This course is appropriate for individuals drawn to this work, personal or professional caregivers, or healthcare staff wishing to enhance skills and credentials. It is also valuable for the following roles and disciplines (as either entry level training or continuing education):

Nurses, Nursing Assistants (CNAs/HHAs), LPNs, LVNs, Medical/Pharmacy Students, Social Work/Humanities/Gerontology/ Psychology Students, Physical/Occupational/Speech Therapists, Clergy/Chaplaincy, Thanatologists, Mental Health Professionals, Grief Counselors, Massage and Alternative Healing Therapists, Life Coaches and End-of Life Doulas, Coaches, or Guides.

Students who wish to pursue work or volunteer opportunities with an aging or senior population will find that this course provides foundational level skills that are needed for approaching the medical, healthcare, hospice, end of life, palliative care, or senior markets. 

This training meets and exceeds Medicare and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization's (NHPCO) recommendations for hospice volunteering, and grants the CEOLS certificate and designation. This immersive study opens the conversation around the topic of death, dying, grief and loss, and explores the student’s own personal beliefs and fears in a gentle, yet profound way. The student is offered the opportunity through this course to re-frame the experience of death and dying from one of fear, sadness, and overwhelm to meaning, connection, and a potential for emotional healing. This course helps the student cultivate a high level of compassion and empathy, and eliminate factors that might stand in the way of delivering high quality care and companionship in whatever capacity they choose to serve.

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.