Is it your calling to serve pregnant families? Maybe you have always dreamt of supporting birthing families, or maybe you have just had a little inkling to find out more. Wherever you are, and however you plan to proceed, we are honored to be part of your journey into the doula world.
More Than a Workshop
The training workshop explores the work of the doula; both the skills and logistics of the business, and the heart of why labor support truly matters. Together we travel a path filled with joy, laughter, awe, and inspiration.
Workshops stay small to mid-size so every doula gets individual attention. Melissa believes in peer-to-peer mentorship in which we all have something to learn from one-another. She considers the workshop the beginning of a lasting relationship.
In Person or Online, Wherever You Are
Since 2020 we have brought our doula workshops to participants virtually, and we have not looked back. Online training lets us meet you wherever you are, on a schedule that fits your life, without the time and cost of travel. We have built the experience to stay every bit as meaningful as gathering in person: interactive, hands-on, and full of real connection. You will practice skills, join live discussion, and leave with the same confidence and community, all from wherever you call home.
Train From Anywhere
Join from home, work, or anywhere you have a good wifi signal and device. One of the beauties of virtual training is-no travel required.
Truly Interactive
Live discussion, small group breakouts, and interactive demonstrations; not a lecture you watch alone.
Lasting Community
Our trainings breed community and we encourage the same lasting mentorship and colleague networking as our in-person groups.
DONA Approved Doula Workshop
This course is for anyone interested in helping families have a satisfying birth experience. Using texts, video, and hands-on skills practice, it prepares you to become an expert labor support provider. The workshop is one approved step toward becoming a DONA International Certified Labor Doula, CD(DONA), and is designed to help you feel empowered to start serving families right away.
This Workshop Is
- Interactive
- Hands-On
- Relational
- Dynamic
- Foundational
- Engaging
- Unique
- Empowering
- Colorful
- Fun!
This Workshop Covers
- Why Doula?
- Comfort Measures
- The Doula Business
- DONA Certification
- Scope of Practice
- Communication Skills
- Getting Started
- Client Meetings
- Ethical Responsibilities
- Working With Care Providers
- History of Childbirth
This Workshop Offers
- Doula Skills + Intro to Childbirth
- Demonstration of Skills
- Guided Practice
- Business Planning
- Ongoing Mentorship
- Networking
- Space To Share
- Space To Learn
- Space To Grow
- And so much more…
Intro to Childbirth for Doulas
DONA certification requires observing a childbirth class series OR attending the Intro to Childbirth for Doulas course taught by a DONA-Approved Trainer. This course is included in the 3-day workshop and the 8-session course, and meets that requirement. It introduces the process of childbirth, covers common medical interventions, and teaches fun hands-on tools you can bring to your work with families.
Lactation for Doulas
For doulas who do not already have lactation training, this optional course can be added as part of the 3-day training. It covers the lactation foundations families count on, and meets the lactation component of the DONA certification coursework.
With the doula training workshop, Intro to Childbirth for Doulas, and Lactation for Doulas complete, you have met the classroom course requirements and are ready to move into the self-paced and hands-on, experiential learning that leads to certification.
Your Learning Continues Online
The training workshop lays your foundation; but the work you do during the certification process will truly enhance your skills and abilities as a doula. We believe in a life-long relationship with learning and growing and hope you’ll do that long after we close our live-workshop time together.
Every CCDS doula training includes access to our online classroom, so the learning keeps going long after the workshop. Revisit the material at your own pace as you work toward certification. You’ll have access to the online classroom for a full 6-months post workshop!
Workshop Sneak Peek
A glimpse of what happens inside a CCDS workshop.
A Community That Lasts
As a CCDS participant, you join a community of doulas who have all come through the workshop. Our active private group is full of talented doulas at every stage of their careers.
Being able to ask questions and lean on that network long after the workshop ends is one of the greatest assets of training with Melissa and CCDS.
Why Train With CCDS?
There are many places to train as a doula. Here is what sets this one apart.
Learn From a Leader
More than 23 years as a doula and over 1,500 doulas trained. Melissa is a past president of DONA International and a recipient of the 2025 Penny Simkin Award.
Mentorship That Lasts
Your workshop is the beginning, not the end. Melissa hopes to be in long-term relationship with students and invites everyone to participate in peer-to-peer mentorship so we can all learn together.
Built for Real Life
Train in person or fully online, with the same goals towards a meaningful experience either way, plus ongoing access to our online classroom.
A Welcoming Space
Small to mid-size groups, individual attention, and a space that truly honors every background, culture, and lived experience in the room.
Why DONA Certification?
DONA International is the credential families and care providers know and trust, and the one this workshop prepares you for.
Trusted Since 1992
A founding name in the doula profession, setting the standard for training and ethics for more than three decades.
Nonprofit and Member-Led
A not-for-profit membership organization built by and for doulas, not a for-profit certificate mill.
Recognized for Reimbursement
DONA certification is recognized by a growing number of insurers and state Medicaid doula programs, which can open the door to payment for your services.
Moments From Our Workshops
Workshop Cities
Our workshops are approved across the US and worldwide, and offered virtually anywhere. Regular in-person US training sites include:
Tallahassee, FL • Pensacola, FL • New Orleans, LA • Huntsville, AL
Birmingham, AL • Nashville, TN • Knoxville, TN • Macon, GA • Savannah, GA • Mobile, AL
Do not see a city or date that works? Contact me about scheduling one near you, in person or online.
Workshop Prerequisites
Coming in with a basic knowledge of the normal processes of childbirth is encouraged. The DONA training manual works hand in hand with The Birth Partner, so it is highly advisable to have a copy before the workshop.
Recommended reading:
- Simkin, The Birth Partner, 6th edition
- Goer, The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth
- Gaskin, Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth
- Gabriel, Natural Hospital Birth
- Lothian and DeVries, The Official Lamaze Guide
Ready to register for a workshop?
Reserve your spot in an upcoming CCDS doula training, in person or online, and take the first step toward serving birthing families.