and Doula Deep Dives
• Bi-monthly Coach & Connect calls
• Business resources and templates to get started with confidence
• An optional Accreditation Programme to guide you through your first clients with 1-to-1 coaching

Six Months Free on The Doula Directory
You’ll be listed on The Doula Directory for free for the first six months, helping you find clients and start your journey. You’ll also receive a professional lanyard and ID card with a QR code that links directly to your profile.

Meet Your Course Leader: Kicki Hansard

I’m Kicki, founder of the BirthBliss Academy and a Doula UK founding member. I’ve trained over 1,000 doulas and supported families for more than two decades. My passion is helping women like you become doulas, not by handing over a checklist, but by helping you see that you already have what it takes.

I trained directly with Penny Simkin and Phyllis Klaus, pioneers of the modern doula movement, and their influence runs through everything I teach. My work is deeply rooted in women-centred care, birth physiology, trauma awareness, and the simple, powerful act of showing up with an open heart.

This course is not about perfection, it’s about presence. If you’re ready to grow, stretch, and find your voice, you’re in the right place.

Is This the Course for You?

If you’ve felt the nudge that this is the work you’re meant to do, to walk alongside others, to hold space with compassion and strength, then yes. This course will give you the knowledge, confidence, and community you need to begin.

💜 Ready to get started? Enrol today and step into the work you were meant to do. 

📰 We have blog with helpful articles!

🎙️  Listen to The Doula Dispensary Podcast!

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Welcome to The Doula Training Foundation

If you've been thinking about becoming a doula then you're in the right place. We've developed a 4 day immersive experience so that you will feel fully prepared to support women and their families during pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. The course will give you everything you need to know in order to set up your own successful business. 

At The Doula Training Foundation, we are passionate about equipping kind, caring, and compassionate doulas with the knowledge and skills they need to support women and families. Our trainees are from diverse backgrounds, coming from all walks of life, often bringing additional holistic skills and therapies to enhance their practice.

Choosing the Right Doula Training Matters

Changing your career is a significant decision, you need to know you’re in safe hands. Our course offers a unique opportunity to train with two highly experienced, dedicated career doulas:

✨ Jemma - Successful doula since 2016, mentor, hypnobirthing teacher and closing the bones facilitator.
✨ Anne-Marie - Qualified “Train the Trainer” coach, mentor, and experienced doula since 2017.

Together, we have supported hundreds of women, from pre-conception to IVF, wild pregnancies, high-risk births, elective caesareans, and freebirths. With a huge knowledge base and years of hands-on experience, we deliver training in a fun, engaging, and practical way.

Why Train With Us?

Our course isn’t the quickest, cheapest, or easiest route to becoming a doula, that’s intentional.

We believe that becoming a doula is a calling, not just a qualification. We are looking for doulas who are:

✅ Truly passionate about supporting women and families.
✅ Committed to growing, learning, and developing their skills.
✅ Ready to invest in themselves to become the best doulas they can be.

In return, we give you our all.

✔️ A solid foundation of knowledge following Doula UK’s core curriculum.
✔️ Real-life scenarios, activities, and discussions to prepare you for practice.
✔️ Small, in-person groups to foster deep connection.
✔️ A full day dedicated to business skills—helping you get off to a strong start.
✔️ A spiritual element woven throughout the course, including guided meditations, cacao ceremony, and dedicated time for reflection, allowing you to connect deeply with yourself and your calling as a doula.

A Training Experience Like No Other

🤝 Face-to-Face Learning. We believe in the power of in-person teaching, where real connections are made.
📖 Comprehensive Course Manual. Packed with evidence-based information, research, and space for reflection.
💡 Ongoing Support & Mentoring. We don’t just train you and send you off. We provide:

• A one-to-one follow-up call after the course.
• A group Zoom after the course to check in, ask questions and build relationships
• Monthly Zoom meetups for continued learning and connection.
• In-person gatherings to build community.
• A members-only WhatsApp group for support and networking.
• A resource hub on our website with up-to-date research, signposting ideas, and customizable documents for your clients.

Our Commitment to Accessibility & Inclusion

💜 We are proud to offer a 50% discount on at least one place per course to individuals from marginalized backgrounds who are in financial need.
 💜 We also offer instalment payment options, please don’t hesitate to ask.

We Love What We Do, and We Want to Share It With You!

The more doulas we train, the more women and families can be supported. If you feel called to this work, we would love to have you with us.

💻 Visit our website for the most up-to-date course information.
😊 Have questions? Get in touch, we’d love to chat with you!

🌀 Course Details:
Join us to explore the Continuum Doula method.
🤱 The Continuum model offers continuity of care for parents and provides deep satisfaction for the doula.
📚 Evidence-Based Approach – Our model differs from the traditional Doula set up and is rooted in research showing that continuity of care leads to better maternity outcomes.
🖐️ 5-Day Immersive Course – Includes a full DUK core curriculum with hands-on, in-person workshops every afternoon alongside other birth professionals.
👩‍🏫 Expert Support All Week – With 8–10 experienced teachers on-site throughout the week, you’ll feel comfortable, nurtured, and fully supported.
🥗 Delicious Catered Lunch – Enjoy a wholesome, catered lunch each day – so you can focus on learning without the stress of meal prep.
👐 Our course is hands-on, tactile, and disability-friendly, designed to feel radically different from traditional education. We offer a supportive, sensory learning environment where you can engage fully through group discussion, small group work, walking and talking, peer learning, shared reflection, and practical activities.
We are:
• ♿ Inclusive & Accessible – We welcome disabled and neurodivergent doulas, with adaptive spaces including break-out rooms and quiet areas to support diverse needs.
• 🏳️‍🌈 Celebrating All Identities – Queer, Black, Brown, and all doulas from diverse backgrounds are invited to show up fully and be seen, heard, and valued.
• 🙌 Open to Everyone – No previous experience or qualifications needed – just come as you are, ready to learn, unlearn, and grow.
• 🔄 Committed to Evolving – We actively listen and adapt based on your feedback, ensuring our training remains inclusive, relevant, and supportive for all.

📘 Throughout the course, Continuum Doulas will:
• 🧭 Understand the Doula’s Role – Learn how the Continuum Doula model differs and its unique approach.
• 💖 Embed Person-Centered Care – Integrate person-centred care into your doula practice.
• 🧠 Explore Personal Triggers – Reflect on your experiences to identify and manage potential triggers.
• 👂 Enhance Listening Skills – Develop active listening skills to support clients effectively.
• 🩹 Be Trauma-Informed – Understand the importance of trauma awareness in your practice.
• 🌍 Foster Inclusivity – Discuss topics such as neurodiversity, multiple births, birth after loss, racism, and supporting Black and Brown parents, LGBTQIA+ families, sole parents, and more.
• 💬 Gain Confidence in Client Meetings – Feel empowered in interviews, antenatal, and postnatal sessions.
• 🤝 Involve Birth Partners – Explore how to include the birth partner and family members in the process.
• 📿 Create a Beaded Birth Line – Experience creating and using a Beaded Birth Line with the original creator.
• 🤰 Understand Birth Physiology – Learn the stages, hormones, and physiology of various birth experiences.
• 👶 Support Postnatal Clients – Provide seamless support during the postnatal period.
• 🦠 Explore the Microbiome – Begin to understand the microbiome’s role in birth and infant feeding.
• 🧠 Recognise Mental Health Issues – Identify, support, and signpost perinatal and paternal mental health concerns.
• 👶🏽 Support Postnatal Parents – Discuss baby brain development, bonding, family dynamics, returning to work, and topics like baby-wearing.
• 🤱 Gain Confidence in Infant Feeding – Build confidence with breastfeeding and other infant feeding methods in a session with a qualified Breastfeeding Counsellor and an IBCLC.

  Our afternoon workshops can include:
• ✍️ A Maternal Journal Session – A creative, reflective workshop using journaling to explore the emotional journey of parenthood.
• 🤲 Co-Creating Care – Explore intersectionality and systemic issues while deepening understanding and reflection.
• 🌸 Exploring Everything Placentas – A hands-on experience with a real placenta, covering its many aspects and uses.
• 🚨 Birth Emergencies with an Independent Midwife – Learn how to be the calm in the room during unexpected situations.
• 🎒 What’s in Your Doula Bag? – A reflective and practical session exploring the tools doulas bring to their work.
• 📸 How to Take a Great Birth Pic – A practical session with a professional photographer on respectful and ethical birth photography.
• 📢 Getting Political! – Explore birth rights, consent, and advocacy with an experienced doula and MVP rep.
• 🤱 Infant Feeding for Doulas – A deep-dive session led by a Breastfeeding Counsellor and IBCLC.
• 🥣 The Closing Salt Bowl Ceremony – A ritual to honour your journey and set heartfelt intentions as a new doula.
 
🌙 We sometimes have evening workshops too, including:
• 🥬 Exploring nutrient-dense food for postnatal clients – fermenting and cheong making
• 💃 A nipple tassel making fundraiser
• 📿 Exploring the Beaded Birth Line in more depth
• ❄️ Cold swimming at our nearby quarry
• 🧘‍♀️ Yoga Nidras
• 🎁 Learning to use Birth Prep in a Box
 
💌 We look forward to hearing from you. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Do not let finances be a barrier to this important work. The world needs you!
✨ Join us for a truly unique and affirming learning experience!

Continuum doulas - What is a Continuum Doula

Continuum Curriculum - Continuum doulas

Join us. Dates. Costs. - Continuum doulas