Frequently Asked Questions

Crossing the Threshold

  • Crossing the Threshold is Birthing from Within's signature workshop that offers experiential learning for birth professionals. This embodied workshop can be taken on its own as an inspiring, nourishing, healing retreat, or as an element of Birthing from Within's Childbirth Educator and Doula Certification program, Birth as a Heroic Journey.

    Crossing the Threshold is for aspiring and experienced birth professionals who want to bring compassion to their clients and themselves by exploring new perspectives and fresh insights about birth and their role as birth workers. Whether you’re an OB/GYN, midwife, nurse, doula, IBCLC, therapist, yoga teacher, parent support group leader, massage therapist, or just birth-work-curious, this workshop will give you the enrichment that you need to (re-)inspire your practice.

  • Crossing the Threshold is a personal retreat that can be experienced in a two-and-a-half day immersion or a five-week series. It is offered both virtually and in person. This dynamic, embodied retreat will be presented in 2.5-3 hour segments with substantial breaks in between - even in the virtual format, you will not be staring at a screen for the entire weekend. To get the most out of our time together, we encourage virtual participants to prepare their space set aside the time necessary for a deep dive!

    Following the retreat, you will be enrolled (at no further charge) in a four-module online course, Introduction to Birthing from Within: Heart of Mentoring, where you will integrate what you experienced during the retreat, while learning several of Birthing from Within’s most prized mentoring methods so that you can begin using your new learning with parents in your community right away.

  • Yes, you can participate in a virtual CtT from any location where you have internet access! Please check event times to make sure they work for your time zone, as session recordings are not available.

    For in person retreats, you will need to travel to the location in which the retreat is taking place.

  • Please make sure that you have a stable internet connection and reliable electronic device for joining the retreat. The retreat will be hosted on Zoom (a web-based video-conferencing tool). While a phone or tablet could work, a laptop or desktop computer with audio/video capabilities is ideal in order to be able to see the facilitators and other participants clearly, and to participate fully in the workshop.

  • Full attendance at either a live or virtual CtT is required to complete certification as a Birthing from Within Doula and/or Childbirth Educator if you are certifying through the Birth as a Heroic Journey program.

    If you are certifying through an in-person Doula from Within training, the Crossing the Threshold retreat is incorporated into the training and you do not need to attend a separate CtT.

    To respect everyone’s privacy, sessions are not routinely recorded. Occasionally, when we have a facilitator in training, we record for training purposes only. You will be notified in advance.

  • Yes, attending either a live or virtual CtT is required to complete certification as a Birthing from Within Doula and/or Childbirth Educator.

  • The weekend retreat will be presented in 2.5-3 hour sessions, with substantial breaks offered, including a two hour lunch break for weekend sessions. The weekly series will be presented in 3 hour sessions with several shorter breaks.

    While we strive to follow the schedule, there may be slight variations in session end times due to the interactive, dynamic, and individual nature of our workshops. It is, however, important that each session begin on time. Please commit to attend the entire workshop from start to finish. Participants who join late or leave early will not experience everything they need to understand the impact of Birthing from Within's philosophy and processes. Full attendance is required to count towards our Certification Programs.

  • Yes!

    Participants in virtual retreats will need the following supplies on hand:

    — at least three sheets of art paper (at least 11 x 14 inches)

    — a small set of chalk pastels (not oil pastels)

    — damp cloth or wipes to clean chalk off hands

    — journal

    — 6-foot piece of string or yarn

    — a sweet treat

    — a paper plate

    — one or two markers

    — a tea light candle (real or battery-operated)

    You may also wish to have a floor covering (sheet, tapestry, etc. to keep pastel dust off your floor/furniture), pens or additional writing utensils or art supplies, water bottle, snacks, and any other comfort items on hand to increase your enjoyment.

    Participants in in person retreats should bring the following supplies:

    — water bottle

    — covered travel mug

    — journal/notebook/sketchbook

    — pens/pencils

    — small set of chalk pastels (not oil pastels)

    — anything else you need to be comfortable in the retreat space (slippers/warm socks? sweater/shawl? small devotional items?)

  • Birthing from Within does not offer refunds. If you notify us two weeks in advance that you cannot attend a workshop you have registered for, you may transfer your registration to another workshop of the same type, within one year, for a $50 rescheduling fee.

    Less than two weeks before the first night of the retreat, no transfers will be allowed. If you will be unable to attend this training for any reason, please contact our office as soon as possible, as we often have a waiting list.

    If Birthing from Within needs to cancel a workshop or retreat, you will be refunded the full amount paid. We cannot be held liable for any fees you might incur for travel cancellations, so please make sure to purchase travel insurance when appropriate.

  • Please reach out to us at contact@birthingfromwithin.com with any questions you may have!

Doula and Childbirth Educator Training & Certification

  • The title of Birthing from Within’s virtual self-paced Doula and Childbirth Educator Training is “Birth as a Heroic Journey” (BaHJ). You choose your certification path – childbirth educator or birth doula – at the time of registration, but you can purchase an additional path at any time. Certification requirements are different for each path and separate certification fees apply for each certification at the end of the course. For more information on track and certification fees, please see below.

    Doula from Within is the title of our in person five day birth doula training. This training includes pre-event digital self paced learning, a five day workshop, and post-event learning

    These trainings are intended for anyone who works with or wants to work with pregnant and birthing individuals and families, including birth and postpartum doulas, nurses, midwives, lactation specialists, body workers, social workers, therapists, and more.

  • BaHJ consists of an online, seven-module, self-paced course, accompanied by regular live calls led by an instructor, in addition to a live immersion retreat, Crossing the Threshold (CtT - see below). The online modules include teaching videos, audio, downloadable resources, home practices, teaching tools, and journal prompts. The online portion of the course is made available to you within one business day of your purchase.

    There are monthly instructor-led curriculum calls for every module of the training, as well as monthly doula calls and childbirth educator calls, that dive into the specific skills involved in those pathways. The calls alternate between Tuesdays and Saturdays, morning and evening times (Pacific Standard Time) to accommodate a variety of schedules and time zones. Live calls are not recorded, but there is a call for each module every month, so if you miss a call, you can join the following month. During the live calls participants can ask questions, troubleshoot, practice, review case studies and share reflections. Live calls are an integral part of the learning experience, and attendance is required for those planning to certify. There is also an online forum for community building and group learning.

    Crossing the Threshold is a retreat that is either a full weekend (in-person or virtual) or five week series (virtual only) and offers you an integrated experience of Birthing from Within processes as a participant so that you may deepen the work you do with birthing people. Once you purchase BaHJ you will receive a voucher for Crossing the Threshold, good for eighteen months (the same duration your course is available for). During this time, you can choose to attend whichever CtT works best for your schedule. If you have attended a CtT in the past year, the cost of the retreat will be deducted from your BaHJ tuition.

  • The Birth as a Heroic Journey course is a seven-module course intended for you to work through at your own pace. You have access to the online material and instructor-led calls for eighteen months from your date of purchase. Extensions are available if you want more time to access the course.

  • BaHJ has 30 hours of audio/video, 34 resource documents, 28 maps for processes specific to BfW, 7 Birth Justice units, 7 sets of journal prompts, and 38 home practices. There is also a reading requirement of a minimum of 15 books. (See this list for more specific information; books that you have already read count towards this requirement.)

    We know this may sound overwhelming! The course is designed for you to work at a pace that is sustainable for you, with calls every month to address whatever material you are currently working through. Because of the flexible structure, as well as variations in individual learning styles, outside commitments, family needs, and support, it is nearly impossible to estimate how much time you will dedicate daily, weekly, or monthly to this training. You will have 18 months to complete the work, plus an option of extending the timeline if needed. There are quarterly support calls you can join to keep your training and certification on track. We want you to succeed and complete this training!

  • Each module has home practices that includes reading, journal prompts, and audio and video resources.

    Participants are expected to practice new skills with parents (or other people) each month, so that by the end, they will feel competent weaving Birthing from Within’s teachings into their work. There are ideas, suggestions, and resources for connecting with parents in the course. Facilitators and your online course community are there to support you in this.

  • Birthing from Within childbirth educators and doulas learn how to respond to parents’ needs, rather than relying upon set-in-stone syllabi and outlines.

    All BaHJ participants receive “maps,” or teaching guides, for all of the processes and techniques that they study, and doulas and childbirth educators also recieve specialized skills documents specific to their practices. Over the course of the training, participants will discuss and practice how to combine these maps and skills to create dynamic and responsive mentorship that is suitable to their own contexts and clients.

  • Those who plan to certify will need to complete the reading requirements included in this list.

    If you choose to certify, there is a $150 certification fee. One year of membership is included in your registration, and active membership is required for active certification status. We do not require a recertification process for doulas. You can read more about membership and the benefits and responsibilities associated with it here.

  • Both childbirth educators and birth doulas must complete the following general certification requirements:

    1. Be a current member of Birthing from Within. Annual membership is required in order to obtain and maintain certification.

    2. Attend a Crossing the Threshold retreat. You can see our full schedule of retreats on our calendar, and register with the voucher given to you at purchase.

    3. Complete the Birth as a Heroic Journey program. This includes:

      • Attending and participating in one live call per module.

      • Completing the required reading.

      • Completing the home practices - upload required assignments (recordings, articles, and responses) to the online forum.

      • Submitting mid-course recordings demonstrating your developing mentoring skills.

    4. Submit the certification application and pay the $150 Certification Fee for each certification you are seeking.

    5. Receive feedback from a course Facilitator to discuss any further growth that is needed before certification can be confirmed. Most participants who complete the home practices and participate fully in the course will find that they are ready for certification.

    For those seeking birth doula certification, in addition to the general requirements above, you must:

    1. Attend a minimum of 4 births after beginning the course. Cesarean births and count toward this. One birth can be attended virtually.

    2. Conduct prenatal visits, that cover required objectives, and submit documentation.

    3. Conduct postpartum visits, that cover required objectives and submit documentation .

    4. Complete a birth summary document for each birth.

    5. Receive evaluations from a client and care provider for each birth,

    6. Participate in Birth Summary calls (held monthly), where you will:

      • Present two birth summaries to your peers.

      • Provide birth summary feedback to one other doula.

      • Receive birth summary feedback from one other doula.

    7. Complete the Doula Certification Application and submit all documents within three and a half years from purchase date.

    For those seeking childbirth educator certification, in addition to the general requirements above, you must:

    1. Submit final certification recordings and accompanying evaluations demonstrating your mentoring skills. Your selections should demonstrate your growth as a mentor, and dedication to mastery of the processes and Core Mentoring Skills.

    2. Submit and receive feedback on a sample class plan including learning objectives.

    3. Complete the Childbirth Educator Certification Application and submit all materials within two and a half years from purchase date.

  • Birthing from Within childbirth educators and birth doulas are equipped to work in a wide variety of settings: group or private, virtually or in-person, at a hospital/birth center or independently. They can also weave their new skills into their existing work as doulas, midwives, nurses, therapists, body workers etc.

  • Our embodied retreat Crossing the Threshold is included in the registration for our doula, childbirth educator, and dual trainings. If you have attended a Crossing the Threshold within the past 12 months, please reach out to our office before you register by emailing contact@birthingfromwithin.com, the price of your retreat will be deducted from your registration cost.

  • If you need further assistance, please email us at contact@birthingfromwithin.com.

Doula from Within Training & Certification

  • The title of Birthing from Within’s in-person Birth Doula training is “Doula from Within” (DfW). This training combines a unique embodied retreat (Crossing the Threshold) with dynamic hands-on interactive learning, and digital pre- and post- event modules to bring you a workshop experience like no other.

    This course is intended for anyone who works with or wants to work with pregnant and birthing individuals and families during the transformative time of pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum.

  • The workshop includes one evening (3 hours) and four full days (8 hours each, includes breaks) of in-person meeting time. There are also Pre and Post Learning modules to be completed before and after the workshop.

  • The pre-event learning should be completed before the in person workshop and consists of videos, reading, and self-reflection prompts. The workshop must be attended in full for certification. Registrants have access to the pre and post-learning learning content for 24 months after completion of the in person workshop.

  • Because this is work we learn by doing, the pre and post learning includes suggestions for reflection, reading, journaling, and art processes. We require attendance and support of four births during the 24 months following the workshop for certification. Extensions are available.

  • Birthing from Within doulas learn how to respond to parents’ needs, rather than relying upon set-in-stone syllabi and outlines.

    All DfW participants receive “maps,” or teaching guides, for all of the processes and techniques that they study. Over the course of the training, participants will discuss and practice how to combine these maps and skills to create dynamic and responsive mentorship that is suitable to their own contexts and clients.

  • Those who plan to certify will need to complete the reading requirements included in this list.

    If you choose to certify, there is a $150 certification fee. One year of membership is included in your registration, and active membership is required for active certification status. We do not require a recertification process for doulas. You can read more about membership and the benefits and responsibilities associated with it here.

  • The certification process includes the following:

    -Be a current member with Birthing from Within. Annual membership is required in order to become certified, as well as to maintain lifetime certification.

    -Complete the Doula from Within training. This includes:

    —Attending the in person workshop in full.

    —Finishing the online pre- and post- event learning modules.

    —Completing the Reading List and the accompanying documentation.

    —Attend a minimum of 4 births after completing your in-person workshop and submit the following documentation for each birth.

    —Client confidentiality release form.

    —Prenatal visit documentation, covering required objectives.

    —Evaluations from client and care provider.*

    —Postpartum visit documentation, covering required objectives.

    —Personal reflection prompts.

    -Submit your Community Resource List.

    -Pay the $150 Certification Fee.

    -Schedule and complete a one hour final evaluation meeting with a BfW trainer.

    -This application and all required documentation must be submitted within 2 years of completing your in-person training. Please allow 2-4 weeks for processing and review.

  • Birthing from Within birth doulas are equipped to work in a wide variety of settings: group or private, virtually or in-person, as staff at a hospital/birth center, or independently. They can also weave their new skills into their existing work as doulas, midwives, nurses, therapists, body workers etc.

  • If you need further assistance, please email us at contact@birthingfromwithin.com.

    If you have read the FAQ, attended a free information session, and would like to talk to a person, schedule a call with Christine, Director of Programs.

Foundations of Birthing from Within: Heart of Mentoring

  • Foundations of Birthing from Within: Heart of Mentoring is offered both as a virtual self-guided, and in-person course that will introduce you to the fundamental Birthing from Within skills and processes for birth professionals: Role of a Mentor, The Heroic Journey of Birth, Solution-Focused Dialogue, and Archetypes of Birth.

    Upon completion, you will be able to begin using these skills and methods with parents in your community right away. Those who want to expand beyond these fundamentals and train or become certified as a Birthing from Within childbirth educator or doula can join our Birth as a Heroic Journey training.

  • The online, self-paced version of this course consists of four self-guided modules that take about one to two hours each. As you work through each part, we encourage you to take the concepts you are studying to parents in your community in order to practice your new skills.

    The in-person version is a six hour workshop, including a one hour break.

  • We are not able to offer scholarships for HoM at this time. We do offer scholarships for our Crossing the Threshold virtual retreat and Birth as a Heroic Journey Doula and Childbirth Educator training. You can find our scholarship application here.

  • Yes! With Foundations of Birthing from Within: Heart of Mentoring for Groups, your practice or team can get a customized experience to share with an unlimited amount of people for up to six months. Learn more about this team building continuing education opportunity here.

  • HoM is approved for 6.5 hours of Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC) continuing education units.

General FAQs

  • In order to acknowledge the time, effort, and learning of our course participants, Birthing from Within offers certificates of completion and Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for all courses on our platform that were created by BfW or BfW trainers.

  • Birthing from Within does not offer refunds. If you will be unable to attend a course or training for any reason, please contact our office as soon as possible.

    If you cannot attend a workshop you have registered for, and the event is more than two weeks away, you may transfer your registration to another workshop, within one year, for a $50 rescheduling fee.

    Once the workshop is less than two weeks away, no transfers will be allowed.

    If Birthing from Within needs to cancel a workshop or retreat, you will be credited the full amount paid.

    Birthing from Within cannot be held liable for any fees you might incur for airline ticket cancellations, so please make sure to purchase travel insurance if you are flying to attend one of our workshops.

  • Pam England founded Birthing from Within in 1998. Having stepped away from BfW to pursue new projects, she now lives, writes, and paints in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is the author of Birthing From Within, The Labyrinth of Birth, and Ancient Map for Modern Birth. She is currently working on her next book, Birth Story Medicine.

    Virginia Bobro and Britta Bushnell worked with Pam to lay the foundations of BfW's training programs. Carrie Kenner, Erika Primozich, and Nikki Shaheed led BfW from 2018 through 2021, working tirelessly to reinvigorate the curriculum and align BfW's work with the currents of the modern birth world.

    It is with enormous respect and gratitude for Pam, Virginia, Britta, Carrie, Erika, and Nikki's commitment and accomplishments that we forge ahead in the project of bringing the deep, heart-centered wisdom of Birthing from Within to parents and professionals around the world.

  • Robin is the Administrative Director of BfW and looks forward to supporting you. She can be reached at contact@birthingfromwtihin.com or you can call and leave a message at (505) 585-1823. We are a very small team and appreciate your patience and understanding that it may take us up to two business days for a reply.