Doulas step into the most intense, vulnerable thresholds of life to hold a hand, wipe a tear, and honor all that is meaningful. Come deepen your understanding of doula essentials of care. Learn useful, practical approaches and techniques that will enable you to more confidently support people through birth, grief, loss, and death.
In this 6-hour workshop, we will cover:
Tenets of Doula Support
Components of Compassion
Liminal Space
Being “Enough”
Personalizing with Plans
Tools of the Trade
The “Ins” of Holding Space
Welcoming medical professionals, doulas, caregivers, mental health clinicians, social workers, spiritual care providers, therapists, volunteers, etc. No prior end-of-life, birth, or doula experience necessary. The doula heart can be infused into all work, interactions, and relationships.
Additional Testimonials:
“I LOVED this day and everything about Francesca. She was warm, intelligent, compassionate, engaging and had SOO much to offer. I found her so inspiring, I am excited to learn more from her and she has me now wanting to explore being a death doula down the road. A fantastic day I feel so grateful for!” “Really good balance of experience, stories, reflections and concepts being integrated. Covered so much in such a short period of time.” “Will refer friends, family, and coworkers to attend” “Excellent – well thought out and presented” “It was super effective (& affective)” “I found everything useful and inspiring- great to know there are many cross references in your book” “This was impressive, inspirational, and rewarding” “Good balance of lecture, video clips, and small group activities” “Thank you for lighting the spark and showing us how to open our hearts”
Advance Deathcare Planning
Just as doulas assist pregnant clients with creating birth wishes, an end-of-life doula supports people as they consider their preferences for living fully and dying prepared. We’ll cover strategies of holding space for others as they work through wishes and worries as well as spend time on introspective contemplation.
In this 2-hour workshop, we will cover:
Heart Centering
“Special Place” Visualization
Compassion in Action
Equanimity and Steadiness
Contemplative Planning for the End of Life
This workshop is geared toward people with open hearts and curious minds. No end-of-life, birth, or doula experience necessary.
Cultivating Compassion: Doula Skills for Community Care
Sharing from her experience as a community doula and hospice volunteer, Francesca will discuss how to embody a centered, calming presence as well as the importance of providing personalized support.
In this interactive workshop, we will cover:
The Components of the DOULA Model of Care:
Dedication to Presence
Open-Mindedness
Understanding with Compassion
Listening Intently
Allaying Distress
This workshop is for caring friends, loved ones, community members, and providers seeking tools and methods to enhance their confidence for times of intensity, including serious illness, impending loss, grief, and major life transitions.
Testimonials:
“This was an excellent workshop. The presenter was so knowledgeable in her field, and showed her compassion and love for the work she does.”
“Excellent presentation, vibe and energy. Great connection! Thank you!”
Connectional Listening
Shaped by tested practices and research, this dynamic workshop equips participants with a powerful listening methodology designed to enhance connections and deepen understanding.
Connectional Listening centers on engaging with presence, receptivity, and compassion while suspending judgment and the urge to “fix.” Participants will learn how to facilitate meaningful conversations that encourage speakers to access both internal and external resources.
Through demonstrations and practice sessions, attendees will develop techniques for self-preparation as well as how to phrase empowering prompts and navigate complex disclosures. While not clinical in nature, Connectional Listening complements therapeutic approaches. It avoids advising, cognitive restructuring, and solution-giving—instead offering a trusting space for exploration and discovery.
Participants will learn how to:
Embody a stance of engaged neutrality, acceptance, and non-agenda
Validate through attentive and responsive listening
Cultivate a grounded, non-anxious presence
Honor silence as a meaningful part of communication
Acknowledge both universal and unique experiences
Offer support that is non-directive yet resourceful
Workshop Topics:
Core Connectional Listening Skills: Guiding principles and integration
Individualized Humility: Honoring perspectives, identities, and cultures
Secondary Traumatic Stress: Recognizing and managing empathic strain
Self-Sustenance: Building internal reserves and bandwidth
Mutually Generative Support: Fostering healing and growth
Learning Objectives. Participants will:
Gain a strong foundation in the principles and practices of Connectional Listening
Strengthen capacity for embodying a compassionate, attentive presence—even in emotionally charged situations
Learn strategies for emotional resilience and sustainable support of others
This full-day workshop is ideal for professional or volunteer care providers, family caregivers, as well as caring community members who wish to enhance their listening abilities, particularly when supporting individuals through complex conversations about life transitions, illness, loss, or other vulnerable moments. Adaptable for businesses and organizations to encourage a supportive work culture.
“I’ve always been interested in how we connect—I used to volunteer for a crisis line—but since COVID hit in 2020 I find myself with little patience for such things…I think I became a bit jaded with humanity. This was the first time I had meaningful, deep (short but powerful) conversations with strangers in ages. I feel more open and kind to others again, with tools to make more progress!”
“Listening is an art and I appreciated gaining a conception of different facets of it.”
“Made me re-evaluate my faults in communication and clarified how I wish for others to communicate with me.”
“Made me realize how important language is as a technology, and as any other technology, we must learn it in a technical way.”
“Incredibly fulfilling.”
“I feel more equipped to work with and handle stories with care.”
“The balance between participation and presentation was great.”
“Wonderful mix of strategies, stories, and practice.”
“I wanted to engage in difficult and emotional conversations to ground myself in real-world human experience to balance out the abstraction and theorization that dominates my intellectual life, and this was perfect for that.”
Introduction to Death Journaling
Join community doula and educator, Francesca Lynn Arnoldy, for an introduction to “Death Journaling,” the inspiration behind her new book, The Death Doula’s Guide to Living Fully and Dying Prepared. During this workshop, participants will feel invited to reflect back, turn inward, and plan ahead with intention and insight, focusing on introspection as well as extending care to others.
The topics of this 90-minute workshop include:
The Practice of Death Journaling
Planning, Preparing, & Processing
Cultivating a Compassionate Presence
Core Connections
Storying the Past
Exploring Beliefs and Values
Tools for Times of Stress and Suffering
Prompts for Internal Reflection
Who is this event for? Curious mortals interested in exploring death wellness.
Testimonials:
“Francesca Arnoldy’s workshop on Death Journaling is a gentle introduction to contemplating and preparing for our end of life. Francesca has a special way of encouraging and welcoming participants into this work. The workshop allowed each participant to reflect in writing and with a partner. It helped to demystify the work of reflecting back and planning for the end of one’s life. I highly recommend Francesca as a presenter who deeply cares about this subject, shares from her life work, and encourages us to do the same. It’s rare to attend a one-hour workshop where you feel that you’ve done something so meaningful.” –Janet Nunziata
“Francesca is a strong group leader. She is very articulate, informative, and organized—all the while making us feel quite comfortable and free to express ourselves. I must say that I was also quite impressed with Francesca’s ability to keep to the scheduled time frame without feeling rushed at all.” –Allison Beach, RN/EOL Doula
“Francesca’s Introduction to Death Journaling filled the house with both locals and newcomers to our library. She was prompt, organized, and welcoming. Many folks stayed after in conversation about the event, and we got lots of grateful feedback. Everyone was happy to leave with a book, too!” –Rachel Matthews, Programming Librarian
“Your presentation touched my heart and inspired me. Thank you.” –Marinda, IL
Photo credit: Ottauquechee Health Foundation
Being a Friend in Grief: Guidance for Caring Neighbors, Colleagues, & Loved Ones
Loss is universal, yet grief is personal. And it can be overwhelming. How can we support those enduring loss? What can we say? What can we do? What’s beneficial and what might actually be harmful?
Join doula and researcher Francesca Arnoldy for a 2-hour interactive workshop that will help bolster your courage to show up when others are down. We’ll discuss the language of grief, including what to say and phrases to avoid, and how to offer emotional care and practical assistance to the bereaved with sensitivity, no matter the type of loss.
Topics:
Definitions & Explanations of Loss
Your Goal & Role as a Grief Friend
The Language of Grief
Paying a Grief Visit
Effective Approaches for Offering Support
*This is not a mental health training or grief support group–it is a community education event meant to help increase our courage, confidence, and connections.
Testimonials:
“It was excellent.”
“Nice flow of the workshop–gentle and thoughtful.”
“Got me thinking of the process of grief and gave me some good ideas, skills, and words to use.”
“Learned lots of wonderful ways to be of service to someone in grief.”
“You are an excellent speaker! So kind, so caring.”
“Attending Francesca Arnoldy’s grief workshop was an enlightening and deeply impactful experience. Her compassionate approach to discussing the language of grief provided invaluable insights into how to support those navigating loss. The workshop was not only informative but also empowering, equipping us with practical tools to offer meaningful support to friends, loved ones, and neighbors in their times of need. Francesca’s expertise and gentle guidance created a safe space for learning and reflection, leaving me with a renewed sense of confidence in how to show up for others with sensitivity and care. I highly recommend this workshop to anyone looking to deepen their understanding of grief and enhance their ability to provide compassionate support.” – Library Director, Carpenter Carse Library
Self-Sustenance: Your Inner Resources
As a clinician or family caregiver, you attend to the endless needs of others. This responsibility can become weighty and consuming, especially when circumstances are challenging. Is it possible to provide quality care while maintaining your own wellbeing? We’ll discuss beneficial frameworks, nourishing healing practices, and actionable approaches to foster wellness and fulfillment.
Together, we will explore:
Origin Stories
Difficult Dynamics
Releasing and Unburdening
Developing a Growth Mindset
Healing Practices
Integration and Intentions
This 2-hour interactive session will help restore your reserves as we spend time learning, reflecting, and sharing in community.
Francesca is an entertaining, inspiring speaker. Our group loved her program and we were inspired and motivated by her. She is relaxed and comfortable–making you feel like you’re having a one-on-one conversation. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for an enjoyable and educational presentation. – Susy Pratt, Chapter Regent, Green Mountain Chapter NSDAR
Francesca Lynn Arnoldy has been a community doula since 2009, supporting people through birth, death, and grief. She is the author of Cultivating the Doula Heart, Map of Memory Lane, and The Death Doula’s Guide to Living Fully and Dying Prepared. Francesca is a published researcher with the Vermont Conversation Lab and she runs the Death Literacy Educator Course & Community. A trusted thought leader, Francesca has been featured in articles by The New York Times, Fast Company, Newsweek, The Verge, and AARP. She regularly presents on life-and-death topics with hopes of encouraging people to support one another through times of intensity.
Francesca Lynn Arnoldy 