Evaluating Doula Certifications
What's important to know?
The doula occupation is unlicensed and unregulated. One way to ensure your doula has met high standards for education, training and experience is to choose a certified doula from a well-known and respected doula certifying organization.
Doulas on DoulaMatch.net have the opportunity to display their certification for your verification.
- Look for the doula’s certification certificate image on their profile page.
- Look at the date on the certificate. Is it current?
- Ask the doula: Are you currently certified? Through which organization?
Doula certifying organizations
The requirements for certifying vary widely between all the doula organizations. It’s impossible to compare each organization when no occupation-wide standards exist for what constitutes a well-trained and credentialed doula.
DoulaMatch.net believes a quality certification program includes these minimum elements:
- A comprehensive doula training program which includes requirements for in-person classroom work, self-study, and practicum work with minimum hours for each requirement clearly stated.
- Clearly defined requirements for a doula’s education.
- Demonstrated doula work experience.
- Good evaluations from clients and health care providers.
- Periodic re-certification.
- Documented continuing education.
- A publically available code of ethics outlining the doula’s ethical responsibilities to their clients.
- A publically available standards of practice defining the doula’s scope and limits of their practice.
- A grievance procedure allowing consumers, colleagues, or care providers to lodge an objection against the organization’s doula if the doula violates the organization’s standards of practice or code of ethics. The goal of the grievance procedure is to uncover the facts of the objection and seek resolution for the injured parties or consequences for the doula, including revoking their certification.
Organizations currently training and certifying doulas:
Organization | Website |
Self-trained | More info |
A Healthy Birth | healthybirthclass.com |
A Life of Peace | www.alifeofpeace.org |
A Sacred Journey Doula Training Program | asacredjourneyeducationalfacility.weebly.com |
A Woman Who Serves | www.awomanwhoserves.com |
Academy of Certified Birth Educators | www.acbe.com |
Active Birth Institute | www.activebirthinstitute.com |
Akwaaba Wellness | www.akwaabawellness.com |
ALACE (Association of Labor Assistants and Childbirth Educators) | www.tolabor.com |
AlloTribe Training Academy | www.allotribeacademy.com |
Amani Birth | www.amanibirth.com |
Ancient Song Doula Services | www.ancientsongdoulaservices.com |
Association for Childbirth at Home, International (ACHI) | uia.org |
Association for Wholistic Maternal & Newborn Health | wholisticmaternalnewbornhealth.org |
Aunar, Inc. | www.school-network.net |
Austin Baby Guru | austinbabyguru.com |
Australian Doula College | www.australiandoulacollege.com.au/ |
Aviva College | avivacollege.org |
Awen School | www.ravenandoak.com |
Babymoon Inn | babymooninn.com |
BEAM Birth Network | beambirthnetwork.org |
Bebo Mia | www.bebomia.com |
Beings in Action (BiA) | www.jjdoulatraining.com |
Bellies of G.R.R.A.C.E.E. Foundation | belliesofgrracee.weebly.com |
Bellies to Babies Holistic Doula Training | belliestobabiesholistic.com |
BEST Doula Training | bestdoulatraining.com |
Big Belly Services | bigbellyservices.com |
BioNascimento | www.cursodedoula.com |
Birth Advocacy Doula Trainings | birthingadvocacy.thinkific.com |
Birth and Beyond Resources | www.birthandbeyondresources.com |
Birth Arts International | www.birtharts.com |
Birth Boot Camp | birthbootcampdoulas.com |
Birth From the Earth | birthfromtheearth.vpweb.com |
Birth in Color RVA | birthincolorrva.org |
Birth in the Know | birthintheknow.org |
Birth Israel | birthisrael.com |
Birth Trust | gilbertbirthcenter.com |
Birth Ways International | birthwaysinternational.ca |
Birth With Spirit | www.birthwithspirit.com |
Birthing Beautiful Communities | www.birthingbeautiful.org |
Birthing From Within | www.birthingfromwithin.com |
Birthing Little Humans Academy | birthinglittlehumans.academy |
Birthing Project USA | www.birthingprojectusa.org |
Birthingway College of Midwifery | www.birthingway.edu |
Birthworkers of Color Collective | www.birthworkersofcolor.com |
BirthWorks International | www.childbirthinternational.com |
Blissful Birthing TN | www.blissfulbirthingtn.com |
Blooming Lotus | bloominglotusbirthingservices.com |
Blue Mountain Doula Program | bluemountaindoulaprogram.weebly.com |
Cardinal Birth | cardinalbirth.com |
Carriage House Birth | carriagehousebirth.com |
Cascade Christian Childbirth Association | www.christianchildbirth.org |
Catholic Doula Program | www.catholicdoula.com |
Centre of Excellence | www.centreofexcellence.com |
Charis Childbirth | internationaldoulainstitute.com |
Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association (CAPPA) | www.cappa.net |
Childbirth International | www.childbirthinternational.com |
Childbirth Professionals International | thechildbirthprofession.com |
Childlight Education Company | childlighteducationcompany.com |
College of the Rockies | cotr.bc.ca |
Commonsense Childbirth | www.commonsensechildbirth.org |
Community Aware Birthworker | www.communityawarebirthworker.com |
Contemporary Doula International | www.contemporarydoulas.com |
Cornerstone Doula Trainings | cornerstonedoulatrainings.com |
Cumberland Institute - Birthwork Through Touch: Massage Doula Training | cumberlandinstitute.coursestorm.com |
Dolphin Method | www.dolphinmethod.com |
DONA International | www.dona.org |
Doula Alliance | training.doulaalliance.com |
Doula Caribe Internacional | doulacaribeinternacional.com |
Doula Thrive | www.doulathrive.com |
Doula To Be | doulatobe.com |
Doula Training Canada | www.doulatraining.ca |
Doula Trainings International | www.doulatrainingsinternational.com/ |
Doula UK | doula.org.uk |
DoulaBuilders | stlouisdoulas.com |
Doulaing the Doula | doulaworkshop.com |
Doulalink | portal.doula.link |
DOULASINC | www.facebook.com |
DoulaVersity | doulaversity.com |
Durham Volunteer Doulas | www.durhamvolunteerdoulas.org |
Dynamo Doula Training | angelagallo.com |
Ekw'í7tl Collective Full-Spectrum Doula Training | www.fnha.ca |
Embodied Doula Trainings | embodieddoulatrainings.com |
EnCircle Doula Training | thresholds.info |
Expertrating.com Doula Training | www.expertrating.com |
Family Trees Birth Programs | www.familytreesbirthprograms.com |
Family Trees Doula School | www.familytreesbirthprograms.com |
Fanshawe College Doula Studies Program | www.fanshawec.ca |
Freeborn Doula | daynamartin.com |
Genesis Birth Company | genesisbirthcompany.com |
Global Education of the Midwife | gemmidwife.com |
GoMidwife | gomidwife.com |
H.E.R.B.A.L. | herbal.teachable.com |
Harbor Birth Institute | www.harborbirthinstitute.com |
Harmony Doula Mentoring | harmonydoula.com |
Hartland College | adventistmidwives.com |
HATCH Community | www.thehatchcommunity.org |
Healing Arts Learning Organization | www.healingartslearning.org |
Houston Pregnancy Massage & Doula Care School | www.hpregnancy.com |
Hypnobabies | www.hypnobabies.com |
HypnoBirthing | www.hypnobirthing.com |
Indigemama A Cerrar las Caderas | indigescuela.com |
Indigo Birth | www.indigobirth.com |
Innate Traditions Postpartum Care | www.innatetraditions.com |
Institute of Somatic Therapy | www.massagecredits.com |
Integrated Birth & Family Alliance | www.integratedbirth.org |
International Black Doula Institute | www.dmvbirthdoulasllc.com |
International Center for Traditional Childbearing | ictcmidwives.org |
International Childbirth Education Association (ICEA) | www.icea.org |
International Doula Institute | http://internationaldoulainstitute.com/ |
Intuitive Childbirth | intuitivechildbirth.org |
Intuitive Doula | www.intuitivedoula.com |
Ivy Doula Association | www.ivydoula.com |
Jamaa Birth Village | www.jamaabirthvillage.org |
Kriya Birth Institute | kriyabirth.com |
Labor Enabler™?Doula Training Apprenticeship Program | laborenabler.com |
Life Cycles Doulas | buffalodoulacollective.com |
Lifespan Doulas | lifespandoulas.com |
Long Island Doula Association, Inc., (LIDA) | www.lidoulas.com |
Madriella | madriella.org |
Mama Glow | mamaglow.com |
Mamatoto Village, Inc | www.mamatotovillage.org |
Manhattan Birth | www.manhattanbirth.com |
MaternityWise | www.maternitywise.com |
Mattie Marie Traditional Birth Studies | learntodoula.com |
Mercy in Action | www.mercyinaction.com |
Mère et Monde | www.mereetmonde.com |
Midwest Maternal Child Institute | mmcinst.com |
Modern Doula Education | moderndoulaeducation.com |
Monarch Midwifery | www.facebook.com |
Montreal Birth Companions Doula School | mbcdoulaschool.wordpress.com |
moonhoney Doula Services | www.moonhoneydoula.com |
MotherMe Doulas | www.lamazehealthybirthclass.com |
MOTHERPATH (The Gathering Place) | www.theplacewegather.com |
MotherWit | motherwit.ca (pdf) |
Nafsa Project School | www.laylab.co.uk |
Natural Resources | store.naturalresources-sf.com |
New Beginnings Doula Training | www.trainingdoulas.com |
Newborn Mothers Collective (Postpartum) | www.newbornmothers.com |
Niara Healing Arts | www.niarahealingarts.com |
Nite Instititue of Naturopathic Therapies | naturopathicinstitute.info |
Northwest Association for Postpartum Support | www.napsdoulas.com |
Ohio Parenting Collaborative | ohioparentingcollaborative.org |
Pacific Rim College | www.pacificrimcollege.com |
PALS Doulas | www.palsdoulas.org |
Paramana Doula Course | www.paramanadoula.com |
Parenting Resources Professional Network | www.parentingresourcespros.com |
Placenta & Postpartum Association | www.ippatraining.com |
ProDoula | www.prodoula.com |
REAL Doula | realdoula.com |
ReByrth Doula Training Program | blackdoulas.org |
Red Mundial de Doula | www.redmundialdedoulas.com |
Rocky Mountain Doula | rockymountaindoula.com |
Roots of Labor Birth Collective | www.rootsoflaborbc.com |
Sacred Doula | www.sacreddoula.com |
Shafia Monroe Consulting Full Circle Doula Training | shafiamonroe.com |
Sista Midwife Productions | www.sistamidwife.com |
Southwest Technical College | www.swtc.edu |
Stillbirthday | www.stillbirthday.com |
Sudharma Birth Services | www.sudharmabirth.com |
Sumi's Touch | www.sumistouch.com |
Sweet Stella’s | www.sweetstellas.com |
The Baby Mavens | thebabymavens.com |
The Birth Coach Method | birthcoachmethod.com |
The Birth Well | www.thebirthwell.com |
The Bradley Method of Husband-Coached Natural Childbirth | www.bradleybirth.com |
The Doula Company | www.thedoulaco.com |
The Elite Doula & Co. | www.theelitedoulaandco.com |
The Gathering Place (MotherPath Doula Training and Certification) | www.theplacewegather.com |
The Matrona | www.thematrona.com |
The National Black Doulas Association | www.blackdoulas.org |
The Nesting Instinct | nestinginstinctkw.com |
The Organization of Labor Assistants for Birth Options & Resources (toLabor) | www.tolabor.com |
These Are My Hours | www.thesearemyhours.com |
Tiny Love Doula Certification | tinylovedoulas.com |
toLabor | www.tolabor.com |
Traditional Doula and Midwifery Arts. | www.tdoulaarts.com |
Train With Kira | www.trainwithkira.com |
Twin Lakes College of the Healing Arts | www.twinlakescollege.org |
Ubuntu Wellness Academy | www.ubuntuwellnessacademy.com |
UC San Diego Health | health.ucsd.edu |
Urban Baby Beginnings | urbanbabybeginnings.org |
Uzazi Village | www.uzazivillage.org |
Vine of Life Doula Training | www.vineoflifemidwife.com |
Virtuously B'Earthed Doula Services | www.virtuouslybearthed.com |
Warm Welcome Birth Services | www.warmwelcomebirth.com |
Well-Rounded Maternity Center | www.well-roundedmaternity.com |
Whole Body Pregnancy Postpartum Doula Training | www.wholebodypregnancy.com |
WISE Community Doulas | www.wisecommunitydoulas.org |
Wise Woman Way of Birth | www.birthtakesavillage.com/doula-curriculum/ |
Women Honoring Women | honoringwomen.com |
Women Honoring Women | www.honoringwomen.com |
Zaagi"idiwin Full Spectrum indigenous Doula Training | www.facebook.com |