Who Should Enroll in the Certified End-of-Life Specialist (CEOLS) Program

The Certified End-of-Life Specialist (CEOLS) online certificate program is designed for anyone called to support others at life’s final stage—whether as a professional caregiver, volunteer, or someone seeking personal growth. This course provides the essential end-of-life care training and compassion-based skills needed to work with individuals and families facing death, dying, grief, and loss.

Ideal participants include:

• Healthcare professionals – Nurses, CNAs/HHAs, LPNs, LVNs, Medical and Pharmacy Students

• Human services & allied health students – Social Work, Humanities, Gerontology, Psychology, and Therapy students

• Spiritual and support roles – Clergy, Chaplains, Thanatologists, Mental Health Professionals, Grief Counselors

• Complementary care providers – Massage and Alternative Healing Therapists, Life Coaches, End-of-Life Doulas, Coaches, Guides

• Volunteers and students – Anyone preparing to work with aging, senior living, hospice, or palliative care populations

Why enroll in CEOLS?

• Earn a recognized end-of-life care certification that meets and exceeds Medicare and NHPCO hospice volunteer recommendations

• Gain practical, experiential skills to support individuals and families with dignity and compassion

• Cultivate deeper empathy, resilience, and confidence in providing end-of-life support and companionship

• Receive the official CEOLS certificate and designation to strengthen your professional or volunteer credentials

Students will understand what constitutes a “good death”, or “what is meant by dying well”. They will be better equipped to support an individual facing their own death, and become a more solid, grounded caregiver to their own families and loved ones. Taking this course prepares students to bring new resources to their community by volunteering or caregiving - personally or professionally. When students learn and use communication skills for listening and speaking differently at the end of life, they can bring a powerful life and death changing experience to others. In this way they get to advocate for the way quality end-of-life care is delivered in their communities.

"The course was deeply meaningful..."

I just completed your course. I made an erroneous assumption that there would be trite statements about death and dying. I could not have been more wrong. The course was deeply meaningful and very instructive. The emphasis on careful, deep listening and absence of judgment most impressed me.

Lila Suna, Washington, DC

Should be in every nursing and med school!

Thank you Patty for all your care, thought, experience and love in this profound course - it really should be in every nursing and med school curriculum!
Astrid Dean, ID

"My heart is full of joy and appreciation..."

This course has already been a life-changing gift! It is hard to express how much I’ve appreciated it. To me, more than an end-of-life course, this is a LIFE course! Even before I start seeing clients, I can already apply the skills and approach discussed here to my personal relationships and see the magic happening. My heart is full of joy and appreciation, and I’m confident I will carry the profound learnings from this program.

Andrea Soares, Alexandria, VA

"I urge anyone to access this training!"

I’ve been carrying the memories of the harsh way my parents each ended their battles with cancer. I would urge anyone to access this training! The techniques taught in this training are invaluable. Fear stands in the way of resolving issues, exploring the past, and preparing for the future is the way out of fear! Well done!

Kathleen McCormack, Tucson, AZ

"This course was transformative!"

’This course was transformative. I feel confident that I can serve the dying with love and knowledge of their needs. Thank you so much for creating this!

Ashely M., San Diego, CA

"What a privilege!"

I want to tell you how meaningful and rich this training has been for me. It confirms that I will get more than I give from this work - what a privilege!

Teresa Berntsen, Seattle, WA

"One of the best trainings I have done..."

I’m a retired oncology nurse and have done a lot of online learning since I retired. Your program is one of the best trainings I have ever done. Even the additional readings and videos were not redundant but added another layer. And even after serving the oncology community for so long, the exercise with the cards brought me to tears. I wish everyone would want to take the course. Thank you for your time and effort in developing this program, the information, and presenting it perfectly.

Stacey Russell, NY, NY.

"Thank you for such powerful content!"

Thank you so much for making such powerful content available. I so enjoyed the multidisciplinary components and the testimony from other care providers such as chaplaincy, hospice nurse, volunteer coordinator etc.....and I loved your gentle way of delivering, the unharried pace, and your evident, deep connection to the work. I would have happily worked through another 10 modules:-)

Kirsti Shields, NY

"I laughed, I cried, I agreed!"

So many places that touched me deeply - I laugh, I cried, and I agreed with so much of the information you share. Deeply grateful!
Gina S.