Frequently Asked Questions

Answers about the workshop approvals, format, logistics, and pricing.

Monthly Doula Workshop Q&A Night

Bring your questions about doula work, how to choose a doula workshop, the economic landscape for doula work and get answers from Kim James, the owner and operator of Doulamatch.net and DONA International-approved birth doula trainer. 5:00 - 6:00pm Pacific time.

Approved Training Program Curriculum

The Kim James' Birth Doula Skills Workshop curriculum is approved by both DONA International and the Washington State Department of Health. Successfully completing this workshop and receiving a Certificate of Completion qualifies workshop graduates to pursue certification with DONA International and the Washington State Department of Health.

The curriculum learning objectives and workshop topic schedule are available here: Curriculum Details .

Certificate of Completion

Participants who successfully complete every component of this workshop (every component = all pre-workshop lessons + every topic of the four-day workshop) receive a Certificate of Completion as proof of their attendance and completion of the training program requirements.

A certificate of completion (proof of successful completion of a training program) is required for doulas seeking certification with DONA International and the Washington State Department of Health.

In health care and the allied health care professions, a certificate of completion is awarded upon completion of a training program and demonstrates that the individual has gained a basic level of skill and knowledge to begin working.

Certification

After successful completion of this workshop, participants are ready to pursue certification with DONA International and the Washington State Department of Health.

In health care and the allied health care professions, a certification credential is awarded upon completion of a formal and rigorous process. The certification process and certification credential is administered by a certification organization and requires passing assessments that demonstrate the doula's competencies, skills and knowledge acquired through work experience and additional study. Certification cannot be achieved until the doula has been in practice long enough to become competent. My position on the difference between a certificate of completion and a certification certificate.

The steps for how to certify with DONA International and the Washington State Department of Health are covered in the workshop curriculum. Significant post-workshop certification support is provided through monthly support calls and visual guides.

DONA International Membership and Support

Workshop participants receive a 30% discount on their first year of membership with DONA International as well as certification and membership support at no additional cost from the Directors of Certification and Membership through monthly organization-wide Zoom calls.

Format and Logistics

The 32-hour workshop is taught in-person over four days with an additional, required twelve (12) hours of pre-workshop interactive lessons (asynchronous content). This is an intensive format that works well for learners who want a rigorous, in-person experience that quickly and practically prepares them for birth doula work.

  • All Birth Doula Skills Workshops begin with twelve (12) hours of asynchronous learning to be completed by 7:00pm the night before the workshop
  • The four-day, in-person workshop runs Friday through Monday. Class runs from 8:00am to 5:30pm each day.
  • There are two 15-minute breaks, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. A one-hour lunch is around 12 noon each day.

Learning Platforms and Technology

Google Classroom is used for the required pre-workshop lessons and during the in-person workshop. Being able to work with Google Slides, Google Forms, Google Docs, and Google Drive will be helpful for completing the pre-workshop lessons and the in-person workshop. All workshop participants must have a Google account to participate in the workshop. Create a free Google account. The Google Classroom mobile app: Apple and Android.

Using a laptop or Chromebook to complete the pre-workshop lessons and participate in the workshop is ideal. An iPad or mobile phone, while less optimal, will also work.

Workshop participants have lifetime access to their Birth Doula Skills Workshop materials in the workshop's Google Classroom.

Location

Parent Trust Center for Washington Children

Parking

Park at the back of the building. There are two parking lots located on South Walker Street. Drive through the chain-link gates. Enter the building through the back entrance, from the parking lot. The Birth Doula Skills Workshop takes place in the upstairs classroom.

Nearby restaurants for lunch

Mentoring and Practice Support

All workshop participants receive post-workshop mentoring and practice support through monthly group Zoom calls. These calls occur on the third Monday of every month from 4:00 - 5:00pm. Additionally, all workshop participants are welcome to schedule 30-minute Zoom calls to debrief practice experiences and get one-on-one help with certification. All workshop cohorts are encouraged to form their own continued support networks for backup partnerships and peer support.

Pre-workshop Lessons

Participants must complete twelve (12) hours of pre-workshop lessons (reading, videos, and activities) before the workshop begins. After registration and payment, participants receive a digital workbook with the instructions for completing the required pre-workshop lessons and quizzes.

To see the subjects for the required pre-workshop lessons, go to: Pre-workshop Lessons for Workshop.

Price and Workshop Value

  • $800.00. This is a special, innagural price for workshops held at the Parent Trust for Washington Children location. Workshop price will increase in the future.
  • This workshop provides a lower cost per hour than the average in-person DONA International workshop and 16 other organizations' in-person training programs.
  • This workshop's average cost per hour for in-person instruction is $25.00. That compares to an average $27.70 per hour for other DONA International in-person workshops and an average $39.34 per hour for other training organizations.
  • This workshop is 17% longer than the average DONA International in-person workshop. This is an important point of comparison. Most DONA International in-person workshops are three days long. Three-day workshops may not include both the Introduction to Childbirth and the Breastfeeding for Doulas class requirements for DONA International certification. This workshop does.

Scholarships and Discounts

Participants who require financial assistance for workshop costs are encouraged to look at the DONA International I.M.P.A.C.T Program https://dona.org/impact-program/. If you do not qualify for this program, community colleges and universities that offer in-person birth doula training workshops may provide financial assistance.

Supplies

Pre-workshop lessons

  • Laptop, Chromebook, iPad or smartphone

In-person Workshop

  • Laptop, Chromebook, iPad, or smartphone
  • Notebook and pen/pencil for notetaking
  • Mug or reusable water bottle
  • Your own lunch and snacks

Trainer Qualifications

I actually do this work and have for the last twenty-six years. My birth doula practice is active, thriving and local and I've maintained my birth doula certifications from DONA International since 2000 and the Washington State Deparment of Health since 2024. Being active in my community allows me to remain up to date with local perinatal practices and maintain strong relationships with hospital leaders. Workshop participants will always receive the most accurate information about what is happening in the local and national birth communities. I am a voracious consumer of continuing education, and my workshops are updated to reflect changes in perinatal research and obstetric practice as they occur.

I hold current certifications, approvals, and teaching qualifications with:

  • DONA International (Certified Birth Doula and Approved Trainer)
  • Lamaze International (Certified Childbirth Educator)
  • International Childbirth Education Association (Certified Childbirth Educator)
  • Evergreen Perinatal Education (Certified Lactation Educator)
  • Parent Trust for Washington Children (Certified Childbirth Educator)
  • Washington State Department of Health (Certified Birth Doula and Approved Birth Doula Training Program).

To see my full curriculum vitae detailing my education, professional credentials, teaching experience, articles, publications, projects and presentations, go here Curriculum Vitae.

I also co-created this doula availability database, DoulaMatch.net with my spouse, Pat James.

Washington State Department of Health Approved Training Program

The curriculum for the Birth Doula Skills workshop is approved by the Washington State Department of Health. Successfully completing this workshop and receiving a Certificate of Completion qualifies workshop graduates to pursue certification with the Washington State Department of Health.

What is DoulaMatch.net?

DoulaMatch.net is a doula availability database I developed with my spouse, Pat James. It is my pride, joy, and gift to expectant parents who need to find qualified, available doulas as easily as possible. We have operated this database since 2008. To understand more about our work, visit:

Who Takes a Birth Doula Skills Workshop?

Amy Gilliland, PhD, in her 2016 research paper What Motivates People to Attend Birth Doula Trainings? found 18 primary reasons people take birth doula training workshops. These were the top 10 by percentage and rank:

  1. Become a professional doula-own practice
  2. Want to become a midwife (or considering it)
  3. Attend the births of friends and family members
  4. Help people have better births (not as a doula or birth professional)
  5. Make money in a profession I enjoy
  6. Work for a hospital program as a doula
  7. Want to be around other people who belive in the body's ability to birth naturally
  8. Volunteer on my own or for a doula program (unpaid)
  9. Understand my own labor(s) and birth(s)
  10. Make my future labor and births better

The top three reasons people take THIS workshop:

  • Folks who intend to start their own birth doula practices
  • Folks looking forward to supporting their friends and family members' births, and
  • Students meeting their midwifery school prerequisite requirements are the most common in our workshops.

All folks are welcome.

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