Mentoring Doulas

We are here to hold your hand so you can hold their hand

Mentoring is an age old tradition and one that suits the training of doulas. It is about one person (usually a more experienced person) helping another to achieve something that is new and important to them. It is about giving help or advice and support in a non-threatening way, in such a manner that the person being mentored appreciates and values what is being imparted. Through mentorship each doula will be empowered to move forward with confidence towards what they want to achieve. In a mentoring relationship an informal environment is created in which one person can feel encouraged to discuss their needs and circumstances openly and in confidence with another person who is in a position to be of positive help to them.

In this atmosphere of mutual respect and understanding true growth can be achieved. Sacred Space believes that each doula is only as strong as their own support structure. Building a successful doula practice is dependent on the base from which it is grown. Sacred Space Doula Training is designed with this in mind. We want doulas to be supported and to give the support back out to others.

Each mentorship relationship is designed specifically to suits the doulas involved in it. A training doula will be allocated a experienced doula mentor and together they will work out the terms of their commitment. There is further support for Sacred Space doulas on a specially designated social group that will encourage doulas to get to know one another and share their experiences, ask for advice and exchange wisdom.

For each doula there is a doula to support them.

Birth Doula Philosophy

We believe that birth is a profound rite of passage and that it is indeed a sacred space. This sacred space should be protected and nurtured. Sacred Space doulas are mentored to recognise this space and to discover how to best protect and nurture it as well as the parents in it. Sacred space doulas know and believe that birth belongs to the pregnant person who is bringing their unborn child into the world. They will assist the pregnant person and their partner to completely own and cherish this time. Sacred space doulas will hold the space whilst allowing the experiences to unfold.

Training has been provided for all those that wished to hold this space for parents as they unfold into new, strong family units. Each candidate is mentored through their training so that when they complete their certification, they are confident and assured of offering only the best sthey are capable of.

Sacred Space doulas are encouraged to explore other aspects connected to their field of interest and to continuously broaden their horizons and viewpoints. Each Sacred Space doula makes a commitment first to themself then to those parents that engage their services to provide accurate and unbiased information so as to empower themselves and those they are serving.
If a Sacred Space doula feels they are not living their commitment they are able to turn to other experienced doulas for mentoring and advice. There will always be someone to hold a Sacred Space doulas hand as they hold the hand of others they assist.

Sacred Space doulas experience first hand, from the training through to certification, the same level of commitment and dedication that is expected of them with their clients.

Menarche Doula Philosophy

The waxing and waning of the moon cycles herald the blood mysteries. Once upon a time these transitions were revered and honoured. The crossing over from childhood into adulthood was celebrated and observed through rituals and celebrations thus creating a sense of great anticipation, satisfaction and achievement for the young maiden. 
We come into this world wide open to receive love and acceptance. Our experiences shape us and we learn from those that come before us. A young person’s first moon time is the foundation from which they learn how to conduct themselves through their years of adulthood. 

We believe at Sacred Space Doula Training that we need to intentionally honour and celebrate this rite of passage into adulthood in a profound and reverent way so that we may help our younger generation to more fully embrace themselves as they venture into the world. Sacred Space Doulas are trained and initiated into the deeper mysteries of the coming of age and moon rites. They will lead with confidence and generosity of spirit to help the new person take their first steps into adulthood. 

Training has been provided for all those that wished to hold this space for youngsters as they unfold into confident, sure and empowered young adults. Each doula candidate is mentored through their training so that when they complete their certification they are confident and assured of offering only the best they are capable of.

Sacred Space doulas are supported and encouraged to continuously engage in activities and interests that will enhance their basic training. Each Sacred Space doula is mentored to heal their own wounded child and discover the power that lies deep with in them. Only in this manner can they be prepared to hold the space to initiate another into the sacredness of birth, life and death.

Motherhood/Parenthood Doula Philosophy

When a child is born so is a mother/parent. The first few days postpartum should essentially be a time of recuperation and babymooning together. This is the time where a new mother/parent begins to find their own way and discovers themselves in this new role. This sensitive period should be protected and nurtured by their village of support people. An ancient African proverb reminds us, after all, that it takes a village to raise a child.

Many cultures around the world recognise a lying in period of around 40 days, whereby the newly emerging mother/parent and baby dyad get to discover one another and strengthen the bond that unifies them. We believe this cannot be hurried and the mother/parent needs nurturing in order to nurture, they need nourishing so they too can nourish. This is the cycle we need to honour and reclaim. For each mother/parent to become more fully mother/parent, they need to be mentored by example. Sacred Space Doulas nurture and support in this time with keen attention to the subtle and obvious needs of the new family.

Training has been provided for all those that wished to hold this space for parents as they unfold into new, strong family units. Each candidate is mentored through their training so that when they complete their certification they are confident and assured of offering only the best they are capable of.

Sacred Space Doulas are constantly encouraged to update their knowledge and to apply evidence-based and proven methods so that their service is always the best that they can offer.

Menopause Doula Philosophy

The circle of life that brings menopause is just another step on the path of life. For too long we have believed that menopause was the end of fertility and that what followed was a difficult time that many struggled to adjust to. Today we understand that this is also a new phase and that it can be welcomed and celebrated. It is a time of letting go and opening up to not only the bodily changes but also to the mental, emotional, psychological and even spiritual changes. Sacred Space believes that this stage is a hugely transformative one that should be entered into just as consciously as we enter the other stages of our lives.

Sacred Space Doulas are trained to see this time of change as a beautiful transition into the wise elder, they who hold the secrets of their community and knowledgeable healer. Creating rituals and celebrations to honour the crossing of this threshold requires sensitivity and intuition as every person's experience is personal and transformative on a body, mind and spirit level. Sacred Space doulas recognise that the person approaching menopause or experiencing menopause finds themselves at a crossroad, just like the young person finds themselves at a crossroad. A person in midlife finds themselves between the world of what they have been and that they know, and the world of what they will be and the unknown.

Our doulas wish to be a guiding mentor, helping to break the silence and cultural misconceptions and barriers. They also seek to create a wider community that embraces every member as an equal yet different contributor.

Death Doula Philosophy

Death has been for so long shrouded in dread and mystery. It is talked about in hushed tones and no one wants to dwell too long on the topic. Sacred Space Doulas are helping to shed light and return the act of dying, from resistance and denial to an integral and essential part of life.
How people die matters. It matters to the person dying but it also matters to the people that are left behind. A good death is a healing that soothes the soul. We can live a fuller, more meaningful life with deeper commitments when we fully understand and embrace that our time is limited and we need to truly make the most of what we have.

Sacred Space Doulas deeply understand that dying is a subjective experience. Every death is as unique as each and every person we know. Learning to get in touch with the deeper parts of oneself in preparation for dying requires sensitivity, respect and honour. Our doulas explore firsthand how to be in touch with the silence within themselves so that they can be comfortable during the longer silences that accompany death. They are encouraged to recognise that everything in life has a purpose and that all the events of our lives are a blessing from which we learn and grow. Only when they are capable of this can they hold sacred space for those passing over.

Holding space for the final threshold is honest and raw work. Not all are suitable to this calling. It requires a deep sense of self-commitment, reflection onto oneself about the experiences of life and death, and the ability to humbly remove oneself from the light so that the true protagonist, the person dying, can be ultimately honoured and remembered.