Doula Mentorship

“I just finished my doula training, but I’m not sure how to actually get started…”

For the last few years, I’ve received several emails and phone calls like this every month. Doula training is great, but many new doulas find little follow-up after training and little information about the realities of starting to work with real clients. I remember how hard it was to figure out how to get started and find clients, so I decided to launch a local Doula Mentorship Program to support others who may be struggling now.

Doula the Doula Consultation - $50

This option is for those who are thinking about becoming a doula but are not sure if that would be a good choice for them. Meet with Juliann for up to 1 hour to talk through training options, the local doula scene, and any questions you have.

• One-on-one meeting to discuss:

  • Finding clients

  • Your goals

  • How to find a doula training organization that fits you best

  • Realities of the job; demands on family life and burnout

  • Your questions

  • Legal considerations

Full Doula Mentorship Program - $850

Our full mentorship program is a 6-month period filled with additional education and support. Doulas should be ready to start within 1-2 months of approval of their application.

Our mentorship program includes:

• Monthly one-on-one mentorship sessions to review your current clients and how best to support them.

  • One in-person meeting and one Google Meet call per month.

• On-call support from me for questions regarding current clients or births (subject to availability).

• Post-birth debrief sessions via Google Meet after each birth you attend to review what you learned and how to grow.

• 10% discount for attendance at any of our other educational workshops.

• One-on-one, 1-hour introduction meeting to discuss your goals.

• One-on-one, 30-minute meetings prior to each client's prenatal visit.

• Guidance during up to 3 prenatal visits with your clients (you must gain client interest for this prior to scheduling).

• One-on-one, 30-minute post-meeting after each visit to discuss feedback.

• Assistance in creating your own client forms and agreements*.

• Assistance in creating and developing your website and social media pages.

Birth Topics Discussed Include:

• Finding evidence-based maternity care

• The labor process

• Labor induction

• Pain management options

• Newborn procedures

• Informed consent

• Local Cesarean and VBAC rates

• Local hospital policies; what’s the “norm”

Prerequisites:

• An interest in offering nonjudgmental support for your clients.

• An interest in actively seeking your own clients.

• The understanding that you will never know everything; you can learn something from every single birth.

• Having completed a doula training program of your choice.

• Accountability, reliability, confidentiality, and respect both for this program and your clients.

• Completing our mentorship application.
  

Additional Details:

• This is a 6-month mentorship program that must be completed within 8 months of application approval. This flexibility allows both of us to account for vacations, unforeseen illness, or other life circumstances.

• A maximum of 5 doulas can be enrolled in our doula mentorship program at a time. If the program is full when you apply, you will be added to a waiting list.

• This program does not promise to find clients for you or guarantee future client referrals. Signing up for mentorship assumes you will be finding your own clients.

• At this time, I am not offering shadowing at Little Orchids clients’ births. One of my goals of mentorship is to feel confident taking on your own clients without using other doulas’ clients to practice.
  

Your Investment:

• The fee for our doula mentorship program is $850. A minimum deposit of $425 is required upon approval of your application to hold your spot in the program. The remaining balance is due at the start of the mentorship, typically by the introduction visit. Payment plans may be arranged on a case-by-case basis.

• Once your mentorship program has started, there are no refunds or cancellations. Mentorship may be deferred up to 3 months on a case-by-case basis.

• We will have occasional partial scholarship slots for the mentorship program. These spots are intended for doulas who are currently working with, or plan to work with, an underserved or unrepresented community. Please contact us for the scholarship application, which is separate from the general mentorship application. Scholarship availability is not guaranteed.

* : We are not able to provide legal counsel and ensure the legality of any agreement or client contract. We will discuss important points that you may want to include but always recommend speaking with an attorney to review the strength of your documents.

**: Birth attendance would be provided at an additional fee and is subject to scheduling availability. Your client would need to agree to have your mentor present.