Courses and Trainings
Welcome to our Education Programs!
Sacred Crossings Institute offers death education classes and intensive certificate trainings for the Death Doula and Death Midwife.
Our trainings are open to professional and non-professional end-of-life caregivers and anyone wishing to prepare for a conscious, peaceful transition. There are no prerequisites.
Classes are deeply rooted in spiritual practices from a variety of cultures and traditions and are facilitated by our founder, Olivia Bareham, and supported by guest speakers. Classes are offered via live webinar or in-person in Los Angeles.
Please scroll below for our latest schedule.
Sacred Crossings believes that the expansive field of work with the dying and their families is Death Midwifery and includes the role of Spiritual end-of-life counselor, death doula, home funeral guide, funeral planner, celebrant and even funeral director and end-of-life caregiver. The Art of Death Midwifery training program was designed to cover all aspects of the work. The Death Doula training consists of Levels I and II of The Art of Death Midwifery.
Please scroll down for course information and our 2023 schedule of classes
“The class work is comprehensive, deep and intimate and I strive to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to ask questions and process with other students. Together, we create a safe container whether we meet in person or via the zoom format. The material, stories and films shared are constantly updated from my experiences with families utilizing our alternative funeral home and my work in the field as a Death Midwife. It is a profound honor to offer these teachings and to help in some small way to change the culture of death and dying. I look forward to meeting you.” – Olivia
“Olivia creates the most sacred of spaces, in which the parts of yourself that are beyond your words, beyond your knowing, and even those parts that perhaps you’ve deemed beyond the reach of love, are able to bubble up to the surface, express themselves, and either be integrated or be released, depending on whether or not they serve your path.”
-Kendell Courtney Klein
The Death Doula training contains all information necessary to prepare and support both individuals and their families throughout the dying journey.
Open to everyone.
Includes the following workshops:
Level I - Enter the Grave
This foundation course will radically transform your fears and beliefs about death and dying.
Students learn tools to eliminate death anxiety, reduce pain and suffering, and receive death with open-hearted acceptance.
Topics Explored
- Giving Birth / Receiving Death
- Connecting to source through somatic movement
- Examining fears and beliefs
- Energy fields and the luminous body
- Healing ancestral wounds
- Family Constellations
- The journey of the soul
- Buddhist perspectives on death and dying
- The life review
- The death rehearsal
Level II - Conscious Dying
Students learn tools to uplift and empower the death journeyer to consciously participate and surrender peacefully into their last experience.
Topics Explored
- What to say to the dying
- Holding the container for fear and sorrow
- How to avoid death in the I.C.U.
- Completing advance directives
- Pain vs. Suffering
- Organ donation
- Physician aid in dying
- Ceasing nutrition and hydration
- The spiritual process of dying
- Being a healing presence at the death bed
- Creating a legacy project
- Healing relationships / Saying goodbye
- Meditations and practices for relieving death anxiety
Graduating students will qualify to take the NEDA proficiency test.
The Art of Death Midwifery consists of our two-level Death Doula training and includes advanced levels III and IV: after death care, home funerals, final disposition and funeral celebrant.
Includes the following workshops:
Level I - Enter the Grave
This foundation course will radically transform your fears and beliefs about death and dying.
Students learn tools to eliminate death anxiety, reduce pain and suffering, and receive death with open-hearted acceptance.
Topics Explored
- Giving Birth / Receiving Death
- Connecting to source through somatic movement
- Examining fears and beliefs
- Energy fields and the luminous body
- Healing ancestral wounds
- Family Constellations
- The journey of the soul
- Buddhist perspectives on death and dying
- The life review
- The death rehearsal
Level II - Conscious Dying
Students learn tools to uplift and empower the death journeyer to consciously participate and surrender peacefully into their last experience.
Topics Explored
- What to say to the dying
- Holding the container for fear and sorrow
- How to avoid death in the I.C.U.
- Completing advance directives
- Pain vs. Suffering
- Organ donation
- Physician aid in dying
- Ceasing nutrition and hydration
- The spiritual process of dying
- Being a healing presence at the death bed
- Creating a legacy project
- Healing relationships / Saying goodbye
- Meditations and practices for relieving death anxiety
Graduating students will qualify to take the NEDA proficiency test.
Level III - After the Last Breath
The role of the death midwife from the final breath through the 3-day home vigil, funeral and final disposition.
Students learn after-death rituals, legalities and logistics for holding a 3-day vigil at home, how to understand and navigate funeral industry practices, alternatives to cremation and burial.
Topics Explored
- Unexpected death: holding space in the ER
- After-death rites and rituals
- Legalities and logistics of home vigils and funerals
- Preparation of the body (bathing, dressing, anointing)
- Laying the body in honor
- Stillbirth/infant death: bringing the baby home
- Options for final disposition
- After-death traditions
- Completing the Death Care Directive
- Self-care for caregivers: preventing burnout
Level IV - The Life Celebration - Funeral Celebrant Training
The Celebration of Life is the commemoration of one’s unique contribution to humanity and is an important part of the healing process for loved-ones.
Students learn the steps and skills to create unique, personal and deeply moving funeral and memorial ceremonies.
This is a highly interactive workshop where students are challenged to think outside the box to create powerful mock funerals and memorial ceremonies to honor the dead.
Graduates receive a certificate for 25 hours training as Funeral Celebrant.
Topics Explored
- The role of the Funeral Celebrant
- Designing & producing funerals & Memorials
- Virtual memorial services
- Creating sacred space
- Writing the eulogy
- Channeling the grief
- Rituals and tributes
- Opening and closing remarks / prayers & poems
- Pet Funerals
- Graveside services / Sea Burial services
Schedule of Fall 2023 Classes
Death Doula Webinar Intensive
Level I & II Intensive – September 21, 22, 23 & 24
Death Doula In-Person Intensive
Level I & II Intensive – October 19, 20, 21 & 22 Class is full – Registration Closed
Death Midwife Webinar Series
Level I & II Intensive – September 21, 22, 23 & 24
Level III & IV Intensive – November 16, 17, 18 & 19
Death Midwife In-Person Series
Level I & II Intensive – October 19, 20, 21 & 22
Level III & IV Intensive – December 7, 8, 9 & 10 Level I and II offered via webinar and Level III and IV in-person
“This course was TRULY life changing. Olivia is an incredible teacher, I learned so much – much more in depth than I thought. Such a personal spiritual and emotional journey. Thank you!”
-Kristen Sheridan
Death Doula and Death Midwifery Training Programs
“This is a powerful workshop that has completely changed my view on death and the dying process. No one wants to talk about dying, but there is so much to learn and understand. I highly recommend this for EVERYONE…in fact it should be a requirement for graduating high school.” – Thea Nathan
“Not only did the Art of Death Midwifery training meet my expectations, but it went far beyond into the depths of my soul. Olivia has a beautiful way of weaving the practical with deep spiritual wisdom amongst her teaching.” – Alexi Hedlund
Special Offerings
Sacred Crossings is proud to host Grief and Loss expert Bill Berry. His deep process work is invaluable to anyone serving others at the end of life.
Please contact Bill directly for details and registration at billberryccmw@aol.com.
“What happens at death is so unspeakably glorious that our imagination and our feelings do not suffice to form even an approximation of it”
– C.G. Jung
The Advance Death Care Directive
Shroud? Casket? Funeral? Cremation? Sea Burial?
There are so many decisions!
Write your wishes down in this digital planner.
"Relieve your loved ones from making these difficult decisions, complete your directive today!"
Contact Sacred Crossings
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